Last updated:10/04/2008
Smoking disease research questioned

The validity of support research on diseases linked to smoking at several Massachusetts universities has been brought into question following reports that a major cigarette company has provided millions of dollars in grants to scientists.

Philip Morris USA, the nation’s largest cigarette manufacturer said it doesn’t interfere with the studies and researchers are required to disclose the source of the funding.

But critics insist that any link to the tobacco industry compromises the work.

Gregory Connolly, former director of the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program, said, “Taking money from the tobacco industry to conduct scientific research is like the DA taking money from the Mafia to conduct investigations of crime.”

David Sylvia, a spokesman for Philip Morris, said grants have been given to Boston University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Massachusetts since 2000.

They were among hundreds of projects underwritten worldwide.

He said the company placed an emphasis on research into tobacco related illnesses.

He told The Boston Globe, “Obviously, cigarettes are a product that is addictive and cause serious disease.”

Dr. Karen Antman, provost of Boston University Medical School, said in a statement that the institution has received nearly $4 million in research grants from Philip Morris over the past decade.

Boston University’s student newspaper, The Daily Free Press, first reported the school’s acceptance of money from Philip Morris earlier this month.

“We adhere to the highest ethical conduct in research and pursue funding from a variety of sources for unrestricted medical research,” Antman said.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School were told to stop applying for grants from tobacco companies in 2004, according to a statement from the university.

Researchers with existing grants were allowed to complete their work.

Dr. Jerome Kassirer, a former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, said he doesn’t believe tobacco companies would fund academic studies if they didn’t benefit in some way.

“If the motivation (of tobacco firms) is to try to show that their products are not as evil as they actually are, then I think researchers should not be doing that sort of thing,” he said.

“If the money is completely unrestricted, then it might be okay.”