There are so many things wrong with the IoM report. CLICK HERE for some
Started wondering why the panel seemed to totally ignore the science
A 2010 book: White Coat, Black Hat describes the many conflict of interest problems very well.
- Note: the book pointed out that fewer than 10% of the authors who actually had a conflict of interest reported it in their papers.
- A portion of conflict of interests problems concerns money - but money is easy to track, so let's "Follow the money"
- Here is an initial investigation into the idea that some panel members would have lost money if they said that vitamin D was good
Update Institute of Medicine (which recommended low vitamin D) has many conflicts of interest – July 2014
This link gives a long biography for each of the panel members
Dr. A. Catharine Ross - (Chair), Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Steven A. Abrams, Baylor College of Medicine *
Dr. John F. Aloia, Winthrop-University Hospital
Dr. Patsy M. Brannon, Cornell University
Dr. Steven K. Clinton, The Ohio State University
Dr. Ramon A. Durazo-Arvizu, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Dr. J. Christopher Gallagher, Creighton University Medical Center
Dr. Richard L. Gallo, University of California, San Diego
Dr. Glenville Jones, Queen's University **
Dr. Christopher S. Kovacs, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, Harvard Medical School ?
Dr. Susan Taylor Mayne, Yale University School of Medicine
Dr. Clifford J. Rosen, Maine Medical Center Research Institute *
Dr. Sue A. Shapses, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick *
Here are some lists which could be Googled (Google has a limit to the of terms in a search string)
“A. Catharine Ross” OR “Steven A. Abrams” OR “John F. Aloia”
“Steven K. Clinton” OR “Ramon A. Durazo-Arvizu” OR “J. Christopher Gallagher”
“Richard L. Gallo” OR “Glenville Jones” OR “Christopher S. Kovacs”
“JoAnn E. Manson” OR “Susan Taylor Mayne” OR “Clifford J. Rosen”
“Sue A. Shapses” OR “Patsy M. Brannon”
And here is an initial set of terms to be checked against the above lists
(“Conflict of interest” OR honoraria OR “Research Grant Support” OR consultancy OR “stock options” OR “expert testimony” OR patent OR invention OR “speaking fees”)
Patent searches: need to check the names in 3 different databases
The above do not cover US patent applications which the authors elected to not be public]
See also Who said vitamin D could not be patented at VitaminDWiki
Just started to search, and so far have found: **
Dr. Steven A Abrams
Dec 2010 http://www.ajcn.org/site/misc/EditorCOI.xhtml
Dr. Abrams receives speaking fees from Mead-Johnson Nutrition for lectures related to feeding infants.
Dr. Abrams has consulted with Nestle Nutrition in the past year related to nutritional products for infants.
Dr Abrams is a consultant for Martek Biosciences Corporation related to the use of its products in human nutrition.
Dr Abrams receives speaking fees from Abbott Laboratories' Ross Products Division for lectures related to feeding premature infants.
Dr. Glenville Jones
co-inventor for patent 7166585 Vitamin D Analog - owned by Cytochroma
He is also on the advisory board and has received a research grant from Cytochroma Inc. and is a member of the Genzyme speakers’ bureau.
3 minute video opinion about Dr. Jones and his vitamin D patent
A blogger documents Jones probable conflict of interest
Also on board of another drug company, Receptor Therapeutics
Dr.Sue A. Shapses
a $95,517 grant from the Slim Fast Nutrition Institute for a 5-year study on nutritional supplementation in patients with gastric bypass surgery and osteopenia
Dr. Rosen
reports receiving research grant support from Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Dr JoAnne Manson ?
Has a $20 million grant to study vitamin D supplementation and doesn't want a high recommendation to affect her study.
Also described HERE
Consultant – Hector F. DeLuca, University of Wisconsin Madison stands to gain a lot of money if vitamin D analogs are 'shown' to do better than vitamin Dl
Vitamin D Survivor On Dec 8, 2010
See also Who said vitamin D could not be patented DeLuca is the inventor of 101 vitamin D (analog) patents
Life Extension Foundation found Conflict of Interest Among IOM Committee Members
- IOM committee member Glenville Jones is a co-founder of a for-profit, publicly traded company called Cytochroma, which is in the process of developing a drug, currently identified as “CTAP101,” to treat vitamin D insufficiency.
- IOM committee member Clifford Rosen has admitted to receiving financial support from pharmaceutical industry giants Eli Lilly and Novartis, and has served on the speaker’s bureau for Procter & Gamble. Procter & Gamble markets the controversial bisphosphonate osteoporosis drug Actonel®.63
- IOM committee member J. Christopher Gallagher has disclosed financial relationships with GlaxoSmithKline, which recently received approval from the FDA for the drug Sorilux®, a patented vitamin D3 analog.
ANH-USA Action Alert
Is the Institute of Medicine in Bed with Big Pharma?
Includes a link to sign a petition asking congress to appoint a new panel to investigate the vitamin D evidence
Please e-mail me with any search results you get hlahore at gmail.com or register and add to this page
Here is an example of the kinds of conflicts of interest that medical authors are supposed to report, but as mentioned above, fewer than 10% do
Found an interesting web site which documents drug companies payments to doctors - just for public speaking
CLICK HERE to see if your doctor gets paid be any of 9 drug companies
CLICK HERE for Top earners 130 doctors get over $100,000 each
Example