Follow the Science: How Big Pharma Misleads, Obscures, and Prevails

by Sharyl Attkisson

He sits in a $1.5 million dollar chair funded by Merck at Children’s Hospital. He holds the patent on RotaTeq, a controversial rotavirus antidiarrhea vaccine he developed with a Merck grant reported to be valued at $350,000. And around the time I air my story, future royalties for Dr. Offit’s Merck vaccine have just been sold for $182 million. As part of my story research, I’ve asked Dr. Offit how much money he’s made from RotaTeq. I’ve also asked for his conflict of interest disclosures—the list of pharmaceutical companies that have paid him. All publishing scientists should have that list easily at hand since ethics practices require them to disclose their financial ties when they publish. But Dr. Offit refuses to answer the questions.