I have blogged numerous times about the ongoing problem of too-cozy relationships between drug manufacturers and supposedly independent researches. The problem seems to be only getting worse.
Sen. Charles Grassley continues to delve into the murky world of medical clinical trials. Now, a prominent Harvard researcher who is a leading advocate of early diagnosis of bipolar disorder in young children and treatment with anti-psychotic drugs is under fire for a lucrative relationship he had with Johnson & Johnson, the maker of Risperdal ( risperidone). Dr. Joseph Biederman told J & J that his planned study would result in conclusions that would benefit the company. Dr. Biederman’s study concluded that treatment with risperidone improved the symptoms of hyperactivity and attention deficit in bipolar children. That study helped generate a significant increase in use of the drug in children. Of course, that increase resulted in significant financial benefits to the drug manufacturer.
Several state attorney generals are now suing the drug manufacturers for defrauding their state Medicaid programs by improperly marketing their drugs for use in treatment of children to increase sales using their association with Dr. Biederman. Dr. Biederman only reported $200,000 of the actual $1.6 million in consulting fees he earned from the drug manufacturers to his employer, Harvard University. Harvard and the National Institutes of Health are investigating whether he violated federal and university research rules.
Why should we care? Because we should all be able to trust that approved drugs we are prescribed are actually safe and effective. When a well-paid medical researcher promises results before the actual studies are conducted, those conclusions, as well as the safety and effectiveness of the drug ,are suspect .
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
