Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
NIH Suspends Enrollment In Drinking Study As Director Worries That Potential Ethical Breach Is 'Tip Of A Larger Iceberg'
The National Institutes of Health has suspended enrollment in a huge clinical trial on the health benefits of moderate drinking while officials review whether its employees inappropriately solicited funding from the alcohol industry. Five liquor and beer companies are providing about $67 million of the $100 million cost of the 10-year study. In March, The New York Times reported that scientists and officials with the N.I.H.鈥檚 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism met with alcohol industry groups on several occasions in 2013 and 2014 to discuss funding. (Rabin, 5/17)
Thursday morning鈥檚 announcement by NIH Director Francis Collins reflects the seriousness of allegations that surfaced in news聽reports in recent months, including a story in March in the New York Times that described two scientists and a federal health official pitching the idea for the study to liquor company executives at a 2014 gathering in Palm Beach, Fla. The alcohol industry agreed to fund the research via a private foundation that supports NIH. The goal of the study, which involves 7,000 individuals, is to assess whether moderate drinking 鈥 a single drink a day 鈥 has a health benefit. Some research has suggested such a benefit, but the conclusion remains controversial, and the U.S. dietary guidelines recommend that people who do not drink alcohol should not start. (Achenbach, 5/17)
鈥淔or NIH, our reputation is so critical,鈥 Collins said. 鈥淎nd if we are putting ourselves in a circumstance where that could be called into question, I felt like we had to look at that very seriously and come up with another strategy.鈥 (Joseph, 5/17)
Collins told Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., that he was concerned this study 鈥渕ight be the tip of a larger iceberg.鈥 He has convened a working group to look more closely at the situation. 鈥淲e will look closely to see if there are other examples of this sort because that would be very much against the principles that we stand for, which is separation of funding sources from outside with decisions about science,鈥 he said. (McIntire, 5/17)
