Scientists Add Clout in NIH Fight

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON — Scientists at the National Institutes of Health who are fighting new rules that would end their financial ties to the drug industry have hired, at a favorable rate, a law and lobbying firm that also represents the companies.

The hiring has added firepower to the government scientists' campaign, which already is getting results: Senior aides to NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni now are discussing whether to soften a requirement that employees sell any stock they hold in a biomedical company, according to an agency spokesman.

The divestiture requirement — scheduled to take effect in October — was part of a package of reforms announced by Zerhouni on Feb. 1. The new rules also immediately prohibit all NIH scientists from taking fees, stock options or any other compensation from pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies.
....
The dissidents, called the Assembly of Scientists, contend that the new restrictions impose unfair financial burdens on them and will harm NIH's ability to recruit and retain top talent. In addition to rescinding the stock-divestiture requirement, they want most agency researchers — including laboratory directors and branch chiefs — to again be allowed to take consulting fees from the companies.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/la-na-nih21apr21,1,4809690.story?coll=la-news-politics-national

[salib]

1. Requiring no potential conflict of interest is bad, apparently.

According to these yahoos, eliminatin a conflict of interest would "impose unfair financial burdens" upon those who might have one. Too Bad, I say! I'll take their salary, without the need for any conflicts of interest!

These a-holes need to be canned. There is plenty of talent out there willing to do the job.