The research seemed so promising.
asserted
research → seem → ?
Under a microscope, the scientists could see cancerous cells being “completely eradicated” by a cannabis extract.
uncertain
cells → see → extract
A 2021 announcement trumpeted the results as “groundbreaking”.
asserted
announcement → trumpet → results
The research pair-up – the University of Newcastle and ASX-listed hemp grower Ecofibre – seemed convinced they were poised to transform women’s health.
asserted
they → list → health
“All patients have responded positively,” Ecofibre announced (though the experiments were on patient samples, not on patients themselves).
asserted
experiments → respond → patients
Patents had been filed.
asserted
Patents → file → ?
Fair Work Commission documents reveal the University of Newcastle researcher who led the work has now been terminated for research misconduct.
asserted
who → reveal → misconduct
The research centre he directed has shut, with all samples and data from the suspect research destroyed.
asserted
samples → direct → research
Staff have lost their jobs, and PhD students have had to abandon their studies.
asserted
students → lose → studies
The university has had to repay donors.
asserted
university → have → donors
A promising beginning
Ecofibre is a hemp grower and producer, selling various cannabis-based treatments for pain, including “Endo Relief Cream” and cannabinoid vaginal suppositories known as “Endo Relief Melts”.
asserted
Ecofibre → sell → Melts
But the evidence showing cannabis can treat chronic pain is thin on the ground.
asserted
cannabis → show → ground
“Due to a lack of evidence from high-quality research,” the International Association for the Study of Pain said in 2021, it “does not endorse the general use of cannabinoids to treat pain.”
asserted
it → say → pain
Ecofibre and the University of Newcastle hoped to change that.
asserted
Ecofibre → hop → that
What went wrong from there is chronicled in two Fair Work Commission judgments.
asserted
went → go → judgments
The two organisations entered into a research partnership to test the efficacy of cannabinoids on endometriosis and other gynaecological diseases.
asserted
organisations → enter → endometriosis
Professor Pradeep Tanwar, director of the University’s Global Centre for Gynaecological Diseases, was made chief investigator of those research projects.
asserted
Tanwar → make → projects
Tanwar was also the principal investigator in two research projects to study the molecular basis of endometriosis and look for blood markers for the disease being run at three hospitals around Newcastle.
asserted
Tanwar → study → Newcastle
By 2023, Ecofibre and the university had been jointly granted patents for hemp treatments for ovarian cancer and endometriosis.
asserted
Ecofibre → grant → cancer
“We are well positioned to move to the next stage of our research, which includes full protocol development for eventual human trials,” Tanwar said in an Ecofibre letter to shareholders.
asserted
Tanwar → position → shareholders
It was then, according to the Fair Work Commission documents, the problems began.
uncertain
problems → accord → documents
Issues with consent
In 2023, the university became aware of allegations that patients in Tanwar’s studies had not signed consent forms or were asked to sign them retrospectively.
asserted
patients → become → them
Hospital service investigations concluded that more than 100 patients involved in the research had not signed consent forms for their tissue to be used.
asserted
tissue → conclude → forms
This masthead revealed the existence of that investigation in 2025.
asserted
masthead → reveal → 2025
Nor, the university alleged, were the patients told their tissue would be grafted onto so-called “xenograft mice”.
asserted
tissue → allege → mice
Informed consent is sacrosanct in science and covered by strict rules.
asserted
consent → cover → rules
Fundamentally, research participants must volunteer, and they must understand what they’re signing up to.
asserted
they → volunteer → what
After investigating, the hospital system pulled its ethical approval for the studies.
asserted
system → investigate → studies
Ecofibre also terminated its research agreement with the university, which was being used to fund most of the centre’s senior research positions.
asserted
which → terminate → positions
The company did not return a request for comment.
asserted
company → return → comment
The university suspended Tanwar in April 2024 on full pay.
asserted
university → suspend → pay
Without its leader and money to fund ongoing research, the Global Centre for Gynaecological Diseases closed in December 2024, and most staff working there lost their jobs.
asserted
staff → fund → jobs
The Fair Work Commission judgment summarises the damage done: “Two students being required to abandon their PhD work and recommence their studies (one of them four years into their PhD), 14 students being disrupted and assigned new supervision, 17 staff having their employment disrupted and career outputs affected and over 1000 mice being expended during the research that will not yield publishable/useable data.”
asserted
that → summarise → data
In total, the university spent about $8 million on the research.
asserted
university → spend → research
The commission’s judgment noted that the university had to repay some donors after the scandal broke.
asserted
scandal → note → donors
The university terminated Tanwar’s employment in August 2025.
asserted
university → terminate → August
Speaking on Tuesday, Tanwar said getting patients’ consent was the responsibility of the hospital’s clinicians.
asserted
getting → speak → clinicians
“Under the approved ethics protocols, consent was taken by hospital clinicians,” he said.
asserted
he → approve → clinicians
“Written consent was given in accordance with the legislation.
asserted
consent → give → legislation
Unfortunately, consent documentation processes at the hospital had shortcomings.”
asserted
processes → have → shortcomings
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
