Blame it on Gardasil.

State rep. Marilyn Canavan, who only a few weeks ago became the organization’s state director, resigned yesterday over concerns the pharmaceutical industry is getting too close to the group. In a March 1 letter, the former director of the Maine State Ethics Commission writes: “While I have valued my involvement in WIG, I have concerns about perceptions of the influence of the pharmaceutical industry and other special interest lobbyists on the organization’s agenda.”

This is the latest fallout from the controversy over Merck’s HPV vaccine and, specifically, the drugmaker’s efforts to influence Women In Government, which actively promotes the vaccine. Several legislators around the country who belong to the non-profit, which gets support from Merck and other drugmakers, introduced bills that would require mandatory vaccination for pre-teen and teenage girls.

The push caused nationwide attention to the issue of whether a vaccine should be mandated for young girls who must be sexually active to catch HPV, which can lead to cervical cancer. The episode also sullied Merck’s reputation, while making many people aware of Gardasil who may not otherwise have learned about the vaccine.

But Canavan, who was uncomfortable seeing so many industry lobbyists at a recent WIG conference, wants no part of the flap. “I don’t think it should be mandatory,” she tells Pharmalot by telephone today. “HPV isn’t contagious the same way as other diseases that can be caught in the air. And I don’t like the perception of the association between WIG and the pharmaceutical industry. I’d like to see more arm’s length kept between them.”

One colleague applauded. Sharon Treat, another Maine lawmaker, who runs the National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices, says: “I hope other legislators who belong to WIG will consider the same thing.”

Maybe there will be a campaign: Tell your legislator to flip her WIG.

[tags]Gardasil, HPV, Lobbying, Maine, Merck, Vaccine, Women In Government[/tags]