Grassley Targets NIMH Funding Of Academics
22 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // January 21st, 2010 // 6:48 am
In his ongoing probe of conflicts of interest involving academic researchers, US Senator Chuck Grassley is now asking the National Institutes of Mental Health director Tom Insel to provide phone records, email and calendar since early 2009, along with correspondence from NIMH staffers in response to Grassley’s investigations (here is the letter sent by Grassley).
For the past two years, Grassley has pursued conflicts in which academic researchers accept funding from the NIH and industry, and instances where their universities have failed to monitor or report payments. According to current NIH regulations, payments above $10,000 should be reported. In his Jan. 20 letter, Grassley cites several examples…
The psychiatry chair at Emory University, Charles Nemeroff, failed to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments from a drugmaker researching the company’s drugs with an NIH grant, according to Grassley (see here). The Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS OIG) is now investigating the matter.
UPDATE ON JAN. 25: Insel responds on his NIMH blog (see here).
The Stanford University psychiatry chair, Alan Schatzberg, received an NIH grant to study a drug, while partially owning a company that was seeking FDA approval of the drug; he was later removed from the grant (see here). And three Harvard University psychiatrists failed to report almost a million dollars each in outside income while heading up several NIH grants (some background here). Harvard plans to release a report on the matter, according to Grassley.
Lisa Van Syckel
Insel is just another mouth piece for the industry…
patrons99
The Senator is right on target. If he continues to look in this direction (academia), he will likely unearth the reasons underlying the stupendous increase in prescribing psychotropics to infants and toddlers, for personal financial gain, as opposed to medical necessity. Ultimately, academics (KOLs) can’t survive without accepting “blood money” from pharma, either directly or indirectly. If you retract all of the ghostwritten publications, ghostwritten guidelines, and ghostwritten CME in the medical literature, most of the sinecure would disappear, and there would be nothing left underlying the prestige of many academic medical centers.
Theresa Barry
The Tom Insel hyperlink doesn’t appear to be working. Cheers
new jersey rep
fun times at NIMH.
Condor
Here is a good link to Insel’s page/blog at NIMH.
And I quite agree — this area certainly needs some more oversight — there’s a LOT to clean up, here.
Namaste
LILLYK
.Chuck Grassley and all members of Congress continually are misprepesenting their responsiblity, accountability and are not obeying theri oath of office.
Congress is aware of the corruption and issues that exist within the mangement and operation of our government agencies, yet for a duration elected and appointed officals have allowed the unethical conduct and values to be persist.
President Obama’s Recogvery Program is an example of the dishonesty in our government. NIH spendinging billions on repeated unecesary research that will not be beneficial to the American People, to put money in the pockets of the universities, scientists, research groups, medical profession and of the course the most corrupt Pharmaceutical Industry
Terry
I wonder if Insel is a puppet of Nemeroff. Has anyone looked into their relationship?
Never got NIH or pharma money ever, thanks
Why hasn’t somebody done more investigative journalism on Grassley’s operation?
All the WSJ/NYT etc reporters lap it up when his staff uses subpoena power to get a bunch of hot documents. Wow! Such enterprise in your reporting, folks!
But what about investigating Grassley and his puppetmaster/attack dog Thacker? Grassley probably doesn’t think about the pharmaceutical industry more than the minutes per week it takes to sign these letters.
Terry
I wonder what happened the last time Grassley looked at a director of one of the NIH institutes. Oh yeah, the guy got shoved out the door.
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/85/i35/8535news4.html
where is my handout
Why hasn’t somebody done more investigative journalism on Grassley’s operation?
All the WSJ/NYT etc reporters lap it up when his staff uses subpoena power to get a bunch of hot documents. Wow! Such enterprise in your reporting, folks!
But what about investigating Grassley and his puppetmaster/attack dog Thacker? Grassley probably doesn’t think about the pharmaceutical industry more than the minutes per week it takes to sign these letters.
— you kidding me….i have been following Grassley for a while, Sen. Grassley is the only one who follows the money and does what Senator’s etc. should be doing.
i do not agree with Grassley on any issues really but he is dead on with sunshine etc.
the whole system is out of control and this is just the reaction you get when you ask questions.
People in DC etc. who have been on their high horses living on the tax money of the people better get used to being asked what is going on.
where is my handout
Never got NIH or pharma money ever:
further, if you truly knew how it works. grassley is the ranking member, he does not have subpeona power at all.
Sen. Baucus is a huge mess by the way- the chairman of the committee
JimBob
It is easy to attack outstanding individuals like Dr. Insel when you have the ego and drive for press like Senator Grassley. Dr. Insel and NIH have done wonderful things for medical science, all of which we might not all agree with or welcome. Senator Grassley loves press, loves being a bully, and loves to tear the lives and hard work of others down in the name of “good”. Why does he not look first at the corruption in his own backyard,the Congress, and see what he can find. I am sure none of us would be surprised.
Without medical research and the results provided we would not be enjoying the company of some of our loved ones or close friends nor would we be able to holdout hope for a cure!
where is my handout
umm JimBob… NIH is in Grassley’s own backyard, NIH is part of HHS etc. not to mention within jurisdiction of the Committee on Finance.
i understand your point overall. all politicians want press, thats how they’re elected or defeated.
george ebert
Saw Insel on Today show last fall. He was clear that the way to handlethe scum of mental illness is genocide.
Lisa Van Syckel
JimBob, And do you think Insel doesnt have a inflated ego?
Lisa Van Syckel
Where is my handout,
I take it Mr. Thacker got under skin, the man must be doing something right.
Lisa Van Syckel
oops, sorry,… I addressed the wrong poster. Better make sure I keep that exam I scheduled.
Lisa Van Syckel
Eye exam that is..
pharmapro
insel needs to be shown the door
23jil
these people who have been in fed gov for 20 plus years need to go…
johninboston
good morning pharmalot.
when is NIMH suppose to respond by? do they have a shredder at their work?
Ed Silverman
Hello JohnInBoston,
The post includes a link to the letter sent by Grassley to the NIMH and he asks for a response by Feb. 3, if I recall correctly. I don’t know about a shredder; Insel didn’t mention that in his reply in his blog, which he issued late last week and is now available in this post by way of an Update.
Thanks for the note,
ed