Salvatore Cuzzocrea: Major Pharmacology Journals Flag 15 Papers Amid Criminal Embezzlement Probe

A major pharmacology society has taken coordinated editorial action against a prominent Italian scientist who is the subject of a criminal investigation. The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) has issued expressions of concern for 12 papers, corrections for two, and a retraction for one, all published in its flagship journals, *The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics* and *Molecular Pharmacology*. The subject of this sweeping scrutiny is Salvatore Cuzzocrea, a pharmacology professor at the University of Messina, who was a co-author or corresponding author on every flagged article.

This editorial action intensifies the pressure on Cuzzocrea, who is under investigation by Italian authorities for allegedly embezzling more than 2 million euros in research reimbursements and rigging university contracts. The ASPET's move signals a formal institutional response to the integrity concerns surrounding his work, moving beyond isolated journal retractions. The society's statement, published on April 3, represents a significant and public rebuke from within his own professional field.

The latest flags add to a growing list of problematic publications. In the year since initial reports on the criminal probe, journals have retracted five more of Cuzzocrea's papers. One retraction from *BMC Neuroscience* occurred just ten days after the allegations surfaced, citing data that had appeared in an earlier publication. This pattern suggests a systemic issue with his research output, raising serious questions about the validity of the funded work connected to the embezzled funds and placing the University of Messina's oversight under further scrutiny.