This past week, Medtronic confirmed that they paid $800,000 to Timothy Kuklo, an army doctor who consulted on a Medtronic’s bone morphogenic protein called Infuse, which induces the formation of bone. The "doctor" is not accused of fabricating those results.
Medtronic spokeswoman Marybeth Thorsgaard said the company put Kuklo on "inactive status" in May after the Army said the study was based on false information, and that Kuklo had forged signatures of purported co-authors of the study.
Kuklo trained doctors and provided educational services to Medtronic starting in 2001. He became a paid consultant in 2006.
She said payments were compensation for Kuklo’s work developing products for the company, training doctors and speaking at company events.
Payments were not connected to the study and Medtronic was not involved in any way with the report, Thorsgaard said.
She said none of the data in Kuklo’s study was used to win regulatory approval for the Infuse product.
The product has been used as a way to help people with broken bones quickly heal. I’ve understood it as electric simulation that stimulates the area and leads to a better fusion. But, was Dr. Timothy Kuklo paid to just make this stuff up?
Earlier this year Medronic announced that they would be disclosing their payments to doctors. Hopefully, there will also be an investigation of what happened here. It is vital that patients get the right information about the products that are being used.
A founding partner with Bradshaw & Bryant, Mike Bryant has always fought to find justice for his clients—knowing that legal troubles, both personal injury and criminal, can be devastating for a family. Voted a Top 40 Personal Injury "Super Lawyer" multiple years, Mr. Bryant has also been voted one of the Top 100 Minnesota "Super Lawyers" four times.
4 Comments
Daniel 8791
No doubt that Medtronic has been involved in some quite odd circumstances lately that raise questions as to what the heck has been going on over there. I've heard Mr.Kuklo's name previously in media sources but don't recall the exact details. Thanks for bringing light to these issues.
Mike Bryant
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. This and all the other deals need to be looked at.
Karen Dziuk
Doctors getting paid to use a specific company`s product on a regular basis is common practice. I used to work in surgery for many years in different states. The sales reps either pay the physicians in cash or send them on exotic vacations just like the pharma. sales reps do. These reps are all on straight comission! It`s WAY WAY out of control. I WISH OBAMA WOULD PUT AN END TO THAT!In the end the consumer is the one who pays the price as usual!!!
Mike Bryant
All to common of a story. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. I also hope more is done about it.
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