Athira Pharma Settles Claims of NIH Research Grant Misconduct

Athira Pharma Inc., located in Bothwell, Wash., has agreed to pay more than $4 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to report allegations of research misconduct to the National Institutes of Health and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Research Integrity in grant applications and reports, the Justice Department said Monday.

The settlement resolves allegations that between 2016 and 2021, Athira failed to disclose that its former CEO falsified and manipulated scientific images in research papers referenced in NIH grant applications, including one grant funded in 2019. The company violated ...