NYT notes links between prominent cardiologist & healthcare companies

A prominent cardiologist is identifed by a shill for a number of health care companies, in a long New York Times article today that focuses on his conflicts of interest in patient care:

Like many prominent researchers at the nation's major medical centers, Eric J. Topol, the chief academic officer of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, has over the years had consulting and financial ties with numerous drug and medical device companies.

Dr. Topol, an outspoken cardiologist who frequently opines on the medical issues of the day, has done work for drug companies like Eli Lilly, the Medicines Company and a partnership of Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis.

Recently, however, as he has come under the spotlight for potential conflicts of interest, he said in a letter to one company that he had decided to end most of his relationships to "maintain my academic credibility."

...read it all: Patient Care vs. Corporate Connections by Reed Abelson and Andrew Pollack, New York Times, 25 January 2005