Industry ties taint biomedical research

Yale study finds research results are swayed by drug company backing.

By Myrle Croasdale, AMNews staff. March 3, 2003. Additional information

Medical research in the United States has a strong pro-industry bias, according to a new study by Yale University scholars, which found that one in every four biomedical researchers at U.S. universities receives research funding directly from industry.

The study also found that approximately two thirds of schools have a financial stake in the startup companies that sponsor research done at the same schools.

Yale researchers state in their report that "strong and consistent evidence shows that industry-sponsored research tends to draw pro-industry conclusions [and] ... we found that industry-sponsored studies were significantly more likely to reach conclusions that were favorable to the sponsor than were nonindustry studies."

The study confirms public concern that the growing infusion of private business dollars into medical research is eroding the credibility of that research and joins a chorus of voices calling for tighter oversight of medical research.

The Assn. of American Medical Colleges released guidelines last fall aimed at reducing conflicts of interest in research at universities.

The Institute of Medicine has recommended that federal authority be broadened to include research not currently under government jurisdiction. Federal legislation has been introduced in support of the IOM's recommendations.

Past studies revealed that not only do academic policies regarding conflicts of interest vary widely from institution to institution, but they also are often not followed.

The threat of federal regulation, however, has prompted universities to address these problems. The Assn. for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, founded in part by the AAMC, is expected to help restore public confidence in scientific research. Institutions can voluntarily seek the group's stamp of approval by meeting the organization's strict performance standards.

The study also noted that industry involvement in biomedical research increased from 32% in 1980 to 62% in 2000, while financing from the government has fallen.

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

Industry ties taint biomedical research

Yale study finds research results are swayed by drug company backing.

Additional information