A second colleague of Robert Gallo, co-discoverer of the AIDS virus,
denies accusations that he used Gallo鈥檚 laboratory at the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) to enrich himself. Prem Sarin, Gallo鈥檚 deputy, hired out
his services and the laboratory to drug companies, congressional investigators
told Congress last week. Last year, Zaki Salahuddin, another of Gallo鈥檚
colleagues, pleaded guilty to setting up a fake company to accept contracts
from NIH.
Sarin tested drugs for three companies: Responsif of France; Degussa/Asta
of Germany and Italy; and Pfizer of the US. He allegedly forged Gallo鈥檚
signature on papers allowing him to do consulting work. Sarin directed companies
to write cheques to 鈥楩AES鈥�, the Foundation for Advanced Education in the
Sciences, a government body that funds researchers. But Sarin put the money
into an account, called 鈥楩AES/NERIC鈥�, which, said the investigators, stands
for Family Account for the Education of the Sarin Children/Neil and Eric.
Sarin claimed that one payment for $25 000 lay untouched in the account.
But, according to the investigators, records show that he used it to buy
furniture, pay credit-card bills, and holiday in Denmark. Sarin denies the
charges.
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