Did Pharma Royalty Payments Influence Government COVID-19 Policies? (Guest: Adam Andrzejewski)

Health Care News Podcast

On September 14, Sen. Rand Paul grilled Dr. Anthony Fauci on royalty payments government scientists receive from private third-party entities. The non-profit watchdog, Open the Books has been relentlessly investigating these private royalty payments because the public has been drastically impacted by public health guidance. Adam Andrezejewski, CEO and founder of Open the Books, says it is important to understand how government health agencies make their decisions when decision makers have personal wealth gains on the line. He believes the payments over the past ten years come close to $400 million. Fauci announced he is retiring from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in December, but Andrezejewski believes he will still have much influence in the loop between regulators and pharma.

Open the Books has been investigating Fauci and the NIH regarding his salary and retirement package as well as the hundreds of media appearances during the pandemic. Now the group, through FOIA is trying to get the names, amounts and payers of royalty payments government scientist get from private companies if their research is eventually licensed by a private company.

Discussed during the 20-minute podcast:

1. Should this be a bi-partisan concern?

2. What about Fauci’s point that guidance, vaccine approval came from non-NIH agencies?

3. Why Open the Books got interested in probing royalty payments

4. How the payments work. Shouldn’t these royalty payments go back to taxpayers for funding the salaries of the researchers? (Federal law allows the payments)

5. How forthcoming has NIH been on document requests?

6. Does Fauci get royalty payments? Where will Fauci go after he retires from NIH in December? Andrezewjewski speculates

Useful links:

REP. MOOLENAAR, U.S. House Appropriations hearing:
https://www.openthebooks.com/nih-acting-director-admits-royalty-payments-have-appearance-of-conflict-of-interest/

Homeland Security Government Accountability Committee Letter To NIH: https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/dr-rand-paul-and-hsgac-republicans-send-letter-acting-director-nih-requesting-information