Patients,Physicians,and Clinical Trials: The Other Side of the Coins

Abstract

This month's Roundtable discussion was prompted by a controversial two-part article pub lished May 16 in the New York Times entitled, “RESEARCH FOR HIRE: Drug Trials Hide Conflicts for Doctors; and A Doctor's Drug Studies Turn into Fraud.” This article highlighted the potential financial and ethical conflicts of interest that arise when a patient is enrolled in a drug trial and the principal investigator of that study is their personal physician.

The Journal of Investigative Medicine has attained a different set of perspectives from administrators, academicians, a private practitioner, a Food and Drug Administration repre sentative, and members of the pharmaceutical industry. Joining us in this Roundtable discussion are:

• Steven B. Abramson, MD, Chief of Rheumatology at the Hospital for Joint Diseases, Vice Dean for Education at the New York University School of Medicine and Chair of the FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee;

• Charles Flexner, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, International Health and President Elect of AFMR;

• Ralph Snyderman, MD, Chancellor of Health Affairs and President and CEO of Duke University Health System;

• Douglas T. Dieterich, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the New York University School of Medicine and Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Cabrini Medical Center;

• David Korn, MD, Senior Vice President of the American Association of Medical Colleges;

• Robert Temple, Associate Director for Medical Policy, the FDA's Center for Drugs;

• Louis Sherwood, MD, Senior Vice President for Medical and Scientific Affairs, Merck US Human Health;

• Deborah Goldblatt, Vice President of Investigator Services, Quintiles.

(Jaclyn D'Auria)