Neurologist paid up to $20,000 a year by biotech companies removed from FDA ... trends now
A neurologist paid up to $20,000 a year by biotech companies has been removed from a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee.
Dr David Weisman was removed as a temporary voting member by the agency after he was found to have financial ties to Eisai and Biogen - biotech companies behind a controversial Alzheimer's drug.
The drug lecanemab, sold under Leqembi, received accelerated approval in January, but concerns over side effects and effectiveness have since emerged.
Dr Weisman, a Pennsylvania-based scientist, revealed he was no longer on the committee in a tweet Monday, which caught the attention of medical professionals who cited his incentive-cause bias toward Lecanemab.
The FDA told DailyMail.com in a statement: 'Similar to personnel matters, the FDA does not comment on matters related to individual members of an advisory committee.'
Dr Weisman is still employed by Eisai and Biogen behind the drug, which the committee is due to consider for approval later this week.
The companies also developed the drug aducanumab — or Aduhelm — which has proved controversial over clinical data and its approval.
Dr David Weisman, a neurologist, will no longer advise the FDA committee on approving Alzheimer's drugs. He works for Abington Neurological Associates in Pennsylvania
Dr Weisman, who works at Abington Neurological Associates, did not respond to a DailyMail.com request for comment.
He tweeted Monday: 'I'm not on [the committee] — for entirely unrelated reasons,' he said in response to a post about his membership.
'Even being considered was a great honor. I hoped to be worthy of the patients and science.'
In April, the neurologist was approved as a temporary voting member of the Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee (PCNS).
The FDA said at the time that he was needed for his 'extensive experience' and 'unique qualifications'.
The agency stated in a waiver document: 'Any potential for a conflict of interest is greatly outweighed by the strong need for Dr. Weisman's expertise in this matter.'
But he has now been removed from the committee before its meeting on Lecunemab set for June 9.
Lecanemab works by removing a sticky protein from the brain that is believed to cause Alzheimer's disease to advance.
In a trial that involved 1,795 participants with early-stage, symptomatic Alzheimer's, lecanemab slowed clinical decline by 27 percent after 18 months of
