Sens. Grassley, Kohl Ask Cardiovascular Research Foundation, Columbia University Researchers To Disclose Financial Contributions From Medical Device Makers
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) on Thursday sent letters to the Cardiovascular Research Foundation and Columbia University seeking financial disclosures and other information regarding their relationships with manufacturers of pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices, the New York Times reports. The lawmakers are among sponsors of legislation (HR 5605, S 2029) that would address conflict of interest issues and require disclosure of all financial ties between medical researchers, institutions and drug and device manufactures.
Grassley and Kohl in the letter asked Columbia officials to provide information about disclosures regarding financial ties to the prescription drug and medical device industries made to the university by two prominent researchers -- Martin Leon and Gregg Stone -- who have connections to the foundation. According to the Times, Leon is a former chair of CRF and Stone is its current chair.
In the letter to the foundation, the lawmakers asked CRF to submit all financing information dating back to 2003 from heart stent manufacturers Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Abbott Laboratories, Johnson & Johnson and Medinol. In addition, the letter requested information on payments and other incentives from CRF to Leon, Stone, current CRF board member Jeffrey Moses and 19 other researchers. The letter also cited a comment by Moses in a November 2007 Times article that said the safety of heart stents "is not the big issue any more," the Times reports. Grassley and Kohl wrote, "As you are no doubt aware, there are divergent scientific opinions concerning such products, the safety and efficacy of which are a matter of dispute among cardiologists."
Response
CRF in a statement said that it would "comply fully" with the information requests by Grassley and Kohl, adding, "CRF is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in all of its research and educational activities and ensuring independence, objectivity and scientific rigor in all of its programs."
The Columbia University Medical Center in a statement also said that it would respond to the lawmakers' requests. "It is important to note that Columbia University and its Medical Center have conflict of interest policies and procedures in place, and we expect that they are followed by all members of the faculty," according to the statement (Meier, New York Times, 10/17).
