This week, First Opinion published a controversial essay about Vinay Prasad, the recently departed head of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. (My colleague Lizzy Lawrence wrote a must-read story on exactly what happened to Prasad. Don’t miss the last line.)
Adam Cifu — Prasad’s former professor and colleague at the outlet “Sensible Medicine” — praised his friend while acknowledging that he “has strong opinions, and he is not shy about sharing them. On social media, he has at times been brash, nasty, and insulting.” Cifu goes on to discuss Prasad’s short tenure at CBER and mourn how it came to an end: “Unfortunately, as difficult decisions were made, politics and pharmaceutical company money seem to have trumped the need to ensure that drugs are safe and effective.”
The piece garnered some criticism online from critics who said that Cifu is conflicted because of his relationship with Prasad. Others simply did not want to read anything in favor of Prasad.
But I’m glad that STAT published the essay. As usual, I want pieces that go against the grain, that bring a new perspective, and sometimes make people mad. And I think it’s important to publish essays that are by the people most familiar with the topic. That often means working with authors who have a conflict of some sort — and we share that with readers right up front. (I also try to sniff out any potential conflicts that we don’t know about, through STAT’s perhaps annoyingly thorough First Opinion author agreement.)
As I often tell people who are interested in learning more about First Opinion, “Every piece should make someone in STAT’s readership mad.” If everyone agrees, what’s the point of persuasive writing?
Recommendation of the week: The podcast “Devil in the Dorm,” about the so-called “Sarah Lawrence sex cult.” Narrated by Elisabeth Röhm, an alumna of both Sarah Lawrence and original-recipe “Law & Order,” it’s equal parts horrifying and compelling. One of the victims, a graduate of Columbia Medical School, fell under the conman/leader’s sway while a psychiatry resident at UCLA, showing how even the highly educated can be at risk under the right circumstances.
