August 22, 2003

Advances
Study finds many IRB members have ties to industry

A study from the MGH Institute of Health Policy has found that a significant
percentage of faculty members who serve on institutional review boards (IRBs) at medical schools and teaching hospitals across the nation also act as consultants to the pharmaceutical industry. The study, published in the journal Academic Medicine, provides the first analysis of the personal, professional and research characteristics of IRB members.

All institutions conducting medical research with human participants must establish an IRB to review proposed studies for compliance with ethical standards and scientific principles. Faculty members serving on IRBs provide the boards research expertise and may guide their activities. In recent years, IRBs have come under criticism for not sufficiently protecting research participants, with some charging that board members may not have enough experience or may be influenced by industrial ties.

The survey of almost 3,000 faculty members at 125 U.S. medical schools found that 47 percent of respondents who were active researchers had served as consultants to industry during the previous three years. "Our previous research has shown that faculty ties to industry can affect scientific behavior, leading to such things as trade secrecy and delays in publishing research," says Eric G. Campbell, PhD, lead author of the study. "It's possible that similar relationships with companies could affect IRB members' activities and attitudes, although our current study did not directly address this issue."

Study co-author Joel Weissman, PhD, adds: "It is important to note that clinical research experience and relationships with industry can benefit IRBs, because these areas are fundamental considerations when deciding on the appropriateness of a study. These benefits, however, must be weighted against the potential risks."

Other co-authors of the study are Recai Yucel, PhD, Nancyanne Causino, EdD, and David Blumenthal, MD, MPP, all of the MGH Institute of Health Policy.