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Government Corruption

Top People at NIH Getting Big Bucks From Secret Royalty Checks

2022-06-11

[ET] Paywall busted
Recipients of secret royalty payments who hold key roles at the National Institutes for Health (NIH) have been revealed by nonprofit government watchdog Open the Books.

Through the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Open the Books has discovered that payments totaling more than $134 million were paid to more than 1,600 NIH executives, scientists, and researchers by outside firms, thought to be primarily from the pharmaceutical industry, between 2010 and 2014.

Royalty payments also went to at least three of the top echelon of NIH leaders, including Dr. Francis Collins, the immediate past director of NIH, who got 14 payments. Dr. Anthony Fauci received 23 payments and his deputy, Clifford Lane, received eight payments.

"When an NIH employee makes a discovery in their official capacity, the NIH owns the rights to any resulting patent. These patents are then licensed for commercial use to companies that could use them to bring products to market.
So what "rights" does the NIH retain, having given away the monetary rights?
"Employees are listed as inventors on the patents and receive a share of the royalties obtained through any licensing, or ’technology transfer,’ of their inventions. Essentially, taxpayer money funding NIH research benefits researchers employed by NIH because they are listed as patent inventors and therefore receive royalty payments from licensees."
But the NIH has 'safeguards', to prevent conflicts of interest, it says somewhere in the middle of the long article, so it's no big deal. Unexpectedly.

Posted by:Bobby

#5 Let's never mind that the "gain of function" work should never have been done, nor profited from - by anybody.

Posted by: M. Murcek 2022-06-11 12:37

#4 Apparently it is normal for public research (government and academia) that the royalties be shared between the scientist and the employer. It is only in private/corporate research that the work product belongs entirely to the employer.

Posted by: trailing wife 2022-06-11 12:26

#3 What? You mean they copyrighted covid?

Posted by: Abu Uluque 2022-06-11 12:03

#2 While the overall amount of cash flowing in is determined, how much going to whom is redacted. Fauci supposedly agree to donate all his royalties to charity. Because the specific cash flow to recipients we are expected to trust him that he is actually donating the cash. Americans are short on Fauci trust at the moment.

Posted by: Super Hose 2022-06-11 09:49

#1 Somehow I just can't imaging Dr. Fauchi inventing something patentable.

Posted by: CrazyFool 2022-06-11 09:02

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