June 28, 2002

Journal Eases Its Policy on Potential Conflicts; Book's Title Becomes a Running Controversy

By LILA GUTERMAN and PETER MONAGHAN

THE TIES THAT DON'T BIND? The New England Journal of Medicine, the ethical standard-bearer of medical journals, is taking a step back from its highly restrictive policy on authors' financial ties to industry.

Citing the difficulty of finding scientists free of industrial connections, the journal's editors announced in the June 13 issue that new rules would add a single word to the journal's policy. The previous rules required authors of reviews and editorials to have no "financial

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