Much is being made in the Italian press over the attacks on Dr. Zamboni's CCSVI discovery and the current Italian MS Society funded study, called the "COSMO" study---a multi-center study headed by neurologists around Italy.
Here is the link to this study, with the names of all the investigators, on the clinical trials site-
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01384825
The lead invesitgators are Dr. Giancarlo Comi and Dr. Giovanni Mancardi
Questions are being raised over pharmaceutical influence--because of the levels of vitriol coming from the Italian neurological community, as shown at the recent ECTRIMS conference. They are being seen as "protesting too much" over CCSVI, and conflicts of interest are being investigated. Here is a recent news story, as translated in google translate---
http://mediterranews.org/2011/10/metodo-zamboni-e-sclerosi-multipla-dubbi-sullo-studio-cosmo-dellaism/
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During ECTRIMS 2011, which was held in Amsterdam October 19 to 22, a prominent Italian neurologist told the press that "the frequency of CCSVI was confirmed in less than 10% of pwMS" and "already the interim analysis of the COSMO study has completely deflated the hypothesis that CCSVI is a significant cause or significant contibuting factor in MS."
These statements have generated considerable buzz that they were not supported by any posters or abstracts the researchers normally present during the conference, and that the doctor who issues this statement is a relentless opponent of the theory of Professor Zamboni and has a major conflict of interest because of his relationships with pharmaceutical companies, which is easy to document.
All of this raises a number of important questions about the validity and fairness of the COSMO study, which was funded by the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Foundation , which over a year ago saw the controversy of the resignation of Dr. Zamboni from the scientific committee. The discoverer of CCSVI resigned because of failure of the commitee to comply with his diagnostic protocol.
Perhaps it would be useful to carefully reflect on the subject by the Scientific Committee of the AISM in the interest of patients and their families.
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Now that centers, such as the Cleveland Clinic and BNAC, are finding much higher prevalence in CCSVI in MS when the have TRAINED with Dr. Zamboni and have learned his doppler US protocol-these studies, which are an obvious attempt to end CCSVI research, look even more suspicious. And the press is beginning to ask questions.
For those familiar with this page, you know we like to publish the disclosures of doctors---so here are the financial conflicts of interest for the lead invesitgators of the COSMO study-
Dr. Giancarlo Comi has received consultation fees from Serono Symposia International Foundation, Merck Serono, Novartis, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Sanofi-Aventis, Bayer Scherin, Biogen Dompe.
He is the lead investigator for Laquinimod, and was recently seen speaking at the AAN meeting in Hawaii, praising this drug for its "new therapeutic strategy!"....http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/740675
Dr. Giovanni Mancardi has received honoraria/consultation fees, and travel expenses for attending meetings and financial support for research from Bayer Schering, Biogen Dompe, Sanofi-Aventis, and Merck Serono. Mancardi has worked on b cell research, and has participated in many studies with Rituximab.
I believe the most recent ECTRIMS meeting will be seen by future generations as a turning point in the understanding of pharmaceutical influence on independent MS medical research. The neurologists and industry sponsored doctors will have to answer for their actions. And they will need to apologize and stand as responsible for the waste of time, money and brain health for those with MS. The COSMO study represents the worst of human instincts. Let's continue to appeal to the best--
Independent Research for CCSVI--without pharma influence. Now.
Joan
