Dr. Paul Offit of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) received at least $29 million from his share of royalties for Merck's Rotateq vaccine after using his position with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure that childhood vaccination with the vaccine became compulsory.
According to a report on the Web site "Age of Autism," a review of CHOP's royalties schedules reveals that Offit likely received between $29 million and $55 million for his work developing the Rotateq vaccine for rotavirus, which causes diarrhea in infants. Because the vaccine is jointly owned by CHOP and by the Wistar Institute but Offit is the only inventor listed on the patent from CHOP, he received 100 percent of inventor's rights payments from CHOP.
"Clearly, based on the distribution of income rights outlined in [CHOP's policies], Paul Offit had a greater personal interest in Rotateq's commercial success than any other single individual in the world," article authors Dan Olmsted and Mark Blaxill write. "And more than other individual in the world, he found himself in a position to directly influence that success."
Between 1998 and 2003, Offit sat on the U.S. government's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). His involvement with development of Rotateq began before and ended after these dates.
While a member of the ACIP, Offit consistently voted in favor of making vaccination against rotavirus part of the compulsory U.S. childhood immunization schedule. He also voted to rescind recommendation of Wyeth's competing vaccine RotaShield, while aggressively advocating for the idea that other rotavirus vaccines would be less dangerous.
"Unlike most other patented products, the market for mandated childhood vaccines is created not by consumer demand, but by the recommendation of an appointed body called the ACIP," Olmsted and Blaxill write. "In a single vote, ACIP can create a commercial market for a new vaccine that is worth hundreds of millions of dollars in a matter of months."
In the case of Rotateq, its addition to the vaccine schedule led to an increase in yearly revenue of $655 million over the course of two years.
via CDC Vaccine Advisor Pockets $29 Million Promoting Vaccines.
Friday, June 5, 2009
CDC Vaccine Advisor Pockets $29 Million Promoting Vaccines
This story comes from David Gutierrez at natural news:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Offit's critics base claims about his income from Rotateq on the assumption that he alone was eligible to receive an "inventor's share". However, CHOP's manual defines the share as "the total amount payable to all Hospital Personnel who are Inventors, Authors, or other creators of the Intellectual Property generating the Net Income." This definition is too broad for ANY one person to claim the entire share for himself.
Just another greedy crook with his filthy hands in the cookie jar with NO regard for the welfare of children. Follow the money and it always leads you to cons and liars.
Sullivan, you are too stoooopid to make any decision and I suspect you have had one vaccine too many. If you want to fall for the lies of vaccine makers and the drug cartels then you deserve whatever the hell you get. Idiot!!!
My youngest son suffered a convulsion immediately following an MMR booster when he was just a toddler and I forbid them to insist he ever be given another vaccine of any kind. Anything containing mercury is poison and any fool should know that. There are hundreds of respected doctors in this world who have written numerous factual warnings about all vaccines and their dangers. You are one of the mindless sheep bahing your way through life and will believe any lie you hear.
Since posting my initial comment, I have established that Offit's actual income was $6 million, out of a ca. 10% share that was divided between himself and two other patent holders.
Post a Comment