Economic ties to drug companies unveiled on Internet

If the public knew that research on a new drug was conducted by a scientist funded by the makers of that drug, they wouldn't have much faith in the results.

But the fact is, that's exactly what happens all the time. The public doesn't know it because, in the past, the information has been kept secret.

This site also provides information about some of the corporate support received by dozens of professional, health, and nonprofit groups, including such organizations as the International Life Sciences Institute, American Council on Science and Health, and American Dietetic Association.

According to CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson: "Corporations increasingly are funding academic scientists to conduct research, speak at press conferences, and provide advice. Too frequently, neither the scientists nor the corporations disclose that funding. Today, we have begun to lift that veil of secrecy by providing journalists, activists, policy makers, and the public with information about the links between more than 1,100 scientists and industry. The list will be expanded in the coming months."

He added: "Important health and environmental policies can be distorted by scientists who assert objectivity, but who receive funding from affected industries. The result could be more pollution, unsafe food additives, and dangerous consumer products."

Concern about scientific conflicts of interest has soared in recent years, thanks in part to controversies such as the New England Journal of Medicine's failure to enforce its disclosure guidelines and the University of Pennsylvania's failure to adequately disclose its conflicts to a patient who died during a clinical drug trial.

More recently, a controversy has swirled around John Graham, who directs the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, which receives substantial funding from more than 100 companies and trade associations. Yet, Congress considered Graham for an important position in the Office of Management and Budget.

Ronald Collins, director of CSPI's "Integrity in Science project," said: "We hope that this web site will encourage journalists to report on scientists' funding from industry. All too often reporters quote scientists without providing the public with needed information about their ties to industry, thus giving the impression that they have no such affiliations.

"Of course, just because a scientist receives industry funding does not necessarily mean that he or she is biased or wrong. Rather, receipt of such funding is one of many factors that need to be considered in evaluating a scientist's statements," added Collins.

One example of the type of information the new site provides is the listing on George Blackburn, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Surgery and Nutrition and Associate Director of the Division of Nutrition, Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Blackburn conducted research on aspartame that was funded by NutraSweet Co. and receives grants from Slim-Fast. According to an article in USA Today, he is "on the payroll of Sandias, the maker of Optifast, a liquid diet product."

Blackburn created the "Centers for Obesity Research and Education" supported with an unrestricted grant from Knoll Pharmaceuticals, Glaxo Wellcome and Slim-Fast Foods. A research paper by him, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was partially supported by Alpha-Beta Technology, Inc.

Another listing concerns Harry B. Greenberg, M.D., Stanford University Medical School, professor of medicine, microbiology, and immunology. Dr. Greenberg, who chairs the FDA's "Vaccine and Biological Products Advisory Committee" has $120,000 stock in Aviron, a vaccine manufacturer, and is a paid member on the board of advisors of -- and owns $40,000 of stock in -- Chiron, another vaccine manufacturer.

SOURCE: Media Advisory, Center for Science in the Public Interest, May 17,2001