American Medical News, Aug. 10, 2009
UTMB's Dr. Howard Brody is quoted in this article in which some doctor and physician organizations say efforts to restrict the financial relationships between medical and drug companies has gone too far. Brody disagrees. "There is this total denial of any systemic problem, or any real reason to be cautious or concerned or have any real guidelines that have any real teeth in them," said Dr. Brody, author of Hooked: Ethics, the Medical Profession, and the Pharmaceutical Industry. ... Nothing is stopping physicians from working with drug- or devicemakers, Brody said. "There's absolutely nothing in any of these guidelines or recommendations that prevents fruitful exchanges of information and knowledge between anyone in academia and industry. All we are talking about is when you line your pockets as a result. If what you want to do is, in fact, discover new drugs, no one's stopping you."