Conflicts of Interest — Editorialists Respond

To the Editor: We appreciate the opportunity to present our perspective on the events surrounding the publication in the Journal of our editorial “Pharmacotherapy for Obesity — Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks?” (Aug. 29 issue). 1 We hope this letter will help clarify the genuine misunderstandings that occurred between us and the Journal editors. In June 1996, one of the editors of the Journal telephoned Dr. Manson to invite her to write an editorial to accompany an article on appetite suppressants and primary pulmonary hypertension. 2 The written editorial policy of the Journal asked that authors “not have ongoing financial associations . . .