Sen Grassley probes mental health group

The National Alliance for Mental Illness, a Virginia, USA-based patient advocacy group, has been called upon by Senator Charles Grassley  (Republican, Iowa) to disclose any financial backing it receives from  the pharmaceutical industry. The Iowa Senator is the Ranking Member on  the Senate Finance Committee, and he has campaigned for disclosure of  drugmakers' influence on health care professionals and related  organizations.

The NAMI did not issue a statement in response to Sen Grassley's claim  that "I have come to understand that money from the pharmaceutical  industry shapes the practices of non-profit organizations, which purport  to be independent in their viewpoints and actions." According to the  group's 2007 annual report, NAMI partners included US drug majors Wyeth  and Eli Lilly, UK-headquartered giant GlaxoSmithKline and trade group  the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). In  the year ended June 30, 2007, Bloomberg reports that the NAMI received  $10.5 million in donations, although no breakdown was given as to what  proportion could have derived from pharmaceutical sponsors.