NIH researcher charged with conflict
National Institute of Health researcher Dr. Trey Sunderland will be prosecuted for conflict of interest. The charge stems from an investigation that revealed Sunderland failed to report to the NIH $285,000 in fees he received from Pfizer. "The services he performed for [Pfizer]--including providing hundreds of spinal-tap samples prized for potential genetic clues that might help develop a treatment for Alzheimer's disease--were intertwined with his government duties," reports the Los Angeles Times. The inquiry began after a fellow researcher became suspicious when she discovered that many of the spinal-tap samples she had collected from patients were missing. This marks the first time in 14 years that an NIH official has been charged with this crime.
- read this Los Angeles Times article
Related Articles:
NIH official implicated in scandal. Report
"Let he who is without conflict-of-interest cast the first stone." Editorial
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By Gary | Posted 10:24am | December 11, 2006
It's another sad story of an underpaid(most likely) educated government employee going for the gold;albeit illegally. But how about the other culprit, Pfizer? When a drug deal is made on the streets; isn't the one buying guilty as well as the one selling? Come on- prosecute all guilty parties. I'm getting sick of watching big pharma's crimes and consumer ads profiling them as gods for our overall good.
You should see my Pharma Bad Business file for incidents just like this! I'm a long-term member of the industry and not some lay person who reads and forgets. When I 1st joined the industry, almost all of the crimes in my file would be prosecuted. They are not now. Very good lobbying by the industry in Wash,DC sure helps.
The NIH individual may be guilty as heck but go after the one buying the information as well.
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