Small world: hivandhepatitis.com walks away with this summer's conference reporting gold! Best viewed with this soundtrack in the background. Image:  Podcasts as transparency preventive: Content programmers at TheBody.com, TheBodyPro.com and aidsmeds.com might have pioneered this slick end run around the cumbersome and potentially embarrassing disclosure of author/interview/interviewee commercial conflicts of interest (most notably, at the IAS meeting in Sydney last summer), but the folks at hivandhepatitis.com (and what seems to be its well-heeled corporate parent, ViralEd LLC) were not far behind. Check out their CME accredited podcasts* from the XVIIth International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, as well as their Talking Slides* products. (Not to be out done, Clinical Care Options HIV is now offering "Expert Highlights" conference audio files courtesy of their regular round-up of out-of-practice talking heads. Predictably, this new format permits them to get around any conflict-of-interest disclosures even while they have free reign to put their spin on the take home messages (and clinical/scientific priorities) from the confab.) It appears that Brian and Ron must have pharmed this project out to ViralEd.com, seeing as how most if not all of the speakers are in the regular employ of this med-ed pharma front operation: Ian Frank, Cal Cohen, Mark Wainberg, Rick Elion, Graeme Moyle, Paul Sax. Most of these guys also serve on editorial advisory boards for either TheBody.com (Cohen, Gallant, Murphy, Pavia) or Medscape HIV (Cohen, Moyle, Sax, Wainberg). It's a small world after all. Isn't it rich? Cal Cohen interviews Mark Wainberg in podcast #2. But only if you made it through to the very end of the registration process would you ever be made aware that, for example, Dr. Wainberg (PhD, not MD) serves as a canned speaker (critics now affectionately refer to them as "ghost speakers") for the likes of Abbott Labs and Boehringer Ingelheim. He serves as a paid consultant for Abbott, BI and GlaxoSmithKline and receives research support from Gilead, Merck. and GlaxoSmithKline. Cal Cohen, on the other hand, has an even more weighty résumé: consulting arrangements, speaking gigs and research support from Abbott Laboratories, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline—and Tibotec. Then you have Rick Elion and Cal Cohen, like two old dogs licking each other's nether regions, soiling themselves over hot new NNRTI, etravirine. (Both consult privately and/or receive research monies from Intelence's manufacturer, Tibotec Therapeutics, but this apparently inconsequential tidbit of information is not made known at any time during the audio interview.) Dr. Elion leaves no shilling stone unturned: Not so long ago he has proudly laid claim to his much deserved spot on the speaker's bureaus of no fewer than seven pharmaceutical & diagnostics companies; among them, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Boehringer Ingelheim, Monogram, and Tibotec-Virco. More up-to-date financial entanglements for this poor sod can be found at ViralEd.com, where he also seems to be quite busyl (One wonders how these guys find the time to follow patients! Or do they?) *Sponsored by, it appears, Changing Concepts in HIV Disease, USF Health (a CME accreditation division at the University of South Florida), Tibotec Therapeutics, and Gilead Sciences. Procedure for Handling Complaints and Inquiries Regarding Accredited Providers of CME hivandhepatitis.com www.hivandhepatitis.com Ronald Baker, PhD Brian Boyle, MD Doug T. Dieterich, MD Graeme Moyle Andrew Carr, MD hivandhepatitis.com's Declaration of (editorial) Independence: "The commercial or non-profit companies and organizations whose logos appear on the web site have no influence on the editorial content of HIV and Hepatitis.com. The appearance of logos does not imply an endorsement of any company or organization or its products by Company, HIV and Hepatitis.com, its publisher, editors, contributing writers, employees, or contractors." Medscape.com hiv.medscape.com With 12 of 13 of the Medscape HIV editorial board moonlighting as paid consultants for the companies they write about, how can anyone take their comment and analysis seriously? Hell, the clinical editor herself owns stock in ten pharma & diagnostic companies—including Affymetrix, BMS, and GSK. They call this medical education? Who's kidding whom? Medscape HIV/AIDS Editorial Board John G. Bartlett, MD Professor of Medicine and Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Paid consultant (HIV advisory board) for: Bristol-Myers Squibb Abbott Laboratories Antimicrobial advisory board for: Pfizer Advisory board for: Johnson & Johnson Research support from: Gilead Sciences Pedro Cahn, MD, PhD Buenos Aires University Medical School, Buenos Aires, Argentina Paid consultant for: Abbott Laboratories Pfizer GlaxoSmithKline Pharmacia (now Bristol-Myers Squibb) Marketing/education grants from: Roche-Trimeris Andrew Carr, MD Associate Professor of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia Paid consultant for: Abbott Laboratories GlaxoSmithKline Roche-Trimeris Marketing/education grants from: Abbott Laboratories Bristol-Myers Squibb GlaxoSmithKline Roche-Trimeris Calvin Cohen, MD Clinical Instructor, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts Paid consultant for: Abbott Laboratories Boehringer Ingelheim Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead GlaxoSmithKline Pfizer Roche-Trimeris Tibotec-Virco (subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) Marketing/education grants from: Ibidium Brian Conway, MD Associate Professor, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Paid consultant to: Agouron Pharmaceuticals Canada (now part of Pfizer) Boehringer Ingelheim Bristol-Myers Squibb Marketing/educational grants from: Abbott Laboratories Agouron Pharmaceuticals Canada (now part of Pfizer) Boehringer Ingelheim Bristol-Myers Squibb GlaxoSmithKline Pfizer Henry Masur, MD Clinical Professor of Medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC No relevant financial relationships Julio S. G. Montaner, MD Professor of Medicine and Chair in AIDS Research, University of British Columbia, Canada Paid consultant for: Abbott Laboratories Agouron Pharmaceuticals Canada (now part of Pfizer) Boehringer Ingelheim Borean Pharma Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences GlaxoSmithKline Hoffmann-La Roche Immune Response Corp. Janssen-Ortho Kucera Pharmaceutical Co. Merck Frosst Laboratories Pfizer Shire Biochem Tibotec (subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) Trimeris Marketing/education grants from: Abbott Laboratories Agouron Pharmaceuticals Canada (now part of Pfizer) Boehringer Ingelheim Bristol-Myers Squibb GlaxoSmithKline Hoffmann-La Roche Janssen-Ortho Kucera Pharmaceuticals Merck Frosst Laboratories Pfizer Shire Biochem Tibotec (subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) Trimeris Graeme Moyle, MD Director, HIV Research, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, United Kingdom Paid consultant for: Boehringer Ingelheim Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences GlaxoSmithKline Merck Pfizer Roche-Trimeris Marketing/education grants from: Boehringer Ingelheim Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences Merck Pfizer Roche-Trimeris Paul Sax, MD Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts Paid consultant for: Abbott Laboratories Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences GlaxoSmithKline Speaking fees from: Abbott Laboratories Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences GlaxoSmithKline Merck Tibotec (subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) Virco (subsidiary of Johnston & Johnson) Jonathan Schapiro, MD Adjunct Clinical Professor, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California Paid consultant for: Abbott Laboratories Bayer Diagnostics (purchased by Siemens Medical Solutions, July-2006) Boehringer Ingelheim Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences GlaxoSmithKline Monogram Biosciences Roche-Trimeris Robert Shafer, MD Associate Professor, Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California Paid consultant for: Bayer Diagnostics (purchased by Siemens Medical Solutions, July-2006) Bristol-Myers Squibb Celera Diagnostics Speaking fees from: Tibotec-Virco (subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) Vincent Soriano, MD, PhD Assistant Professor, University Complutense - Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain Paid consultant for: Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences Roche-Trimeris Schering-Plough Marketing/education grants from: Ibidium Mark Wainberg, PhD Director, McGill University AIDS Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Paid consultant for: GlaxoSmithKline Pfizer Roche-Trimeris Marketing/education grants from: Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead GlaxoSmithKline Pfizer Roche-Trimeris Mary E. Anderson, PhD (Clinical Editor, Medscape HIV/AIDS and Infectious Diseases site) Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: Affymetrix Bristol-Myers Squibb Corixa Corp. (acquired by GlaxoSmithKline in 2005) EntreMed Enzo Biochem Enzon Pharmaceuticals Genta Inc. ImClone Systems InKine Pharmaceutical Co. (now part of Salix Pharmaceuticals) Sirna Therapeutics TheBody.com and TheBodyPro.com www.thebody.com www.thebodypro.com Sponsors of TheBody.com content: Abbott Laboratories BioForm Medical, Inc. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. Bristol-Myers Squibb Virology Bio-Technology General Corp. Gilead Sciences GlaxoSmithKline Hoffman-La Roche Inc. Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. Merck & Co., Inc. Monogram Biosciences, Inc. Ortho Biotech Products, L.P. Pfizer Inc. Tibotec Therapeutics Virco And a quality assurance guarantee: "To preserve the integrity of The Body as a neutral forum for the presentation of information, it is our policy that the editorial content of the site be maintained strictly independent from and outside the influence of our advertisers." Board of Advisors Victoria A. Cargill, MD NIH Office of AIDS Research Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Thomas Coates, MD UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Jennifer Cocohoba, Pharm.D. UCSF School of Pharmacy HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Cal Cohen, MD Harvard Vanguard Associates HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Jay Dobkin, MD Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Donna Futterman, MD Montefiore Medical Center HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Joel Gallant, MD Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Julio Montaner, MD University of British Columbia HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Howard A. Grossman, MD Fenway Community Clinic HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Thomas Hooton, MD University of Washington HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Martha Kirkpatrick, MD American Psychiatric Association HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Robert J. Levine, MD Yale University Vincent Lynch, PhD Boston College Graduate School of Social Work HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK J. Allen McCutchan, MD UCSD School of Medicine HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Kenneth H. Mayer, MD Brown University AIDS Program HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Robert L. Murphy, MD Northwestern University Medical School HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Patrice K. Nicholas, RN MGH Institute of Health Professions HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Richard Novak, MD University of Illinois HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Andrew Pavia, MD University of Utah School of Medicine HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Cynthia C. Poindexter, MSW, PhD Graduate School of Social Services, Fordham University HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK William Powderly, MD University College, Mater University Hospital HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Michael Relf, PhD Department of Professional Nursing, Georgetown University HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Douglas Richman, MD University of California, San Diego HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Eric Sawyer UNAIDS HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Betty Turock American Library Association HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Abraham Verghese, MD University of Texas HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Charles Von Gunten, MD Northwest Memorial Hospital HIV advisory committee member for: TK HIV speakers bureau for: TK Ad hoc consultant for: TK Speaking fees from: TK Marketing/education grants from: TK Stock, stock options, or bond ownership in: TK Clinical Care Options.com www.clinicaloptions.com/hiv CCO HIV Advisory Board The following disclosures do not include monies from pharma & diagnostic companies (which of themselves run into the 10s of 1,000s of dollars annually for each individual listed) that these people receive for their participation on the Clinical Care Options advisory board and their involvement in the production of conference summaries that are then turned into CME progamming.) Richard E. Chaisson, MD Johns Hopkins University Paid consultant for: Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock ownership (spouse): Merck Judith S. Currier, MD, MSc UCLA Care Center Paid consultant for: Abbott Laboratories Boehringer Ingelheim Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences GlaxoSmithKline Research support from: Merck Schering-Plough Thera Technologies Joseph J. Eron, Jr., MD University of North Carolina School of Medicine Director, AIDS Clinical Trial Unit Paid consultant for: Abbott Laboratories Bristol-Myers Squibb GlaxoSmithKline Monogram Biosciences Tibotec Speaking fees from: Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences Joel E. Gallant, MD, MPH Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Paid consultant for: Abbott Laboratories Boehringer Ingelheim Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences GlaxoSmithKline Merck Monogram Biosciences Roche-Trimeris Tibotec Vertex Speaking fees from: Abbott Laboratories Gilead Sciences Monogram Biosciences W. David Hardy, MD David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Paid consultant for: Bristol-Myers Squibb GlaxoSmithKline Gilead Sciences Pfizer Tibotec Speaking fees (as a member of company speakers bureau) from: Boehringer Ingelheim Bristol-Myers Squibb GlaxoSmithKline Gilead Sciences Stock ownership: Merck Sally Hodder, MD Executive Vice Chair and Director of AIDS Programs University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey Paid consultant for: Bristol-Myers Squibb Speaking fees (as member of company’s speakers bureau) from: Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock ownership (spouse): Merck (Spouse is Merck employee) Donald P. Kotler, MD Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons Chief, Division of Gastroenterology St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Paid consultant for: Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences Speaking fees (as member of company’s speakers bureau) from: Abbott Labs Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences GlaxoSmithKline Daniel R. Kuritzkes, MD Director of AIDS Research Brigham & Women's Hospital Harvard Medical School Paid consultant for: Abbott Laboratories Anormed (recently purchased by Genzyme) Avexa (Australian website) Bayer (recently purchased by Siemens Medical Solutions) Boehringer Ingelheim Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences GlaxoSmithKline Merck Monogram Biosciences Panacos Pharmaceuticals Pfizer Roche-Trimeris Schering-Plough Tanox Tibotec VIRxSYS Speaking fees from: Abbott Laboratories Avexa Bayer Boehringer Ingelheim Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences GlaxoSmithKline Human Genome Sciences Merck Monogram Biosciences Panacos Pfizer Roche-Trimeris VIRxSYS (This disclosure is separate from group disclosure and can be found here.) Alexandra M. Levine, MD Distinguished Professor Chief, Division of Hematology Medical Director, USC/Norris Cancer Hospital Paid consultant (and member of Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board) for: Sopherion Therapeutics Speaking fees from: Amgen Genentech Ortho Biotech Stock owernship: ILEX Oncology, Inc. (recently purchased by Genzyme Oncology) Research support from: Abbott Labs Amgen Biogen Idec Genentech Ortho Biotech Sopherion Vasgene Therapeutics (This disclosure is separate from group disclosure and can be found here.) John P. Phair, MD (CME Program Director, Clinical Care Options/HIV) Emeritus Professor of Medicine Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine “Non-CME fees” from: Boehringer Ingelheim. (This disclosure is separate from group disclosure and can be found here.) Bruce Polsky, MD Vice Chairman, Department of Medicine Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center New York, New York Paid consultant for: Idenix Pharmaceuticals “Non-CME fees” from: Par Pharmaceutical Stock ownership: Idenix Pharmaceuticals Bristol-Myers Squibb (spouse) (Spouse is BMS employee) William G. Powderly, MD Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics University College Dublin Dublin, Ireland Paid consultant for: Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences Speaking fees (as member of company’s speakers bureau) from: Bristol-Myers Squibb GlaxoSmithKline. Kimberly Y. Smith, MD, MPH Associate Professor of Medicine Rush University Medical Center Chicago, Illinois Paid consultant for: Abbott Laboratories Boehringer Ingelheim Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences GlaxoSmithKline Roche-Trimeris Tibotec Speaking fees (as member of company’s speakers bureau) from: Abbott Laboratories Boehringer Ingelheim Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences GlaxoSmithKline Roche-Trimeris Tibotec Kathleen E. Squires, MD Director, Division of Infectious Diseases Jefferson Medical College Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Paid consultant (as member of company’s scientific advisory board) for: Boehringer Ingelheim Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences Tibotec Speaking fees (as member of company’s speakers bureau) from: Boehringer Ingelheim Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences GlaxoSmithKline Charles van der Horst, MD University of North Carolina School of Medicine Paid consultant for: GlaxoSmithKline Stock ownership: Novartis Pfizer Roche-Trimeris (This disclosure is separate from group disclosure and can be found here.) Andrew R. Zolopa, MD Director, Stanford Positive Care Program Stanford University School of Medicine Chief, AIDS Medicine Division Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Paid consultant for: Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences Monogram Biosciences VirXSys Speaking fees (as member of company’s speakers bureau) from: Bristol-Myers Squibb Gilead Sciences Financial disclosures for CCO-HIV group, if not otherwise indicated, can be accessed here. Quick reality check before you visit these pharma funded 'educational' websites: First thing you might want to know is who is funding this information you're about to read. If underwriting and sponsorship information is not clearly displayed, email or phone up the editor of the site. Also, how are the writers and authors selected? If it's the familiar roster of smiling pharma lackeys (Joel Gallant, David Hardy, Cal Cohen, to name just a few), you might want to look elsewhere for more objective reporting. Since just about every HIV drug company has a board of docs at its beckon call who basically serve as private consultants (sometimes referred to in truly Orwellian terms as "HIV faculty"), they are the folks most often selected to do these type of conference reporting and lecture circuit gigs -- because they have already been vetted by pharma. They can be counted on to say and write the right things. The second tier and less well remunerated of the physician pharma dupes are those on the companies' Speakers Bureaux. Watch out for these as well. Then keep in mind 3 key questions: 1) Do these conference summaries and CME modules have to be approved by the pharma sponsor before they are posted? (In virtually every case, the answer is yes.) If so, the information presented could easily be skewed towards their drugs, greater use of drugs in general, or treatment principles that slant debates and discussions in their interest. 2) Are there important stories or issues that are not reported or discussed? This is a tricky one because unless you or a colleague/friend were able to attend the lecture or presentation in question, how would you know what important (if unpopular) items are not being reported to you? 3) The one HIV/AIDS treatment site that seems to remain largely free of pharma bias is the London based www.aidsmap.com. Support them in any way you can. They are a dying breed! Who reports your treatment news? How are they selected? Who controls the content? And what sums of money are involved? Download your Shillfactor med-ed score card here!