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AAMC Urges Speedy Adoption of NIH Conflict of Interest Reforms

For Immediate Release

Press Release

Contact: Retha Sherrod
202-828-0975
rsherrod@aamc.org

Washington, D.C., May 6, 2004 - Jordan J. Cohen, M.D., president of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), issued the following statement today on the report of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Blue Ribbon Panel on Conflict of Interest Policies:

"These recommendations would help create a robust, credible, and more transparent system to monitor potential financial conflicts of interests. While the implementation of these proposed reforms will be a challenging task for NIH and the Department of Health and Human Services, their speedy adoption will help sustain and strengthen the public's essential trust in the NIH's intramural research programs, and more broadly in the extramural biomedical science enterprise.

The ability of NIH scientists to work closely with colleagues in industry and academe is essential if NIH is to meet its mission of advancing fundamental knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. The panel's recommendations carefully recognize and balance the benefits of such interactions with the imperatives of protecting human subjects and ensuring public accountability and responsible stewardship.

We want to thank NIH Director Dr. Elias Zerhouni for his leadership and resolve in forthrightly addressing these complicated and difficult issues, and we commend the panel for a thoughtful and well-reasoned report."

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The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association representing all 129 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 68 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and 94 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 109,000 faculty members, 67,000 medical students, and 104,000 resident physicians. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.