In March 2016, neurologist Shuichi Ikeda publicized on Japanese TV news the results of experiments conducted in the course of his investigations into the safety of the HPV vaccine commissioned by the Japanese government. He claimed that these studies suggested a possible mechanism to explain the adverse reactions attributed by some young women to the vaccine. In June 2016, Riko Muranaka, a physician and journalist, wrote an article critical of Ikeda’s claims, for the business publication Wedge. Pointing to the danger that Ikeda’s claims would undermine public confidence in this vaccine, in this article, Riko claimed that Ikeda’s conclusions were based on the results of an experiment on a single mouse injected with the vaccine. She also suggested that a brain section Ikeda claimed showed ‘deposition of an auto-antibody’ – confirming a pathological process – had not been taken from the mouse vaccinated.
In August 2016, Ikeda launched a court action against Riko, claiming libel.
In November 2016, an independent inquiry conducted by Shinshu University censured Ikeda for publishing preliminary results of investigations of a single mouse, as Riko had observed. It also criticized him for drawing conclusions that were not ‘scientifically proven’ in relation to claims that these studies provided evidence of a biological mechanism for vaccine injury. Following the result of the inquiry, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan issued the unusual statement saying that Ikeda’s claims were ‘very regrettable’ and that he is responsible for spreading misunderstanding among citizens.
As the libel action continued over the next two years, Riko experienced increasing difficulty in finding editors willing to publish her work. Nevertheless, she continued to speak out in defense of the HPV vaccine and her stand in upholding scientific evidence for its safety won increasing international recognition. In 2017, she was the winner of the John Maddox Prize, awarded annually by the UK charity Sense About Science and the journal Nature, for ‘standing up for science’.
On 26 March 2019, the Tokyo District court ruled in support of Ikeda’s libel claim, ruling that Riko had not provided evidence of fabrication. Riko and Wedge were obliged to pay 3.3m yen for defamation. This decision was widely condemned by the international scientific community as a victory of anti-vaccine prejudice over science. While Wedge and its editor-in-chief accepted the court decision and agreed to pay damages, to publish and apology and to delete sections of the offending article, Riko decided on 8 April to pursue an appeal independently.
With the support of Mamoreruinochiwo Mamorukai (Protect the Lives We Can), a non-profit organization committed to free speech in science, Riko appointed a group of lawyers to put her case to the appeal court.
There are two ways you can support Riko.
1. Become a member of our group.
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If you are able send your contribution directly to the bank account of Protecting Lives We Can (Mamoreruinochiwo Mamorukai), we can accept it as a “donation”, and issue a letter of receipt upon your request. The banks charge around 50 USD for the international money transfer, so this method is not suitable for small contributions.
If you wish to choose this method to support Riko, please contact as at contact@mamoreruinochi.com
Thank you for kind your support.
Dr. Isamu Ishiwata CEO, Mamoreruinochiwo Mamorukai (Protecting Lives We Can）
To learn more about the case, please read the following articles.
Financial Times (2019.3.26)
Anti-vaxxer wins libel case in Japan in blow for scientist
Science (2019.3.27）
Japanese court rules against journalist in HPV vaccine defamation case
