Psychiatrists under fire supported by Mass. General

Three Harvard psychiatrists facing a US Senate inquiry got a vote of confidence from their hospital as "beloved and trusted by thousands of grateful children and families." Senator Charles Grassley is looking into the doctors' failure to report payments of more than a million dollars in consulting fees from drug makers from 2000 to 2007.

A memo from top officials at Massachusetts General Hospital obtained by the Globe praised Drs. Joseph Biederman, Timothy Wilens, and Thomas Spencer as "pioneers in the field of child mental health" while also endorsing "closely managed" collaboration with industry and promising a review of conflict-of-interest policies.

"They are beloved and trusted by thousands of grateful children and families who have counted on them for treatment, counseling, help and hope. We know this is an incredibly painful time for these doctors and their families, and our hearts go out to them," Dr. Peter L. Slavin, hospital president, and Dr. David F. Torchiana, head of Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, write.

The three psychiatrists received money from companies that made the medications they researched and recommended. Biederman's work is widely linked to a steep rise in bipolar diagnoses among children.

On Sunday Biederman told the New York Times “my interests are solely in the advancement of medical treatment through rigorous and objective study.”

The full Mass. General memo follows:

As you may know, the Sunday New York Times contained a page 1 article regarding ongoing inquiries of the US Senate Finance Committee, led by Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, focusing on relationships between drug companies and physicians and academic institutions. This story, which was picked up by the Boston Globe and other media outlets, described Sen. Grassley’s inquiries into the financial disclosures of three MGH psychiatrists, Joseph Biederman, MD, Timothy Wilens, MD, and Tom Spencer, MD, all pioneers in the field of child mental health. During this process, the committee raised a number of questions about our institutional policies for interactions with industry and about the information provided by the physicians about the payments they received from certain pharmaceutical companies. We wanted you to be aware of a number of issues related to this situation.

First, we want to state that MGH firmly believes that appropriate and closely managed collaborations between academia and industry are important in the ongoing quest to discover treatments, cures and preventions for diseases that afflict millions of people worldwide. The innovative work of scientists at institutions like the MGH provides the intellectual and scientific foundation for so many of the therapies that industry has developed, tested, manufactured and carried to the marketplace to benefit patients.

Second, we want to emphasize that the three MGH physicians being reviewed have all been vital players in such productive collaborations with industry. Their impressive body of academic work, backed up by significant data and rigorous science, has earned them reputations as international leaders in the understanding and treatment of serious pediatric psychiatric disorders. Perhaps most important, they are beloved and trusted by thousands of grateful children and families who have counted on them for treatment, counseling, help and hope. We know this is an incredibly painful time for these doctors and their families, and our hearts go out to them.

You also should know that MGH has cooperated fully with Sen. Grassley. We have provided the disclosure forms requested as well as information about our conflict-of-interest processes and systems for disclosing relationships with and income from industry. As a recipient of significant public research funds, the MGH embraces its obligation to not only uphold science that is rigorous and sound, but also to conduct research according to the highest ethical standards and in compliance with rules and regulations designed to ensure quality, objectivity and accuracy.

Finally, we want you to know that the MGH takes Senator Grassley’s concerns regarding financial disclosures very seriously and has undertaken a thorough internal review of all the issues raised by him. Harvard Medical School is likewise doing the same with respect to compliance with its policies. In addition, the MGH is participating in a senior administrative
commission initiated by Partners HealthCare that aims to re-examine all of our policies relating to our interactions with industry to ensure that they appropriately address all issues in the relationships between Partners institutions and its physicians and industry.

Our ultimate hope is that after such a comprehensive review, our processes will be further enhanced, strengthened and streamlined. We will no doubt learn a great deal from this experience – as difficult as it may be – and we must be willing to share the insights and perspectives we gain to improve conflict-of-interest processes not just here, but at academic
institutions nationwide.

Peter L. Slavin, MD, President, MGH
David F. Torchiana, MD, Chairman and CEO, MGPO