FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doctors for America
PO Box: 21161
2300 18th St NW Lbby
Washington, DC 20009-9996
April 11, 2025
Doctors for America’s FDA Task Force Supports Administration’s Calls for Greater Transparency in Science
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Doctors for America’s FDA Task Force supports recent comments made by a top Trump administration official on the need for increased transparency in funding for scientific research. In a recent podcast, Director of the National Institutes of Health Director (NIH), Dr. Bhattacharya, proposed creating a public database of scientists whose research projects are funded by pharmaceutical companies.
Doctors for America’s FDA Task Force has previously called for similar reforms to increase transparency around potential conflicts of interest in health care and supports Dr. Bhattacharya’s proposal. Physicians and hospitals are already subject to similar payment reporting requirements, which has drastically helped expose potential conflicts of interest. Acceptance of funding and payment does not always indicate bias or wrongdoing, but it should be disclosed. A similar reporting mechanism for scientists could help expand the scope of transparency, allowing patients and physicians greater clarity around research.
Furthermore, the Task Force would endorse this level of transparency being applied to patient advocacy organizations, which are often significantly funded by pharmaceutical companies.¹ In the administration’s efforts to enhance transparency in health care, we encourage them to expand public access to financial relationships between advocacy organizations and drug, device, and biotechnology companies.
For press inquiries and to discuss this issue with members of Doctors for America, please contact Alli Everton with Continuum Health Group ([email protected]).
¹https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsr1610625
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About Doctors for America:
Doctors for America mobilizes doctors and medical students to be leaders in putting patients over politics to improve the health of our patients, communities, and nation. DFA is an organization of over 27,000 physician and medical student advocates in all 50 states, representing all areas of specialization. DFA teaches physicians and medical students advocacy skills and does advocacy at a state and federal level. Our impact areas focus on access to affordable care, community health and prevention, and health justice and equity. DFA focuses solely on what is best for our patients, not on the business side of medicine, and does not accept any funding from pharmaceutical or medical device companies, insurance companies or for-profit healthcare companies; which uniquely positions DFA as the organization that puts patients over politics and patients over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on Twitter drsforamerica or Bluesky drsforamerica.bsky.social.