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July 26, 2016

Stealth Research and Theranos: Reflections and Update 1 Year Later

Author Affiliations
  • 1Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
  • 2Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford (METRICS), Stanford University, Stanford, California
JAMA. 2016;316(4):389-390. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.6986

I first noticed the name Theranos while walking by its facilities in Palo Alto, California, in 2014. That name was so intriguing that I searched Google to find it and learned that it supposedly combined the Greek words “therapy” and “diagnosis.” The basic vision was impressive: massive, inexpensive diagnostic testing using a new technology that could run hundreds of tests concurrently at very low cost and using tiny amounts of blood without a needlestick. The idea crossed my mind to consider collaborating with such avant-garde entrepreneurs in research studies.

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