> > Study Says Academic Research Is Tainted by Drug-Industry Ties > 22 January 2003 > The Wall Street Journal > CHICAGO -- About one-fourth of university-based medical researchers > receive funding from drug companies, ties that sometimes distort study > results, according to a review done by two researchers with industry > connections of their own. > Yale University researchers Justin Bekelman and Cary Gross said they found > "strong and consistent evidence that industry-sponsored research tends to > draw pro-industry conclusions." > "Anecdotal reports suggest that industry may alter, obstruct or even stop > publication of negative studies," they said. "Such restrictions seem > counterproductive to the arguments in favor of academic-industry > collaboration -- namely encouraging knowledge and technology transfer." > While industry influence on research has made headlines before and > prompted calls for reform, the new analysis attempts to quantify the > prevalence by combining results from 37 previous studies on the extent and > effect of such ties. The studies included data through 2000. > The results suggest that roughly two-thirds of the nation's academic > institutions hold stock in start-up companies that sponsor research > performed at the same institution. > The review said the industry share of investment in U.S. biomedical > research increased from about 32% in 1980 to 62% in 2000. The government's > role has shrunk. > Dr. Gross has served as a consultant and scientific advisory board member > to AstraZeneca PLC, and Mr. Bekelman has done consulting for closely held > Turbogenomics Inc. > "Our industry ties may give us a little more credibility" in writing the > review, said Dr. Gross. "We're trying to look at what is known and isn't > known about industry collaboration, but not from a perspective that > industry is evil and up to no good." > Industry ties are vital and have resulted in important medical advances, > but they need to be better disclosed and better monitored, the two > researchers said. > Their review appears in today's Journal of the American Medical > Association. The journal has published numerous recent articles on the > issue and joined several other major medical journals two years ago in > strengthening financial-disclosure requirements for research they publish. > > ================================= > _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
