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1. Petersen, M. “Undisclosed Financial Ties Prompt 5. Stout, S.C., Owens, M.J. & Nemeroff, C.B. 8. Stoudemire, A. et al. Gen. Hosp. 20, Reproval of Doctor” New York Times, August 3, Neuropsychopharmacology 26, 413–414 (2002). 85–90 (1998). 2003. 6. Hollander, E. et al. Neuropsychopharmacology 28, 9. Belanoff, J.K. et al. J. Clin. Psychopharmacol. 21, 2. Rubin, R.T. Biol. Psychiatry 48, 954 (2000). 1186–1197 (2003). 516–521 (2001). 3. Owens, M.J., Nemeroff, C.B. & Knight, D.L. Biol. 7. Lenox, R.H. & Manji, H.K. in Textbook of 10. Belanoff, J.K. et al. Biol. Psychiatry 52, 386–392 Psychiatry 48, 955 (2000). Psychopharmacology 2nd edn. (eds. Schatzberg, A.F. (2002). 4. Carroll, B.J. Neuropsychopharmacology 26, & Nemeroff, C.B.) 379–429 (American Psychiatric 11. Gold, P.W., Drevets, W.C. & Charney, D.S. Biol. 411–412 (2002). Press, Washington, DC, 1998). Psychiatry 52, 381–385 (2002).

To the editor: Michael F Jacobson Sheldon Krimsky, Professor, Department of Urban & We read with interest the recent article1 in the Executive Director, Center for Science in the Environmental Policy & Planning, Tufts University New York Times reporting on undisclosed Public Interest, 1875 Connecticut Avenue NW #300, Washington, DC 20009, USA. Joseph LaDou, Department of Medicine, University of financial ties in a Nature Neuroscience review e-mail: [email protected] California School of Medicine, San Francisco article on treatments for mood disorders2. Charles Levenstein, Professor of Work Environment, Virginia A Sharpe According to the Times article, Nature’s pol- University of Massachusetts, Lowell icy permitted the author of the review to Director, Project on Integrity in Science, Center remain silent about his patent and other sig- for Science in the Public Interest, 1875 Steven Miles, Professor of Medicine, Center for Bioethics, Connecticut Avenue NW #300, Washington, DC University of Minnesota nificant financial interests in treatments 20009, USA. praised in his review. Herbert Needleman, Professor of Psychiatry and In February 2002, the Center for Science in On behalf of: Pediatrics, University of School of Medicine Marcia Angell, Senior Lecturer in Social Medicine, the Public Interest and two dozen prominent Edmund D Pellegrino, Professor Emeritus of Medicine and ; Former Editor-in-Chief, scientists wrote a letter urging the Nature Medical Ethics, Georgetown University Medical Center New England Journal of Medicine journals to strengthen their policies and pro- Bill Ravanesi, Campaign Director, Health Care Nicholas A Ashford, Professor of Technology and Policy, cedures regarding conflicts of interest. A Without Harm lengthy story3 about the issues raised in that Massachusetts Institute of Technology http://www.nature.com/natureneuroscience Jennifer Sass, Senior Scientist, Natural Resources letter was published in the March 28, 2002 Alan Blum, Professor and Endowed Chair in Family Defense Council issue of Nature. Medicine and Director, The University of Alabama Center Among other things, that article pointed for the Study of Tobacco and Society, University of Arnold Schecter, Professor of Environmental Sciences, out that Nature’s policy was weaker than a Alabama; Former Editor-in-Chief, Medical Journal of University of Texas School of Public Health Australia and New York State Journal of Medicine number of its peer publications. You will be Jill S Schneiderman, Professor of Geology, Vassar College interested to know that despite the fact that it Lin Kaatz Chary, Great Lakes Center for Occupational and David Schubert, Professor, Salk Institute for Biological was cited as having one of the strongest poli- Environmental Safety and Health, School of Public Studies cies, The Proceedings of the National Academy Health, University of Illinois at Chicago of Sciences has taken additional steps to Morando Soffritti, Scientific Director, European Mildred Cho, Senior Research Scholar and Acting improve its policy4,by explicitly expanding Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology and Environmental Co-Director, Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, Sciences, Bologna, Italy the disclosure requirement to “all authors, Stanford University members, referees, and editors”— be they David Suzuki, Professor Emeritus, Sustainable authors of letters, review articles, or editorials. Bruce C Coull, Carolina Distinguished Professor and Development Research Institute, University of British

© Group 2003 Nature Publishing Dean, School of the Environment, Particularly in light of the New York Times Columbia University of South Carolina article, the undersigned urge you to revisit our Tim K Takaro, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, recommendations and establish a more robust Devra Davis, Visiting Professor, Heinz School of Public University of Washington Policy and Management, Carnegie Mellon University; policy that requires (i) mandatory disclosure Norman J Temple, Associate Professor of Nutrition, Senior Advisor to the World Health Organization of conflicts of interest for all authors, referees, Centre for Science, Athabasca (Alberta) University and editors, (ii) mandatory disclosure of all Russell F Doolittle, Center for Molecular Genetics, Benedetto Terracini, Professor of Biostatistics (retired), University of California, San Diego information regarding the specific contribu- University of Torino, Italy tions of authors, (iii) publication of those dis- David Egilman, Clinical Associate Professor, Department closures, and (iv) rejection of submissions Andrew Thompson, Associate Professor (retired), of Community Health, University Counseling Center and Department of where authors’ conflicts are incompatible with Counseling Psychology, University of Oregon integrity in science. Such a policy is a neces- Samuel S Epstein, Professor Emeritus, Environmental & sary safeguard against potential bias and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, David Wallinga, Antibiotic Resistance Project Director, University of Illinois at Chicago; Chairman, Cancer would ensure that your readers have sufficient Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy Prevention Coalition information to evaluate the studies, commen- Steven Wing, Associate Professor, Department of tary, reviews, letters, and other statements Morris Greenberg, London, England Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina made in the pages of the Nature journals. Kim Hooper, Hazardous Materials Laboratory, Department of Toxic Substances Control, Cal/EPA 1. Petersen, M. “Undisclosed Financial Ties Prompt Editor’s Footnote: Reproval of Doctor” New York Times, August 3, 2003. James Huff, Senior Investigator, National Institute of 2. Nemeroff, C.B. & Owens, M.J. Nat. Neurosci. 5 Drs. Nemeroff and Owens are correct in stating that (Suppl.), 1068–1070 (2002). Environmental Health Sciences Nature Neuroscience’s policy for review articles (in 3. van Kolfschooten, F. Nature 416, 360–363 contrast to primary research) did not require them to (2002). Tushar K Joshi, Head, Centre for Occupational and make a financial disclosure and that we did not ask 4. PNAS Online Information for Authors (http://www. Environmental Health, Lok Nayak Hospital, them to do so. We are now changing our policy, for pnas.org/misc/iforc.shtml#Editorial%20Policies). New Delhi, India reasons that are discussed in the editorial on page 997.

NATURE NEUROSCIENCE VOLUME 6 | NUMBER 10 | OCTOBER 2003 1001