Ghosts and guests haunt medical journals. We don't usually notice them, but they occasionally rattle their chains, making us acutely aware of their presence. The author of an article we published in 2003 (1) sent more than a few shivers up the spines of the editors when he admitted to a New York Times reporter in 2005, “Merck designed the trial, paid for the trial, ran the trial…Merck came to me after the study was completed and said, ‘We want your help to work on the paper.’ The initial paper was written at Merck, and then was sent to me ...
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Author, Article, and Disclosure Information
Acknowledgment: The authors thank Harold C. Sox, MD, for critical review of the manuscript and for his helpful suggestions.
Disclosures: None disclosed.
Corresponding Author: Customer Service, American College of Physicians, 190 N. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106-1572.
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