Academic Morning Afternoon Profits

Campus Report ^ | July 2, 2008 | Bethany Stotts

[bs9021]

Academic Morning After Profits

by: Bethany Stotts, July 02, 2008

This June the New York Times broke the story that two Harvard Professors, Dr. Joseph Biederman and Dr. Timothy Wilens, had only belatedly reported their considerable external financing from drug makers to their University. The evidence, revealed during a congressional investigation, may also cast suspicion on the dramatic increase in prescribed antipsychotics.

As AIA has documented, some groups remain skeptical of the expansive definitions surrounding Attention Deficit Disorder diagnoses. Others are concerned by the rapid expansion of the use of psychotropic drugs among children.

The investigation of the Harvard doctors, two of about 30 university-affiliated scientists under suspicion, is being spearheaded by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a Senator known for his fiery investigation into university endowments and transparency efforts.

“These physicians are some of the top psychiatrists in the country, and their research is some of the most important in the field. They have also taken millions of dollars from the drug companies and failed to report those payments accurately to Harvard and Mass General [Hospital],” Grassley said on the Senate floor on June 23. The Senator also said that he was looking into payments made to a “professor of psychiatry” at the University of Cincinnati, but gave no name.

Grassley is currently investigating financial conflicts of interests at 20 different universities and colleges, reports the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Senator Grassley and Senator Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) introduced the Physician Sunshine Payments Act of 2007, which was referred to committee with no hearings last Fall. Notable cosponsors include Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA).

The Act would establish a database of physicians and other researchers’ funding from pharmaceutical companies if payments exceed $500...

[misterrob]

The entire system stinks.

[IncPen]

I for one think that socialized medicine would have prevented this.

[Misterioso]

“Afternoon” profits?

[jimfree]

Kinda like the grants given to support AGW. I vote for a climate research sunshine act as well.

[bs9021]

typo— read the original title

[Misterioso]

I did, obviously.

[misterrob]

The systems is so flawed I don't know where to begin. I have no issue with pharma making money, I have no issue with licensing of drug formulations and I have no issue with collaborations with research centers. I do have issues with taxpayer money going to institutions who then license out IP to drug companies who then lock it down off the market. I also think the FDA’s awarding of patents is absurd and for the marketing exclusives they grant to companies. NIH is a defacto outsourced R&D facility for the pharma industry who whines and complains about government interference in their business save for when they want their patents protected or restrictions placed on imports when they are not offering the same prices that they negotiate in other countries.