Shortly after the Biden administration took office, a letter-writing campaign erupted over who should be the next Food and Drug Administration Commissioner. The missives reflected a bitter divide over Janet Woodcock, a longstanding but controversial agency official who was named acting commissioner. Some praised her political savvy and experience. Others criticized her for being too sympathetic to industry.
One supportive letter was signed by 95 oncologists, many of whom work for some of the most prestigious cancer centers and universities across the U.S. And since nearly two-thirds of those physicians and researchers accepted considerably more industry money than most doctors over the past several years, it is being held out as an example of the need for a fresh start at the top of the FDA.
In all, 61 of the 95 letter signers accepted nearly $14.5 million from industry between 2013 and 2019, and the average was more than $152,000 per person. By contrast, the average for all physicians who received industry payments was approximately $12,800, according to Georgetown University researchers who examined the OpenPayments database, which records payments made to doctors by drug and device makers.
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