Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Investigations: Most Medical Advisors on Vaccines Had Financial Conflicts
Here's the latest in the saga of conflict of interest in the health field: The New York Times reports in this interesting piece that nearly two-thirds of medical experts on advisory panels to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control had potential financial conflicts that were either not disclosed or unresolved. The experts advised on vaccines for the flu and cervical cancer. Some of the experts were legally barred from considering the issues, according to The Times, but they did so nonetheless. The Times story is based on this report from the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services. See more on the growing scandal about medical conflicts in this post.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Investigations: Med Journal Editor Pockets $20M in Royalties
The editor of a medical journal on spinal disorders - a well-known orthopedic surgeon - pocketed more than $20 million in dollars in royalties from spinal device maker Medtronic, according to this interesting investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Meanwhile, the journal he edited became a conduit for positive research articles involving Medtronic spinal products, the piece reports. It's the latest in a long series of revelations about U.S. and Canadian doctors enjoying cozy ties with medical-device makers and drug companies. See more in this post and this Montreal Gazette story.
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