The independence of Canadian health research has been put in question with the appointment of Dr. Bernard Prigent, Vice President and medical director of Pfizer Canada, to the governing council of the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR).
Dr. Prigent’s appointment by Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq creates a conflict of interest within the CIHR, Canada’s public funder for health research. Many in the health science research community feel that the pharmaceutical industry already has a significant amount of control over medical research in Canada – and that increased representation from industry will further imbalance research priorities away from areas such as health services research and non-pharmaceutical interventions.
Please consider signing a petition against the appointment of the Vice President and Medical Director of Pfizer to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research governing council.
