Fwd: Grassley takes aim at CDC over financial conflicts

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http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2312288320100423

Grassley takes aim at CDC over financial conflicts

Fri Apr 23, 2010 4:39pm EDT

* Letter asks how CDC polices scientific advisers

Healthcare

* Seeks response to report faulting agency on ethics

CHICAGO, April 23 (Reuters) - A U.S. senator has asked the

head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to

spell out how the agency is policing conflicts of interest

among scientists who advise it on public health issues.

In a letter to CDC chief Dr. Frieden dated April 22,

Senator Grassley, an Iowa Republican, asked what steps

the CDC has taken to address concerns raised in a report about

scientists serving on federal advisory committees.

The report, issued by the inspector general office of the

Department of Health and Human Services in December 2009, found

the CDC had problems getting complete financial disclosure

forms and that many scientists were serving on federal advisory

committees despite having undisclosed conflicts of interest.

Grassley has been pushing to limit the influence drugmakers

have over the practice of medicine in the United States, after

investigations revealed that prominent Harvard University

psychiatrist Dr. ph Biederman and others failed to fully

disclose payments from drug companies.

In the letter released on Friday, Grassley asked Frieden to

provide an update by May 6 on what the CDC is doing to ensure

that scientific advisors are fully disclosing financial

conflicts of interest.

He also wanted to know what measures the CDC has in place

when advisers do not fully comply with the disclosure requests,

as well as what steps have been taken to ensure scientific

advisers have taken ethics training.

Grassley has also asked for the names of all scientists who

serve on the CDC's 17 Federal Advisory Committees.

(Editing by Vicki

)