In February 2007, Chairman Waxman and Senator Barbara Boxer raised concerns about the potential conflicts of interest of Sciences International, a private contractor at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) that was involved in reviewing the health risks of a chemical called bisphenol-A. In response to these concerns, NIEHS investigated and terminated Sciences International’s contract.
In April 2007, NIEHS, the National Toxicology Program (NTP), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) also committed to taking several additional actions. First, NIH initiated a broad review of NIH-wide and center-specific conflicts of interest policies to determine whether they are adequate. Second, NIEHS developed specific language on conflicts of interest for inclusion in new contracts. Third, NTP conducted an independent review of the bisphenol-A evaluation. Fourth, a working group of NTP’s Board of Scientific Counselors evaluated all 44 NTP contracts for potential or actual conflicts of interest.
In September 2008, NTP issued its report on bisphenol-A, finding that the chemical is potentially dangerous to human development and reproduction and may be linked to breast and prostate cancer.
