THE ALLIANCE | How pharma companies & physicians joined forces

Overview | Urology | Dermatology | Hair transplant surgery | Endocrinology | Merck & GSK | Study groups | References | People index

Urology

• Gerald Andriole, MD
• Steven Kaplan, MD
• Herbert Lepor, MD
• John McConnell, MD
• Kevin McVary, MD
• J. Curtis Nickel, MD
• Claus Roehrborn, MD
• Patrick Walsh, MD

In co-author lists, Merck researchers appear in italics. Study groups were formed by Merck unless noted as GSK groups.

Gerald Andriole, MD
Division of Urology, Washington University School of Medicine; moved to Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University

• Finasteride Study Group
• PLESS Study Group
• MTOPS: Principal Investigator
• Paid consultant and speaker to Merck (disclosed in McConnell 2003)
• GSK ties
  • ARIA Study Investigators
  • REDUCE Study Group
  • Investigator and consultant (disclosed in Roehrborn 2002 and Andriole 2010)
• Co-authors: Gormley, Stoner, Waldstreicher, Rittmaster, Imperato-McGinley, Kaplan, Lepor, McConnell, McVary, Nickel, Roehrborn, Walsh
• Papers
  • Gormley 1992
  • Andriole 1998
  • McConnell 1998
  • Gormley 2002
  • Roehrborn 2002 – ARIA studies for BPH (GSK)
  • Lowe 2003
  • McConnell 2003
  • Andriole 2004
  • Andriole 2010 – REDUCE (GSK)

Steven Kaplan, MD
Columbia Presbyterian College of Physicians & Surgeons; moved to Mount Sinai

• PLESS Study Group
• MTOPS: Principal Investigator at New York Presbyterian Hospital
• Paid consultant to Merck (disclosed in McConnell 2003)
• Co-authors: Waldstreicher, Andriole, Lepor, McConnell, McVary, Roehrborn
• Papers
  • Roehrborn 1999
  • Kaplan 2000
  • McConnell 2003
  • Harrell 2021 – Analysis of adverse events of finasteride

Herbert Lepor, MD
Department of Urology, New York University Medical Center

• Veterans Affairs Cooperative Studies Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Study Group
• MTOPS: Investigator
• Co-authors: Gormley, Andriole, Kaplan, McConnell, McVary, Roehrborn
• Papers
  • Lepor 1996
  • Lepor 1998
  • McConnell 2003

John McConnell, MD
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas

• Finasteride Study Group: Investigator
• PLESS Study Group
• MTOPS: Chair of steering committee; investigator
• Paid consultant to Merck (disclosed in Vaughan 2002)
• Co-authors: Gormley, Stoner, Waldstreicher, Andriole, Kaplan, Lepor, McVary, Nickel, Imperato-McGinley, Roehrborn, Walsh
• Papers
  • Gormley 1992
  • McConnell 1992
  • McConnell 1998
  • Roehrborn 1999
  • Gormley 2002
  • Vaughan 2002
  • Lowe 2003
  • McConnell 2003
  • Roehrborn 2004

Kevin McVary, MD
Northwestern University; in 2013, moved to Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

• MTOPS: Principal Investigator at Northwestern University Clinical Center
  • Paid consultant and speaker
• Co-authors: Andriole, Kaplan, Lepor, McConnell, Roehrborn
• Papers
  • McConnell 2003
  • Baas 2018 – Study of adverse event reports
• Other roles and activities
  • Retained by Merck as an expert for Propecia litigation (disclosed in Baas 2018)
  • Delivered presentation: Post-Finasteride Syndrome: An Evaluation of the FAERS Data on 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors. Fact, Fantasy or Forget About It? At: Indiana Urologic Association conference; February 24, 2018; Indianapolis, Indiana. Archived
  • Delivered presentation: Post-Finasteride Syndrome: Fact, Fantasy or Forgetaboutit? At: Advances in Urology Care symposium; October 2019; Bora Bora, French Polynesia. Archived tweet
  • Learn more about Dr. McVary’s communications regarding adverse effects of finasteride: Tapped by Merck for litigation defense, a physician-researcher sowed doubts about finasteride harms

J. Curtis Nickel, MD
Queen’s University, Kingston General Hospital, Canada

• Merck relationships
  • PLESS Study Group
  • PROSPECT Study Group
  • Co-inventor of Merck patent, Cox-2i for prostatitis (rofecoxib?)
• GSK relationships
  • ARIA Study Investigators
  • EPICS trial
  • Investigator (disclosed in Roehrborn 2002)
• Co-authors: Stoner, Waldstreicher, Andriole, McConnell, Rittmaster, Roehrborn, Walsh
• Papers
  • Nickel 1996
  • McConnell 1998
  • Marberger 2000
  • Roehrborn 2002
  • Roehrborn 2004
  • Nickel 2011
  • Hagberg 2016 – risk of erectile dysfunction vs. alpha blockers
  • Hagberg 2017a – risk of gynecomastia & breast cancer
  • Hagberg 2017b – risk of depression vs. alpha blockers

Claus Roehrborn, MD
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

• Merck relationships
  • PLESS Study Group
  • MTOPS Study Group
  • Paid consultant and speaker (disclosed in McConnell 2003)
• GSK relationships
  • ARIA Study Investigators
  • Investigator and consultant (disclosed in Roehrborn 2002)
• Co-authors: Waldstreicher, Andriole, Kaplan, Lepor, McConnell, McVary, Nickel, Walsh
• Papers
  • McConnell 1998
  • Roehrborn 1999
  • Roehrborn 2000
  • Roehrborn 2002
  • McConnell 2003
  • Roehrborn 2004

Patrick Walsh, MD
Johns Hopkins University

• Finasteride Study Group
• PLESS Study Group
• Co-authors: Gormley, Stoner, Waldstreicher, Andriole, Imperato-McGinley, McConnell, Nickel, Roehrborn, Walsh
• Papers
  • Gormley 1992
  • Sanda 1997
  • McConnell 1998
  • Gormley 2002
  • Lowe 2003
  • Pearson 2003