NIH Ethics Rule May Leave Room for Informal Public-Private Partnerships

Although both paid and unpaid consulting arrangements between NIH scientists and private industry will end under the agency's new ethics rule, some observers believe informal communications should continue while others predict a bleak future for public-private partnerships.

The NIH's guidelines didn't say that NIH employees can't talk with industry, said Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, one day before the final ethics regulation was published in the Federal Register. While he couldn't comment on the specifics of the final rule, Wolfe noted, "there is no reason why someone with NIH can't talk with [and] share information with a company as long as it's not done in a really exclusive kind of basis."

Under the new ethics regulation, NIH employees are prohibited from performing compensated or uncompensated consulting services, and compensated teaching, speaking, writing or editing services for biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms. Outside activities that are allowed include teaching, speaking or writing that is performed without restricted funding from an affected organization, such as a drug company.

The pharmaceutical industry hopes the rules will allow for continued collaboration. PhRMA said it will honor whatever the NIH decides.