Today the Boston Globe published a major article in what has become the latest in
a growing drumbeat of media coverage focusing on the relationship between non-profits and pharmaceutical companies. The author of the article, Diedtra Henderson, highlighted how some small patient groups depend on industry funding to survive.
In her story she focused on Elzora K. Brown, who founded the Breast Cancer Resource Committee. Brown testifies at Food and Drug Administration advisory panels and brings much needed attention to the issue of diversity in clinical trials and the impact of chronic illnesses on African Americans.
While Brown has received accolades for her work, others have criticized her for failing to disclose her funding sources, earning a salary that consumed one-third of the non-profit’s budget and mixing personal and business expenses.
Now, there is nothing wrong with pharmaceutical companies funding non-profits. In fact, I have been involved with a number of very worthwhile projects that would not have gotten off the ground without industry support. However, the fact remains that industry-non-profit alliances have very real public health and societal benefits. Preserving the power of these partnerships will require significant transparency from all those involved.
I’ve written about this issue a number of times on this blog so I won’t rehash my arguments about why we need to pull back the curtain on non-profit-industry partnerships. (For my most comprehensive blog post on this subject, please click here.) Those interested in receiving actionable, clear-eyed advice about how to proactively communicate about cause alliances and prevent negative media coverage should read my article, published in the January 2007 edition of Communiqué.
News Source: Kevin, MD
Image Source: Dr. Patrick Wilken
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