The following is an open letter to the greedy owners of The Lancet: Elsevier
To Erik Engstrom (CEO of RELX), Kumsal Bayazit (CEO of Elsevier),
As members of the scientific community, we recognise the value of all staff working to publish medical journals. They champion researchers, safeguard the scientific record, strengthen the quality and accuracy of reporting, and help disseminate important findings during this particularly unstable time for research and science worldwide.
The work of staff across The Lancet Group of journals has been integral to Elsevier’s success. In 2025, Elsevier declared an adjusted operating profit of £1.035 billion, approximately US$1.393 billion, which translates to 7% underlying profit growth and a 38% profit margin. Moreover, article processing charges (APCs) for The Lancet have risen from US$5000 in 2020 to US$9550 in 2026, a cumulative 91% increase, with all other The Lancet Group journals increasing their APCs during this time as well.
However, staff at The Lancet Group receive pay increases that are consistently below inflation, with many employees substantially worse off than they were five years ago despite their growing expertise and responsibilities. As a result, these staff have been reluctantly forced to unionise, ballot over pay, and prepare to strike.
In signing this letter, I support the staff of The Lancet Group journals in seeking a fair pay increase to combat real-term pay cuts. I urge Elsevier to return to negotiations with a pay offer that reflects the crucial value that these staff continue to bring to both the company and the scientific community.
At a time when misinformation and disinformation, malicious use of artificial intelligence, and unscrupulous publishing practices threaten research integrity and undermine trust in science, the need for dedicated professional staff at medical journals is stronger than ever. Elsevier’s aim, “Advancing human progress together”, cannot succeed without them.
Click here to sign: https://forms.gle/YTNdNA3WcfPvzbCk7
Signed,
Prof. Saskia Middeldorp, Radboud university medical center
Prof. Giovanni Targher, University Medical School of Verona, Italy
Professor Alex Ford, University of Leeds
Professor Shaji Sebastian, Hull University Teaching Hospitals
“100% support”
Prof. Yuichi Mori, University of Oslo
Emeritus Professor C. Wendy Spearman, University of Cape Town
“I fully support the staff of The Lancet Group journals in seeking a fair pay increase to combat real-term pay cuts. The support provided by the dedicated professional journal staff to clinicians and researchers when submitting a manuscript is invaluable and ensures publications of the highest quality. The input that is required to select appropriate reviewers of manuscripts and pertinent commentaries cannot be underestimated and must be recognised and acknowledged as must the time and intellectual rigour required in putting together a journal issue.”
Juan Pablo Arab, MD, Virginia Commonwealth University
Professor Maud Lemoin, Imperial College London
“I fully support the Lancet employees; their work is crucial and should be fully recognised and respected, especially at a time when scientific research is increasingly undermined by non-scientific voices.”
Professor Sant-Rayn Pasricha, WEHI
“Thanks for all the hard work you do.”
Prof. Ming-Hua Zheng, MAFLD Research Center, Department of Hepatology The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University
“I stand with colleagues at The Lancet in their call for fair pay and recognition of their work. As a researcher, I value the care and editorial judgement that help make published research rigorous, clear, and trustworthy. The people who do this work deserve to feel valued and supported. I hope Elsevier will listen to their concerns and work with them towards a fair resolution.”
Dr Yusuke SHIMAKAWA, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
Professor Aleksander Krag, University of Southern Denmark
Dr. Zhou Xiao-Dong, MAFLD Research Center, Department of Hepatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University
“I support colleagues at The Lancet journals in their efforts to safeguard editorial independence, professional integrity, and fair working conditions. These principles are fundamental to the credibility and quality of scientific publishing.”
Prof. Gong Feng, Institute of General Practice, Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an, China
Professor Johan Burisch, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Denmark
Dr.Si-Yi Lei, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University
Huai Zhang, MM, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University
Arndt Vogel, Toronto General Hospital
Dr. Wen-Yue Liu, Department of Endocrinology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
Dr. Angela Weyand, University of Michigan Medical School
Grace Wong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
“I truly appreciate the tremendous contribution of our professional journal staff in maintaining the high quality of the articles we publish.”
Herbert Tilg, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria
“please continue the highly successful course of Lancet Journals also in the future”
Tao ZUO, Sun Yat-sen University
Prof. Elena F. Verdu, McMaster University
“Professional scientific editors play an essential role in safeguarding the integrity of scientific publishing. Through independent editorial oversight, rigorous peer review, and transparent decision-making, they help ensure the scientific quality of publications. This, in my view, is fundamental to maintaining the credibility of journals and the trust of both the scientific community and the public.”
Dan-Qin Sun, Nephrology Center, Jiangnan University Medical Center, Wuxi, China
Elias Jabbour, MDACC
Dr Gilaad Kaplan, University of Calgary
“In these disruptive times, with the advent of large language models transforming the publishing industry, high-quality and appropriately compensated editorial staff are essential to safeguarding the integrity, rigor, and credibility of academic journals.”
Utkarshini Kirtikar, McMaster University
Madhukar Pai, McGill School of Population and Global Health
“As one of the world’s most profitable publishers, Elsevier can and should do better by all their editorial staff and scientists. Not as an act of charity, but as a matter of fairness and justice.”
Prof Alan McNally, University of Birmingham
Dr Damian Cruse, University of Birmingham
Professor Rochelle Burgess, UCL Institute for Global Health
Catherine Freeland, Hepatitis B Foundation
Professor Gavin Yamey, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University
Prof Kristie L. Ebi, Ph.D., MPH, University of Washington
Dr Fred Basso, London School of Economics
“I fully support your collective action. I hope you continue to do your great work in decent conditions.”
Professor Maryam Shahmanesh, University College London
Dr joanne liu, McGill University
Katherine Tumlinson, PhD, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management, UNC Chapel Hill
Dr. Shashika Bandara, Monash University, Malaysia
Dr Ilan Schwartz, Duke University
Prof Madhavi Bhargava, Yenepoya Medical College, Mangalore
“Dedicated professional staff are fundamental to publishing activity at publishing houses”
Professor Salim S. Abdool Karim, Director: CAPRISA – Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa
Dr. Shannon Maloney, University of Oxford
Professor Giorgos Kallis, ICTA/UAB
“LLMs are wreaking havoc on publishing standards. We need decently paid humans to safeguard the standards of credible science.”
A/Prof Heidi Staudacher, Monash University
Pr Aurore Thibaut, University of Liege
Dr. Arianna Sala, University of Liège
Louras Mélanie, PhD student, University of Liège
Dr Géraldine Martens, University of Liège
Dr Charlotte Martial, University of Liège
Ms. Montulet Fanny, University of Liège
Dr. Jennie Gamlin, UCL (University College London)
Diarmaid McDonald, Just Treatment
Prof Kent Buse, Monash University Malaysia
“The Lancet built its authority on holding power to account. Its owner should not be the one exception. A publisher cannot claim to advance human progress while banking a billion pounds on the backs of the staff it is quietly making poorer.”
Professor Margaret Hellard, Burnet Institute
Professor Julia Steinberger, University of Lausanne
“Thanks for your strike. Academic publishing should not be used for private profits.”
Dallas O’Dell, ICTA-UAB
Mr. Suryadeepto Nag, University of Lausanne
Jean-André Davy–Guidicelli, University of Lausanne
Prof. Felix Creutzig, University of Sussex & PIK Potsdam
Victor Cannilla, University of Lausanne
Raúl Velasco-Fernández, ICTA-UAB
Professor Rosie Green, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Professor Steven Tong, University of Melbourne
Prof. Oliver Cornely MD, FIDSA, FECMM, FAAM, FACP, Institute of Translational Research/University of Cologne
“My institute publishes with the Lancet Group because it is reliably one of the best editorial interactions and a scientifically sound and independent resource. It is a societal duty to not put this essential asset of democracy at risk.”
Dr. Laura Pérez-Sánchez, ICTA-UAB
Dr Joel Millward-Hopkins, University of Lausanne
Prof Valérie D’Acremont, University of Lausanne
Professor Emma Wall, Queen Mary University of London
Dr. Marula Tsagkari, Autonomous University of Barcelona
Bethany Samuelson Bannow, MD, Director, Classical Hematology, Cleveland Clinic
Dr. Bineh Ndefru, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
Professor Paul Behrens, University of Oxford
Professor Ziyad Al-Aly, Washington University in St. Louis and VA Saint Louis Health Care System
“Elsevier’s profitability is built on the backs of its staff. Elsevier executives’ refusal to agree to fair pay raises is indefensible. It is also bad business, and it risks reputational damage that will not be easily repaired.
The Board should intervene and direct executives to settle. This is not a question of affordability. Elsevier can pay. The only thing standing in the way is executives who have not grasped that they are undermining their own interests.”
Kirsty Minton
Prof. Chris Bonell, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Professor Nigel Field, UCL
Hon Professor Manal El-Sayed, Ain Shams University
Associate Professor Mo Yin, National University Hospital, Singapore
Dr Emily MacLean, The University of Sydney
Lorenz Keysser, University of Lausanne
Dr Regan Mudhar, University of Lausanne
Dr Anika Knuppel, Institute of Global Health, UCL
In Prof Kirstin Mitchell, University of Glasgow
Vaclav Masek Sánchez, ICTA-UAB
Professor Mark Sonderup, University of Cape Town
“The call by Lancet staff is very reasonable. Their dedication and commitment are integral to the success of Elsevier and the Lancet stable in upholding high levels of scientific integrity in these publications. Commensurate remuneration for this work is a justified demand.”
Prof. S Vittal Katikireddi, University of Glasgow
Professor Michael Marks, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Dr Emily Vosper, University of Bristol
Dr David Greenwood, The Francis Crick Institute
“I support Lancet staff in standing up for fair working conditions and for a publishing model that respects the people whose work sustains these journals and the wider scientific community.”
Florian Krammer, Medical University of Vienna
Dr. Juan Fortea, Hospital of Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
“I strongly support The Lancet Group staff in seeking fair pay that reflects their essential contribution to scientific publishing and research integrity. Science is a team effort and we are on the same side!”
Dr Iqbal Aniq, Francis Crick Institute
Tharick Pascoal, University of Pittbugh
“The rigor and scientific standards of The Lancet journals rest on the expertise and judgment of their editors and staff. Their expertise should be recognized so these high standards can be sustained.”
Dr Selina Namchee Lo, Australian Global Health Alliance
Prof. Emanuele Menegatti, The University of Padova
John Hardy, UCL
“More than ever we need high quality journals with professional editorial staff”
Dr James Smith, UCL
Professor Trisha Greenhalgh, University of Oxford
Dr David Nicholl, Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust
John Drury, University of Sussex
Prof Rohan de Silva, UCL
Prof Paola Giunti, UCL
Professor Heinz Jungbluth, King’s College London
Professor Emeritus Charles Antaki, Loughborough University; editor, Research on Language and Social Interaction
“A journal is only as good as those who curate its products; their work must be recognised and properly rewarded.”
Prof. Tim Bartels, UCL / UK DRI
Shatha Elnakib, Johns Hopkins University
Prof.Alessandra Del felice, University of Padova, Italy
Ezekiel Emanuel, University of Pennsylvania
Dr Mie Rizig, UCL
“The Lancet is No. 1, with an impact factor of 109, and its affiliated journals are thriving—a testament to its staff’s hard work. To Elsevier’s leadership: equity starts at home. To the staff: we value and support you”
Tom Davies, Secretary, Guardian NUJ branch
Janet A. Aker, healthcare senior editor, Defense Health Agency contractor
Kei Sato, The University of Tokyo
Mr.Ayad Alwassiti, Freelancer
Ms Jessica Hottinger, NUJ
Kirsty Morrison, UKHSA
Dr Yann Sweeney, Editor
““Advancing human progress together” means paying your workers a fair wage”
Anthony Simmons, concerned individual
“Something is definitely going wrong with leadership decisions for staff to go on strike for the first time.”
Dr Vera Domingues, Editor
Dr Matthew Evans, University of Sussex
Shivani Misra, Imperial College London
Craig Parr, NEU
Gustavo Sevlever MD; PhD, Fleni
“Full support for the staff of the best medical journal”
Bo Cui, Executive Editor-in-Chief, Hainan Medical University
Srinivas Murthy, University of British Columbia
Raul Martinez Fernandez, MD, Neurologist, PhD, Hospital de la Santa Creu y Sant Pau, HM CINAC
“Many thanks to The Lancet staff for their professionalism.”
José A Obeso MD, CINAC, Fundación HM Hospitales
“Lancet is a historical publication that has kept in the frontiers of medical advances as well as social issues up to today. Quality and independence of editorial work and the Lancet journals should not be jeopardised by business.”
Shiva Raj Mishra, Western Sydney University
Professor A.J. Lees, Institute of Neurology, University College London
“I support colleagues at The Lancet journals in their efforts to safeguard editorial independence, professional integrity, and fair working conditions. These principles are fundamental to the credibility and quality of scientific publishing”
Flora Graham, Chief Editor, Signing in a personal capacity as a journalist and NUJ member
“I support the staff of The Lancet Group journals in seeking a fair pay increase to combat real-term pay cuts. They are fighting the good fight against misinformation and disinformation, malicious use of artificial intelligence, and unscrupulous publishing practices, in support of research integrity. They deserve fair pay for their excellent work. Elsevier is profitable; that money belongs to those who earned it.”
Professor Kevin Talbot, University of Oxford
“Editorial staff deserve to be rewarded for their expertise and excellence. The future of high quality publishing is at risk if profit is valued above everything else.”
Georg Holländer, Medical Director, Botnel, Switzerlandar Institute of Immune Engineering, Bas
“stand with colleagues at The Lancet in their call for fair pay and recognition of their work.”
Dr Helena Pérez Valle, Editor
Professor David Paterson, University of Oxford
Dr Giampiero Tarantino, University of Birmingham
Professor Polly Waite, University of Oxford
Ewen Callaway, Journalist (NUJ member)
Dr Andrea Degasperi, University of Cambridge, UK
“A fair pay is one of the cornerstones of every job, and even more so when the company has more than enough profit margin to guarantee it to its employees”
Mr Andrew Carter, Member of the public
Professor Peter Scambler, University College London
Dr Liam Ridge, Manchester Metropolitan University
Dr Catherine Roberts, City St George’s, University of London
Dr Stuart Whigham, Oxford Brookes University
Dr Leandro Galli, University of Surrey
Freddy Hassan, Member of the public
Dr James Ruffle, University College London
“Without hard-working editors, no journal can excel. Just as in any other industry, the company should incentivise their hardworking by remunerating them properly, and not rely on goodwill alone.”
Miss F Kazemi
Kim Johnson MP, Member of Parliament for Liverpool Riverside
Professor Andrew Copp, University College London
Dr Rachael Elward, LSBU
“Elsevier claims to add value to scientific research. If this is true, it must value the highly skilled editorial work that maintains the highest scientific standards of its flagship journals. Delivering real-terms pay cuts while reporting over £1 billion in adjusted operating profit shows that protecting its enormous profits takes priority over fairly paying the people whose expertise underpins those journals’ quality and integrity. Solidarity with The Lancet’s NUJ chapel in demanding fair pay.”
John McDonnell MP, NUJ Parliamentary Group
“I am shocked that these loyal professionals have been forced to take unprecedented industrial action. I urge the employer to get round the negotiating table for serious negotiations to settle this dispute.”
Rebecca Long Bailey MP (Chair of NUJ Parliamentary Group), UK Parliament
Dr Nancy Stathopoulou, University of Oxford
Dr Ian Ingram, Manchester Metropolitan University
“Real-terms pay cuts through persistent below inflation pay offers are bleeding so many workers, in science and beyond, dry year by year, cut by cut. Well done for such an amazing strike ballot, you can and will win this fight. Your employers rely on your skill and your experience. You are worth more. Solidarity.”
Dr Elisa Lewis, London South Bank University
Dr. Alessandro Gatto, OECD
Edoardo Giacopuzzi, PhD, Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
Sir Richard Roberts, New England Biolabs, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Chris Starling, Institute of Cancer Research
Dr Caitlin Davies, Institute of Cancer Research
“The workers united will never be defeated. Solidarity!”
Aiden Doyle, The Institute of Cancer Research
“Solidarity in your fight for fair pay”
Dr. Sara Silva, The Institute of Cancer Research
“Full support!”
Dr Vivianne Lebrec, The Institute of Cancer Research, London
Camila Coelho, Principal Investigator, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Mr. Krishna Prasad Acharya, Department of Livestock Services ( DLS), Hariharbhawan, Lalitpur, Nepal
Prof. Michael Bretthauer, University of Oslo
Dr Yvonne Bordon, Editor
Jamila Din, Higher Scientific Officer, The Institute of Cancer Research
Dr Leonie Welberg, Editor
Dr Brecht Ingelbeen, Institute of Tropical Medicine
Dr Ulrike Harjes, Editor
Dr Thiago Cerqueira Silva,
Click here to sign: https://forms.gle/YTNdNA3WcfPvzbCk7
