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Conflict of interest inquiry claims psychiatrist scalp

Senator Charles Grassley’s conflict of interest inquiry in the United States has scored its biggest victory to date, with the media full of revelations about psychiatrist Charles Nemeroff of Emory University.

“After questioning about 20 doctors and research institutions, it looks like problems with transparency are everywhere,” says Grassley (NY Times). “The current system for tracking financial relationships isn’t working.”

Grassley alleges that Nemeroff he received half a million dollars from GlaxoSmithKline while leading a federal research study on GSK drugs (WSJ). Overall Nemeroff failed to declare more than a million dollars of income from pharmaceutical companies, he alleges (Inside Higher Ed).


Emory has since issued a statement saying:

Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) has raised a number of questions about whether Emory’s chairman of psychiatry and behavioural sciences, Dr. Charles Nemeroff, has properly disclosed his financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies. … In view of the ongoing internal and external investigations into these allegations, Dr. Nemeroff will voluntarily step down as chairman of the department, effective immediately, pending resolution of these issues.

The LA Times notes that Grassley is pushing for legislation that would require disclosure of all payments over $500 from pharma companies and to doctors. The Pharmalot blog says, “The Senate has, so far, singled out several prominent academic researchers. But this episode is significant because it may be the clearest example yet where the probe has unearthed not only the alleged undisclosed conflicts involving a particular individual, but the failure of a university to adequately take action despite having recognized a potential problem over an extended period of time.”

The university’s statement includes this comment from Nemeroff:

To the best of my knowledge, I have followed the appropriate University regulations concerning financial disclosures. I have dedicated my career to translating research findings into improvements in clinical practice in patients with severe mental illness. I will cooperate fully and work with Emory to respond to the alleged conflicts of interest issues raised by Senator Grassley and his staff.

Comments

  1. Report this comment

    Sergio Stagnaro MD said:

    Surely, also from the conflict of interest, U.S.A. is a great Nation. I hope that many others will follow you, as far as morality is concerned, improving it in own country.

  2. Report this comment

    Doug Bremner MD said:

    Mind you, I am not here to justify Dr. Nemeroff’s bad behavior. To not disclose the payment of more than $10,000 a year from a drug company that makes a drug you are also studying with an NIH funded grant is clearly a violation of NIH policy (although not a violation of the law).

    However, when I was attacked by a drug company, Nemeroff came to my defense.

    https://www.beforeyoutakethatpill.com/blog.thml

    I have some questions for the Senator Grassley.

    First off, why are you only investigating psychiatrists? [Answer: psychiatrists have an approval rating in medicine that is only above chiropractors. Many people blame paxil for their problems. It is low hanging fruit]

    Second, why don’t you look at other specialties? Take a look at cafepharma.com, where the drug reps are gossiping in relation to the Nemeroff dispute that “key opinion leaders” for advair are at the front of the gravy train. [Answer: cardiologists make life saving drugs, while psychiatrists are pseudoscientists who are trying to invent a myth about serotonin imbalance so they can help sell drugs for their cronies, the drug companies.] [Answer to answer: Not true. You have to treat 100 heart disease patients with Lipitor to prevent one heart attack, while you treat only 8-17 depressed patients with an antidepressant to prevent a recurrence. And if you don’t believe that depression is as bad as a heart attack, ask someone who has been there.]

    Ask anyone who works in a university hospital. Their docs are never there. It is because they are always away giving talks for pharma. And pretty much all of it is undisclosed.

    Senator Grassley, if you really want to get to the bottom of the corruption that has permeated academic medicine, do a nation wide audit. Of ALL specialties. If you don’t, you are a hypocrite.

    https://www.beforeyoutakethatpill.com/blog.html

    Doug Bremner MD

    https://www.dougbremner.com

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