Senators Call for Probe Into Conflicts of Interest at McKinsey

Seven Democratic Senators have called for an investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services into the McKinsey consulting firm’s failure to disclose potential conflicts of interest when it entered into contracts with the FDA on issues related to opioids.

“While working for clients involved in manufacturing, distributing and selling opioids, McKinsey simultaneously worked on projects for the FDA, including projects for the FDA center responsible for approving new drugs, like opioids,” the senators said, in the letter to the HHS Office of Inspector General. McKinsey’s pharma clients included Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson, Mallinckrodt and Endo International.

McKinsey apparently never notified the agency of potential conflicts of interest, the senators said, adding that the FDA said it only became aware of them in early 2021 based on media reports.