Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
Question:
Did Johns Hopkins PhD.. who just had his name placed on the latest edition of the IDSA guidleines.. have a "conflict of interest" he might have forgotten to mention? Or not?
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Here are the "potential" conflicts of interest that were listed in the IDSA guidelines:
Potential conflicts of interest.
G.P.W. has received consulting fees from Baxter and research support from Immunetics, and he is a founder of Diaspex, a company that does not offer products or services.
R.J.D. has served as a speaker for Pfizer and is part owner of Biopeptides, a biotech company that develops vaccines and laboratory diagnostics, including products for Borrelia burgdorferi.
J.J.H. has served as an expert witness on behalf of Lymerix (GlaxoSmithKline).
A.C.S. has received consulting fees from Baxter.
P.J.K. has a patent pending with a university on a babesiosis diagnostic procedure that is not yet on the market. All other authors: no conflicts.
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The one not mentioned that I am questioning right now is:
I don't see any patents pending for Dumler, but will check Dumler's CVC/recent pubs/ internal JHU news bulletins to see if any mentions there.
First, my son to school. Dilly
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sometimesdilly
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tidbits for tincup-
Dummler serves as scientific adviser to the NRFTD.
You probably already know about this org, but if not--it's a nonprofit grant-giving org for the study of TB diseases. Recent press releases show dinner party kind of fundraising for the org. Don't see any conflict of interest there.
The JHU Gazette publishes research/grant/pat on the back kind of kudos for faculty. I found nothing new of interest there (his promotion to full professor was noted in 2003).
From what I can see, funding for his research has been non-corporate.
I would think Dumler would have had to disclose for-profit funding/consultation fees had he secured them, but don't know that for sure since JHU is a private (non-public) institution.
Dilly
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lymemomtooo
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Keep digging..I am sure there will be something..
Sleep with skunks and you surely will inherit some of the "stink".
Bust some britches Tincup..
You Rock...Well for this and more..Thanks for all you do for everyone..
Sending lime in the coconut hugs to you..lmt
Posts: 2360 | From SE PA | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
This is not what you are asking for in the way of corporate/insurance, etc conflicts of interest, but I think these big institutions that get huge amounts of federal grant funding from NIH have a vested interest in parroting the party line. This is why the academic world is following the NIH lead on the nature of chronic lyme.
I think this is a very much underrated but huge influence on the direction and outcome of federally funded research. Scientists are supposed to be looking for the truth, but depend on funding agencies to do their research, and if the funding agencies have a known bias, that is what most hopefuls will play to. Otherwise, they don't get funding, or they don't get it more than once. Therefore, we have a federal/political thumb on the scale, which can lead to false and skewed results.
[ 10. October 2006, 12:42 PM: Message edited by: lou ]
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sometimesdilly
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Need to get dumler's curriculum vitae!
Just saw a parallel vitae, and it lists every single pharm co. that funded her lyme research...
can't find dumb's online. will call JHU in a bit- gots to go deal with non-lyme chaos first.
Dilly
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sometimesdilly
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TinCup-
spoke with the admin person for Dept. of Pathology. Dumler's CV is not publicly available, so she didn't want to fax it to me. But, she answered every question I had, looking at the CV, just updated this month.
In short:
1- he has never done consulting work for any pharm /or other type of for-profit company.
2- the only research funding he has received comes from public sources- chiefly the NIH. He is also currently a co-researcher on a larger grant from the Natl Institute of Neuro Disorders.
3- the only whiff of potential impropriety came in 2005,when he apparently gave serum to the Autoimmune Diagnostica lab, which landed him in a world of political trouble with JHU, apparently,because he didn't do all the appropriate paperwork to clear through all the appropriate channels.
The woman I spoke with was very forthcoming and seemed pretty candid. Unless there is more to know about the serum donation, there doesn't seem much here.
Dilly
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sometimesdilly
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^ up
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just don
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Member # 1129
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Dumb question, Is it possible along these lines to get a disclosure of "AMOUNT" of money given to these guys from insurance co.s for, consulting?, research? anything other??? Is this public disclosure type info???
There has to be a trail of money for lots of things. Is this public info??? Are there monetary connections between the steers and worms and CDC??? Doesnt public entities HAVE to disclose money trails???
I didnt realize these guys HAVE to disclose conflict of interest. That is most interesting!!!Mostly because I remain--just don--
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sometimesdilly
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good middle of the night to you, JustDon-
certainly researchers who work for a public institution or who receive even partial public funding are obligated to report external sources of support, precisely because that kind of money raises conflict of interest issues.
I think Lou is right in general about one possible cost of taking public money (NIH, etc.) My dad worked a lifetime for the federal gvmt as a research scientist. Obtaining funding was always a very competitive and very political process.
Truly out of the box or unorthodox approaches aren't well regarded in that kind of environment, even with no other kind of pressure (special interests) being applied. And the political pressure within the system has increased fairly dramatically over the past decade or so.
Also, IMO there are different kinds of greed that need to be taken into account. For money is the most obvious, but for scientists, like in a lot of other professions, fame within one's community of peers is a very powerful motivator. Bones can get crushed in the rush to get to the top first.
By the way, Tincup, you haven't posted since your original inquiry. Still there? Any feedback?
Dilly
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
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OH no... I didn't forget you.. not at all.
I just watched a bit the other night when the post started drifting down with no replies when I first posted it.. and then I went off to work on in other areas.
Imagine my surprise when I came back and saw this post tonight!
WOW!
You all are great! I only wish I could address each post individually and thank you one at a time.. however...
I am bogged down trying to get some LD projects done.. and am so backed up I may have to call in Roter Rooter!
I am sending your responses to those who can use them .. and they will. I am keeping some for my future works too. So your effort is much appreciated. ALL info helps.
NEWS FLASH- The war has just gotten worse.
I have been asked to do more.. and the post about it is here...
All information is appreciated. This is OUR future. We can't sit still and expect the war to end on it's own.
THANK YOU soooooooooo much for pitching in!!!
I will transfer and use this info now, with pleasure!
PS.. I owe a number of folks replies to emails. PLEASE know I am getting them... to read them.. just not able to respond in any detail right now. Thanks for understanding.
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