Conflict of Interest = A Danger to society?

Content Gelsinger Case Code of Conduct and the non-existing fight vs. greed Government Officials and the industry

Cutting edge medical treatments - Blessing or curse? Research in general is vital to our society Medical research can save lives Medical research can destroy lives

Gene Therapy & Gelsinger Jesse Gelsinger (18) had a rare metabolic disease Joined drug trial University of Pennsylvania, hoping to overcome disease Gelsinger died four years later, as result from the treatment Investigation shows: He was not a suitable test subject Dangerous side effects were not disclosed The University, as well as the head researcher had financial stakes in the trial

Code of Conduct vs. Greed Why was Gelsinger not informed about severe consequences of taking the drug, observed in previous test subjects? Why was he even included, even though he had too high ammonia? What made the researchers so careless? Money or ambition?

Repercussions Jesse Gelsinger died Ongoing investigations Impact on University’s reputation Fundamental setback to Gene Therapy Could indivual ambition really have caused this?

Disadvantages of unrestricted research funding The freedom to use or recommend better products The freedom to collaborate with companies that are more beneficial to her research Morality – One’s perspective changes when offered a big stack of money

National Institute of Health (US) NIH scientists also working for private companies “Well paid work” Ban on many kinds of financial transactions between NIH scientists and the medical industry in 2005 Followed by complaints by scientists and loosening of the rules Is that a morally acceptable reaction? Is there a difference between “well paid work” and a “bribe”?

Development in Universities Especially universities in America and the west established guidelines to cope with relationships between researchers and the industry Those guidelines were built on bad experience, i.e. they learned from their mistakes and aim to prevent them in the future Not so much in Taiwan

衛生局(台灣) Pushing universities to cooperate with the industry Wish for a more prosper country Short-sighted Too many bonds between government & Universities and the industry already Probably won’t change before a major incident occurs

Who is to blame? The opportunity to obtain big chunks of money makes humans greedy To blame are most of us humans for not having moved on to post-materialism We cannot enforce it to happen so we have to fix it in other ways Relativity of morality and ethics makes it hard to setup generally accepted rules and laws

How far does it go? Moore v. Regents of the University of California Mr. Moore’s leukemia was treated by university Mr. Moore’s cells –without his knowledge- were used for research that eventually was developed into a commercialized cancer treatment Mr. Moore “had no right to any share of the profits realized from the commercialization of anything developed from his discarded body parts”

Vicious Cycle In addition to the human greed and selfishness, the main reason is lack of regulations to cope with Conflicts of Interest Lack of regulation is often caused by “close collaborations” between the ones in charge and the industry (often in the indirect form of lobbyists) Which means that the reason for lack of regulations is a Conflict of Interest A vicious cycle.