PhRMA to end funding of addiction treatment group next year

The drug industry's top lobbying group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, will stop funding the Addiction Policy Forum in 2020, according to Politico.

PhRMA has provided the group with about 90 percent of its funding since it was founded in 2015. The group's goal is to provide resources for people addicted to opioids.

This year, PhRMA cut its annual donation to the group from $8.1 million to $6 million.

Current and former employees of the group told Politico that Addiction Policy Forum CEO Jessica Hulsey Nickel had poorly managed the money it received from PhRMA. As an example, all employees of the group's Chicago office were laid off in 2018, but it still pays at least $15,000 a month for the office, according to a copy of the 63-month lease obtained by Politico.

Ms. Nickel declined to comment on the Chicago lease to Politico. She also denied the accusations of poor management.

Some addiction treatment groups have criticized the Addiction Policy Forum for accepting funding from the drug industry, widely blamed for fueling the opioid epidemic.

Ms. Nickel reportedly said the industry had a role in solving the crisis it helped create.

She told Politico that PhRMA cutting its funding was the "natural conclusion" of a three-year grant period and that the forum would continue its work through 2023 with a "diverse array of funding sources."

A PhRMA spokesperson told Politico that while it was cutting funding for the forum, "we are confident that the organization will remain at the forefront of efforts to save lives."

Read the full article here.

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