{"package_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_07-vv-00750","decision_granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_07-vv-00750-0","petitioner_identifier":"M.P. and P.P., in their own right and Best Friends of their Son, C.R.P.","is_minor":1,"age_at_vaccination":1.0,"age_unit_raw":"years","vaccine_type":"MMR","vaccination_date":"1999-01-19","condition_raw":"autistic disorder","condition_category":"ASD_autism","autism_spectrum_adjacent":1,"outcome":"dismissed","award_amount_usd":null,"decision_date":"2017-08-31","extraction_version":"gemini-v2","extracted_at":"2026-04-30T00:28:51.126423+00:00","number_of_concurrent_vaccines":2,"dose_number":null,"time_to_onset_days":null,"theory_of_causation":"Petitioners alleged that the MMR vaccine, administered on January 19, 1999, to minor C.R.P. (age 1), caused autistic disorder. The theory of causation, developed by Dr. Theresa Deisher, posited that residual human fetal DNA fragments and HERV-K endogenous retrovirus fragments in vaccines manufactured using human fetal cell lines (MMR II, varicella, hepatitis A) could cause autism through two mechanisms: 1) insertional mutagenesis, where DNA fragments integrate into brain cells, disrupting gene expression; and 2) autoimmunity, where HERV-K fragments trigger an autoimmune response against the brain. Dr. Deisher's supporting evidence included a \"change point\" ecological study correlating autism prevalence increases with vaccine introductions. The Special Master, Chief Special Master Nora Beth Dorsey, dismissed the petition, finding Dr. Deisher's study methodologically flawed (ecological design, unreliable data, failure to control confounders, misuse of R software, lack of replication) and her proposed mechanisms biologically implausible and unsupported by evidence. The Special Master noted that Dr. Deisher conceded the lack of a specific mechanism for insertional mutagenesis, the poor fit of the hepatitis A vaccine to this theory, the absence of experimental evidence for DNA integration into brain cells, and that the role of HERV-K was merely \"observational.\" The petition was dismissed for failure to meet the Althen Prong One standard. Petitioners' counsel was John F. McHugh; respondent's counsel was Ryan Daniel Pyles. Decision date: August 31, 2017.","is_death":0,"date_of_death":null,"petition_filed_date":"2002-01-04","case_summary":"M.P. and P.P., parents of minor C.R.P., filed a petition on January 4, 2002, alleging that the MMR vaccine administered to their son on January 19, 1999, caused his autistic disorder. This case was part of a mini-omnibus proceeding involving 23 cases, all of which agreed to be bound by the lead case, V.J.M. (No. 02-10V). The parents alleged that C.R.P. received the MMR vaccine along with two other concurrent vaccines at approximately one year of age. The public decision does not describe the specific clinical story of C.R.P. beyond the vaccination and the alleged condition. The theory of causation relied upon by the petitioners centered on the work of Dr. Theresa Deisher, who proposed that residual human fetal DNA fragments and HERV-K endogenous retrovirus fragments in vaccines manufactured using human fetal cell lines could cause autism through insertional mutagenesis or autoimmunity. The government's experts, including Drs. M. Daniele Fallin, Neal Halsey, and Dan Arking, presented evidence and testimony refuting this theory. Chief Special Master Nora Beth Dorsey issued a decision on August 31, 2017, dismissing the petition. The decision found that Dr. Deisher's \"change point\" ecological study was methodologically flawed, relying on unreliable data and failing to account for confounders. The proposed mechanisms of insertional mutagenesis and autoimmunity were also found to be unsupported by sufficient evidence. Specifically, the Special Master noted that Dr. Deisher could not specify the exact mechanism for insertional mutagenesis, conceded that the hepatitis A vaccine was not a good fit for this theory, and that there was no experimental evidence of DNA integration from vaccines into brain cells. The role of HERV-K was described as merely \"observational.\" The Special Master also noted that an NIH grant application for similar research by Dr. Deisher had been rejected due to bias and methodological concerns. The petition was dismissed for failure to establish causation under Prong One of the Althen test. Petitioners' counsel was John F. McHugh. Respondent's counsel was Ryan Daniel Pyles.","is_minor_inferred":1,"is_pediatric_broad":1,"special_master":"Nora Beth Dorsey","petitioner_identifier_original":null,"caption_petitioner_name":null,"petitioner_attorney_name":"John F. McHugh","petitioner_attorney_firm":"Law Office of John McHugh","petitioner_attorney_location":"New York, NY","adjudicator_name":null,"caption_people_backfilled_at":null,"attorney_canonical_keys":"|john-mchugh|","firm_canonical_key":"law-office-of-john-mchugh","package_title":"P. et al v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","canonical_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_07-vv-00750","plain_text_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_07-vv-00750.txt","json_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/case/USCOURTS-cofc-1_07-vv-00750.json","source_documents":[{"granule_id":"USCOURTS-cofc-1_07-vv-00750-0","title":"P. et al v. SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","docket_text":"PUBLIC DECISION (Originally filed: 08/31/2017) regarding 74 DECISION of Special Master. Signed by Chief Special Master Nora Beth Dorsey. (Attachments: #1 Appendix A)(har) Service on parties made. Modified on 7/3/2019 to include the attachment(s) in the main document for posting to the court's website(da).","date_issued":"2018-02-07","pdf_url":"https://api.govinfo.gov/packages/USCOURTS-cofc-1_07-vv-00750/granules/USCOURTS-cofc-1_07-vv-00750-0/pdf","pdf_bytes":1215541,"triage_decision":"keep","triage_reason":"docketText matches keep keyword 'decision of special master'","download_status":"ok","registry_pdf_url":"https://vicp-registry.org/pdf/USCOURTS-cofc-1_07-vv-00750/USCOURTS-cofc-1_07-vv-00750-0"}]}