Chemical Society Offers Resolution in Pubchem Debate

The American Chemical Society has offered an olive branch to the National Institutes of Health in the ongoing dispute over PubChem, the agency’s small-molecule database. The three-part proposal focuses on areas of “common ground” and puts aside the two groups’ philosophical differences. (C&EN is published by ACS.)

“It’s time to put aside the divisive philosophical differences in favor of reaching an accord on key operational issues,” ACS President William F. Carroll said in a statement to C&EN. “We trust [NIH Director Elias A.] Zerhouni’s assurances that PubChem is not headed toward duplication of the CAS Registry and that PubChem truly will be complementary, not competitive,” he explained.

In a Sept. 22 letter to Zerhouni, ACS seeks confirmation that PubChem will not “disseminate information on the commercial availability of compounds.” ACS also expressed concern in the letter over the quality of data being put into PubChem. The letter asks NIH—which has noted that it is open to additional safeguards—to take steps to ensure the data are original prior to submission. The letter also asks NIH to introduce a predissemination process to “ensure that data are pertinent and derived from established, bona fide sources.”

According to an agency spokesman, “NIH leadership is carefully reviewing the letter and is preparing a response. NIH continues to work with ACS on this issue and is hopeful that a resolution will be reached in the near future.”