Elsevier is investigating the widely publicized allegation by the US Senate Finance Committee that one of its journals published an article on hormone replacement therapy that was improperly ghostwritten by Wyeth, which was promoting its Prempro med, The New York Times writes.

Earlier this month, Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican on the committee, raised questions about the May 2003 “Editors’ Choice” article in The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The article, signed by John Eden, an associate professor at the University of New South Wales, was among articles Grassley cited that were favorable to Wyeth drugs (back story).

Grassley charged Wyeth commissioned the articles and had them ghostwritten by a medical writing firm called DesignWrite, but only after the articles were conceived and being composed did the firm line up doctors to sign their names to the work, according to his allegations.

“The charges made by Senator Grassley’s office with regard to the article published in 2003 by Dr. Eden are a significant concern to The Journal and Elsevier,” Glen Campbell, senior vp for Elsevier’s US Health Sciences Journals unit, says in a statement to the paper. “As with any charge of misconduct or inappropriate publishing acts, The Journal has launched its own investigation into the claims of ghostwriting and undisclosed financial support.”

The journal article was published more than a year after the Women’s Health Initiative, a federal government study, linked Prempro to breast cancer in women - and found there was “no definitive evidence” the hormones caused breast cancer.

Eden’s article did not mention any involvement by Wyeth or DesignWrite, but he acknowledged the contributions of two people for “editorial assistance” and did not disclose that they worked for DesignWrite, the Times notes, adding that the standard industry guidelines for medical journals require the authors to identify all significant contributors.

Eden wrote an e-mail to the paper that he stood by the article’s contents but declined to elaborate. “I cannot comment as these matters are before the Senate,” he said. “I am also aware of ongoing lawsuits around these matters.” In a statement Friday, Wyeth said the academic authors had not been paid by Wyeth and had “substantive editorial control” of the articles. Grassley said in a statement that he appreciated the publishing company’s response and would continue his own investigation.