President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the National Institute of Health (NIH) was allegedly “bankrolled” by big pharma companies, according to the American Accountability Foundation.
Nominee Dr. Monica Bertagnolli has “problematic close ties with big pharma” and allegedly received millions of dollars in research funds.
“Big Pharma bankrolled her career, and she has long been a friend and ally to them,” the watchdog organization said to the New York Post.
“Especially after the corruption and lies that came from the government’s medical agencies during COVID, the American people need to know that NIH will be led by honest people who serve them, and are not owned by massive corporations,” the statement continued.
The group explained that the United States’ “medical institutions must serve the interests of the American people, not Big Pharma,” noting that “Dr. Bertagnolli’s extensive financial ties to pharmaceutical companies raise serious questions about her ability to lead NIH in a manner that is not beholden to special or secret interests.”
In 2022, Bertagnolli received at least $56 million from Pfizer, Seagan Inc., and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.
According to Biden, Bertagnollis is a “world-renowned surgical oncologist, cancer researcher, educator, and physician-leader who has the vision and leadership needed to deliver on NIH’s mission to seek fundamental knowledge and promote human health.”
Reporting from The Daily Wire:
Biden’s White House told the outlet that the $350 million included grants awarded to a non-profit Bertagnolli ran, which conducted nationwide clinical trials on cancer prevention. ... Although the grants reportedly did not go to Bertagnolli, the watchdog group argued the physician-scientist likely had secondary funds “flowed through to her salary at [Boston’s] Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Dana Farber Cancer Institute where she is a researcher.” According to the 2022-2023 financial disclosure forms included in the report, Bertagnolli reported $1,609,198 in salary and bonuses from the cancer institute.
