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St. Petersburg Times
A Times Editorial
Medicine research corrupted
In print: Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The pharmaceutical industry's corrupting influence on medical research
has reached a new low with a case that has stained the reputations of
Harvard University and three of its top researchers in child
psychiatry. It took a congressional investigation to uncover a
conflict of interest that could violate federal and university rules.
As a result, the credibility of a supposed breakthrough in treating
childhood bipolar disease is now in doubt.

Dr. Joseph Biederman and two colleagues — who have promoted the use of
antipsychotic drugs to treat bipolar children — withheld information
about payments they were getting from drugmakers. While the Harvard
faculty members were doing their research, some of it paid for by
taxpayers, they were quietly taking millions of dollars from drug
companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly and others that
profited from the findings, the New York Times reported.