June 15, 2018 — Today, the Moderate Alcohol and Cardiovascular Health Trial (MACH) Working Group presented a report to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Advisory Committee to the Director. The following is the FNIH’s response to the report.

The findings in the report from the NIH’s Advisory Committee to the Director Working Group are startling and counter to the FNIH agreement with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) requiring that NIAAA “ensure that the project is administered in accordance with the laws, regulations and policies generally applicable to NIH and to NIH-funded research” and that the FNIH’s participation is “predicated on the independence of this study.”

With the termination of the trial, the FNIH will request that unexpended funds be transferred back to the FNIH so that the FNIH may return them to the funders. Additionally, the FNIH will review the Working Group’s report with care and take other appropriate actions.

NIH statement: NIH to end funding for Moderate Alcohol and Cardiovascular Health trial