Conflicts of interest in medical research: how much conflict should exceed legal boundaries?

This article addresses the current plague of financially conflicted research from various perspectives including the research community, the medical community, patients/subjects, the Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.), and other government agencies. Part one lays out the current conflicts of interest within medical research. Part two explains the actual and potential effects of these conflicts, highlighting the conflict of interest associated with the death of Jesse Gelsinger. Part three describes how conflicts of interest are currently regulated by government agencies and within individual institutions. Lastly, part four concludes by recommending a system of seven balanced reform measures that protect research subjects and the scientific integrity of medical research while encouraging scientific progress.