The Markingson Case: A Tragedy But Not A Scandal?

"Dean of the University of Minnesota's medical school Aaron Friedman

put his head in his hands..."

(AP Photo/The Star Tribune, Renee Jones Schneider)

For some background on this matter please see my earlier post on the petition to Governor Dayton calling for an independent investigation of the suicide of Dan Markingson.

Since that time more than 2500 people have signed the petition including citizens of Minnesota, and students, faculty, and alumni of the University of MInnesota.

Also among the signers are three former editors of the highly regarded New England Journal of Medicine; the editor of the Lancet - a highly respected British medical journal, a former editor of the British Medical Journal and the former health and disability commissioner of New Zealand as well as more than 200 experts in medical ethics and related disciplines. Others include a medical historian with expertise in the Guatemala syphilis studies, which resulted in an apology by President Obama in 2010, and one with expertise in the infamous Tuskegee experiments.

In his recent opinion piece on the Star-Tribune, Dean Friedman hypothesizes that "The University of Minnesota research case is not a scandal."

Based on the signatures, qualification, and comments of those calling for an independent investigation, I'd say that this situation qualifies eminently as a scandal.

The fact that the Dean starts his piece with this semantic argument indicates how weak his case really is.

But there is more...

Dr. Friedman states:

Two points:

b) "accurately report what has already been done" This statement is almost laughable. Dr. Elliot has published copious documentation in this case on ScribD, as well as on his website. All we have gotten from the university is the same boilerplate denials. The tactic is simply to deny and stall and then to claim: "well that happened a long time ago."

In Dr. Friedman's own words:

Finally:

What really galls me is the following statement by Dean Friedman:

I've already indicated who has carefully examined the facts (Elliot) and who is in denial of them (Dean Friedman) but this final argument that we should just forget about the Markingson scandal because of the "groundbreaking advancements taking place across our campuses every day" is preposterous.

And what is even worse about this argument - Dan Markingson did not die on the altar of "groundbreaking advancements" but in the service of a pharma sponsored trial of a drug (Seroquel) that can only be described as a marketing study.

For more information, gentle readers might want to consult the artlcle by the Strib's Maura Lerner and Janet Moore. There they will learn that in 2009, documents revealed in litigation against AstraZeneca illustrated that Dr. Charles Schulz, head of the U of M's psychiatry department and a highly paid Astra Zeneca consultant had inaccurately represented the benefits of Seroquel in both research presentations and press releases. The groundbreaking work of Dr. Schulz actually established that Seroquel was no more effective than older, existing drugs such as Haldol (haloperidol).

Someone seems to have forgotten about first, do no harm and other ethical matters, Dr. Friedman.

It is critical for the University of MInnesota to regain its good name and to take steps to see that something like this never happens again.