changing medicine. saving lives. advancing human health and

Transcription

2015
Annual
Report
CHANGING MEDICINE. SAVING LIVES. ADVANCING HUMAN HEALTH AND ETHICAL RESEARCH.
Mission
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health
organization dedicated to saving and improving lives through good
nutrition, advanced medical research, and public policy advocacy.
Vision
Creating a healthier world through a new emphasis on prevention, plantbased nutrition, and scientific research conducted ethically, without
using animals.
Table of Contents
2
We Work to Save Lives
6
Costly Chimpanzee Experiments
8
Harmful Heart Failure Research
11
Killer Cholesterol
12
The Western Diet
13 Hazardous Hospital Foods
15
Transforming Nutrition Research
16
Publishing Plant-Based Studies
17
Accelerating Alcohol and Antibodies Research
18
Healing Hearts
21
Championing New Chemical Testing Methods
22
Purging Processed Meats
25
Schooling Scientists
26
Modernizing Medical Education
28
Alleviating Alzheimer’s Disease
29
Fighting Diabetes
30
Improving School Lunches
32
Leadership
33
2015 Consolidated Fiscal Year Report
CHANGING MEDICINE. SAVING LIVES.
2015 ANNUAL REPORT 1
At the
Physicians
Committee,
we work to
save lives.
2 2015 ANNUAL REPORT
PHYSICIANS COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE FOR
FOR RESPONSIBLE
RESPONSIBLE MEDICINE
MEDICINE
PHYSICIANS
CHANGING
CHANGING MEDICINE.
MEDICINE. SAVING
SAVING LIVES.
LIVES.
Some
experimenters
are causing
cancer,
diabetes, and
other diseases
in animals.
PHYSICIANS COMMITTEE FOR RESPONSIBLE MEDICINE
They misguidedly
hope that cruel
experiments
on animals will
cure diseases in
people…
CHANGING MEDICINE.
MEDICINE. SAVING
SAVING LIVES.
LIVES.
CHANGING
Costly Chimpanzee Experiments
After years of work by the Physicians
Committee, the National Institutes of Health
announced in November 2015 that it is
ending all federally supported chimpanzee
experimentation. It’s a major milestone in the
Physicians Committee’s mission to promote
ethical and scientifically sound research.
Milestones
2009: The Physicians Committee lobbies
Congress to pass the Great Ape
Protection Act.
2010: Spring/Summer: More than 150 U.S. representatives support GAPA. Physicians
Committee experts facilitate the introduction of a companion Senate bill.
September: The Physicians Committee files a complaint urging the Department of Health
and Human Services to halt plans to send chimpanzees retired at the Alamogordo Primate
Facility in New Mexico into active experiments at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute.
2011: January: NIH confirms that no more Alamogordo chimpanzees will be moved. The
Institute of Medicine (IOM) conducts an in-depth review of the use of chimpanzee
experimentation. The Physicians Committee works behind the scenes to remove IOM
committee members with conflicts of interest.
March: The Physicians Committee files a complaint stating that NIH acted unlawfully
when in summer 2010 it transferred 14 Alamogordo chimpanzees, including Katrina, to
Texas for use in experiments.
August: Physicians Committee director of academic affairs John Pippin, M.D., testifies
before the IOM committee about the medical and ethical reasons for ending chimpanzee
experimentation.
The Physicians Committee files a petition with the federal government stating that
Texas Biomed is in violation of the Animal Welfare Act by using 14
chimpanzees in experiments.
In 2002, Katrina was retired after years of experiments that infected her with
hepatitis B and C and HIV. But in 2010 she was sent back to a laboratory. In
2015, the National Institutes of Health ended experimentation on Katrina and
all chimpanzees.
December: The IOM releases its landmark report finding that chimpanzees are not
needed to develop an HIV vaccine, hepatitis C antiviral drugs, or treatments for a wide
range of other human illnesses. Hours later, NIH suspends all new grants for chimpanzee
experiments and confirms that no more Alamogordo chimpanzees will be transferred to
Texas.
2012: Following a Physicians Committee public appeal, NIH says it will retire all of its
chimpanzees used in experiments at New Iberia Research Center to the Chimp Haven
federal sanctuary.
2013: The Physicians Committee praises NIH’s decision to accept recommendations in a Council
of Councils Working Group report that recommends immediately phasing out federally
funded chimpanzee experiments. But Physicians Committee doctors oppose NIH’s
decision to hold 50 chimpanzees for future experiments.
2015: NIH announces that it will end all federally supported chimpanzee experimentation.
Chimp Haven federal sanctuary
“As a physician who formerly
conducted research on animals, I know
that it’s a decision that benefits the
lives of chimpanzees like Camillo as
much as it benefits yours and mine.”
Camillo
—Physicians Committee director of academic affairs John Pippin, M.D., in
his op-ed “Chimps Rescued from Pointless Experiments,” Dec. 2, 2015
ichigan Physicians
Letter from 231 M ity Board of Governors
Univers
to the Wayne State Invasive Dog Experiments
Urging an End to
Harmful Heart Failure Research
In 2015, the Physicians Committee continued
of dogs in heart
nce to halt the use
authority and influe
that the university
of Governors use its
the board to insist
e State University Board 2016, now is an opportune time for
to ask that the Wayn
31,
g
March
writin
on
am
s
I
cian,
s expire
As a Michigan physi
for these experiment
Those dogs
in his or her body.
s. As the federal grant
failure experiment
killed.
al devices implanted
research.
iments all dogs are
have up to 12 medic
on human-relevant
four surgeries and
At the end of the exper
focus its resources
undergo as many as
ventricular pacing.
ntion and treatment
e is induced by rapid
iments, each dog may
preve
failur
exper
ive
ng
heart
effect
in
ongoi
while
ills
to invest
During the
without producing
funded institutions
are then run on treadm
years
ries
20
statesurge
than
their
the
e
more
need
who surviv
igan, who badly
that allocated
e experiments for
the people of Mich
canine heart failur
than $6.5 million of
l grant money for
you are beholden to
iments, with more
on these dog exper
As elected officials,
has been using federa
million has been spent
ch. Yet Wayne State
programs and resear
time, more than $8.1
human health. In that
2016.
anything to advance
March
grant expiring in
igan residents.
to the heart failure
ve the health of Mich
s in order to help impro
Edward Sladek, M.D.
to these experiment
Please put an end
Arturo Prada, M.D.
Lansing
Very truly yours,
Andrea Abessinio,
St. Clair Shores
D.O.
, M.D.
Anthony Alcantara
Clinton Township
Ronald D’Angostino,
L’Anse
Thomas Anan, M.D.
Novi
Karen Denbesten,
Petoskey
Anita Asadorian, D.O.
Caledonia
Christina Desousa,
Dearborn
William Bernard,
Flint
David Hammond,
Grand Rapids
John Ebrom, M.D.
Grand Rapids
Nada Beydoun, D.O.
Dearborn Heights
Craig Elliott, M.D.
Muskegon
John Beyer, D.O.
Holland
M.D.
Enrique Enriquez,
Allen Park
Jacob Blazo, D.O.
Saint Joseph
Juan Estigarribia, M.D.
Dearborn
David Boger, D.O.
Chelsea
Rudy Bogoian III,
Big Rapids
M.D.
Harry Borovik, M.D.
Traverse City
David Brownstein,
West Bloomfied
M.D.
Gina Buccalo, M.D.
Utica
Mitchell Carey, M.D.
East Jordan
Kelly Clark, M.D.
Traverse City
Ivan Co, M.D.
Ypsilanti
Lauri Conroy, M.D.
Macomb
Robin Cook, M.D.
Marquette
Jayne Courts, M.D.
Caledonia
Patricia Ferguson,
Bingham Farms
Christyne Lawson,
Bingham Farms
M.D.
Richard Ferro, D.O.
Okemos
Richard Fici, D.O.
East Detroit
Debbie Filek, M.D.
Bay City
C Peter Fischer, M.D.
Ypsilanti
Michael Fox, D.O.
Livonia
Balvant Ganatra, M.D.
Flint
Carmen Garcia, M.D.
Kalamazoo
Elias Gennaoui, M.D.
Allen Park
Pinhas Geva, M.D.
Lansing
M.D.
Douglas Leppink,
Grand Rapids
Paul Heidel, M.D.
Holland
Darren Herzog, M.D.
Royal Oak
Matthew Hettle, M.D.
Clarkston
Leon Hochman, M.D.
Bingham Farms
M.D.
M.D.
Robert Levy, M.D.
Dearborn
Edward Linkner, M.D.
Ann Arbor
Thomas Longley, M.D.
Brighton
, M.D.
Barbara Lucas, M.D.
Dearborn
M.D.
Joseph Luna, M.D.
Davison
Nicholas Hountras
Holland
Nelu Ioan Cristof,
Sault Ste. Marie
Jeanne Lusher, M.D.
Rochester Hills
Todd Irwin, M.D.
Ann Arbor
Nadheer Issa, M.D.
Sterling Heights
William Jackson, M.D.
Marcellus
Steven Schlabach,
Rochester Hills
Shyam Mahesh, M.D.
Bloomfield Hills
Aye Mar, M.D.
Battle Creek
Justin Oldfield, M.D.
Ann Arbor
M.D.
Mildred Vazquez,
Eastpointe
Alex Vlahopoulos,
Grand Rapids
Leslie Walsh, D.O.
Rochester Hills
Robert Schneiderman,
Mason
Ping Wang, M.D.
Warren
D.O.
Marilyn Williams,
Brighton
, M.D.
Brad Shammout, D.O.
Clinton Township
Mark Ottmar, M.D.
Saint Joseph
i, M.D.
Lakshmi Palakurth
Troy
Michael Sherbin, D.O.
Bloomfield Township
Joel Pelavin, M.D.
St. Clair Shores
Jean-Marie Pierre,
Belleville
Linda Plizga, D.O.
Warren
Colleen Sheehan, M.D.
Franklin
Laila Shehadeh, D.O.
Warren
Sarah Pasia, D.O.
Port Huron
M.D.
Regina Simone, D.O.
Northville
Ravinder Singala,
Grand Blanc
Madonna who died in the university’s
Rhonda Whelan, D.O.
Owosso
James Wiaduck, M.D.
Norton Shores
Elizabeth Shadigian
Ann Arbor
David Osher, M.D.
Franklin
State highlighted the fate of a dog named
Steven Walvisch, M.D.
Mt. Pleasant
D.O.
Patricia Schmidt, D.O.
Bloomfield Township
Mark Schury, D.O.
Macomb
Mariano Orca, M.D.
Sturgis
At the same time, a billboard near Wayne
D.O.
Marit Vogel, M.D.
Petoskey
John Schram, D.O.
Spring Lake
Allan Olson, D.O.
Marquette
end to the experiments.
Joyce Vaclav, D.O.
Grosse Ile
M.D.
Evon Schexnaydre,
Spring Lake
D.O.
M.D.
John Trupiano, M.D.
Birmingham
Geralyn Sarti, M.D.
Birmingham
M.D.
Thomas Nussdorfer,
Traverse City
Howard Leroux, Jr.,
Muskegon
Michael Hertz, M.D.
Ann Arbor
William Trinkaus,
St. Clair Shores
Raphael Sapeika, M.D.
Bloomfield Township
Billy Nordyke Jr, D.O.
Brownstown
Sang Lee, M.D.
Warren
Carrie Hecht, M.D.
Ada
Kristin Nikolakeas,
Grand Blanc
Anh Tran, M.D.
Midland
Karen Samples, D.O.
Trenton
Alan Neiberg, M.D.
Lansing
than 200 Michigan physicians calling for an
Teresita Timban, M.D.
Troy
Cheryl Sales, D.O.
Grand Rapids
M.D.
Governors and delivered petitions from more
Sharon Tice, M.D.
Novi
Lucille Saha, M.D.
Flint
Gerald Natzke, D.O.
Flint
Mary Lazar, M.D.
Royal Oak
Randal Harris, M.D.
Detroit
Mubashir Sabir, M.D.
Farmington Hills
Vijay Naraparaju,
Grand Blanc
Theresa Larsen, M.D.
Lake Orion
Daniel Harber, D.O.
Dearborn Heights
Michael Engel, M.D.
Norton Shores
Smita Bijlani, M.D.
Rochester Hills
M.D.
David Nadeau, M.D.
Norton Shores
Christie Laming, M.D.
Burtchville
Mark Harbeck, M.D.
Novi
Stacey Ruff, D.O.
Rochester Hills
M.D.
Travis Terrell, M.D.
Ceresco
Dawn Rosser, M.D.
Hastings
M.D.
Mary Myrick, M.D.
Escanaba
Jason Ladwig, M.D.
Kalamazoo
M.D.
Rafia Haque, M.D.
Allen Park
Marcel Elanjian, D.O.
Dearborn
M.D.
M.D.
Craig Kuesel, D.O.
Traverse City
Teri Hammer, D.O.
Belleville
Ross Driscoll, M.D.
Kalamazoo
D.O.
Patricia Kolowich,
Detroit
Manharial Tejura,
Monroe
Michael Rosen, M.D.
Livonia
George Murakawa,
Troy
Timothy Murphy,
Ludington
Henry Szelag, D.O.
Weidman
Martin Romero, M.D.
Williamston
Nagla Moustafa, M.D.
Plymouth
testified before the Wayne State Board of
Mushtaque Syed, M.D.
Troy
M.D.
, D.O.
Kathleen Rollinger
Clinton Township
Joel Moses, M.D.
Oak Park
M.D.
Robert Kolodziejczyk,
Grand Rapids
Mahmood Hai, M.D.
Westland
Tammy Drew, D.O.
Kalamazoo
Seth Bernard, D.O.
Flint
Karen Koby-Olson,
Gaylord
Cornelius Robens,
Traverse City
George Moser, M.D.
Clarkston
Ann Knapp, M.D.
Dorr
Khaled Hafez, M.D.
Ann Arbor
Lori Dotson, M.D.
South Haven
M.D.
Seth Bernard, D.O.
Flint
M.D.
Usha Kilaru, M.D.
Bloomfield Township
Ibrahim Syed, M.D.
Saline
Naheed Rizvi, M.D.
Midland
M.D.
Kemper, D.O., a Wayne State professor,
Andrew Sulich, M.D.
St. Clair Shores
Susan Ritter, M.D.
Marquette
Glynda Moorer, M.D.
East Lansing
Vijay Khanna, M.D.
Taylor
Lorette Haddad, M.D.
Livonia
Diane Donley, M.D.
Traverse City
Wayne Bedell, D.O.
Midland
Shabbir Khambati,
Milford
Luzette Habib, M.D.
Ann Arbor
Ryan Dodde II, M.D.
Holland
Lenise Banse, M.D.
Clinton Township
Kenneth Minks, Jr,
Grand Rapids
Terri Steppe, D.O.
Petersburg
Tom Rifai, M.D.
Birmingham
Jeffrey Miller, M.D.
Kalamazoo
M.D.
Physicians Committee member Sharon
Kim Soden, M.D.
Ann Arbor
Denise Rehfuss, M.D.
Lincoln Park
M.D.
on hundreds of dogs for the past 25 years.
M.D.
Malgorzata Sobilo,
Rochester Hills
M.D.
Adriana Raus, M.D.
Owosso
Manilal Mewada, M.D.
Burton
Rashid Khalil, M.D.
Novi
Nestor Guno, M.D.
Grayling
Marek Didluch, M.D.
Flint
Susan Bannon, M.D.
Kalamazoo
Kami Kefalonitis,
St. Clair Shores
M.D.
Christopher Gunnell,
Saint Ignace
M.D.
Rodney McFarland,
Bay City
Clara Kamath, M.D.
St. Clair Shores
M.D.
Teresa Griffith, M.D.
Alpena
D.O.
Carla Guggenheim,
Lansing
James Denier, M.D.
Clinton Township
M.D.
Marie Awad, D.O.
Shelby Township
Neesha Griffin-Berry,
Southfield
Michael Raphelson,
Kalamazoo
D.O.
M.D.
Percy McDonald,
Port Huron
Jacob Kalo, M.D.
Warren
Michael Gruber, M.D.
Bay City
Alan Dengiz, M.D.
Ann Arbor
Taher Ata, M.D.
Clarkston
Roberto Benejam,
Dearborn
M.D.
Ryan McConnell,
Charlevoix
M.D.
Gary Jones, M.D.
Dearborn
Rajinder Grewal, M.D.
Rochester Hills
Jr., D.O.
nes, M.D.
Olubukola Davies-Jo
St. Clair Shores
Nina Anderson, M.D.
Sterling Heights
M.D.
David Grekin, M.D.
Saint Joseph
Sudha Damidi, M.D.
Rochester Hills
Louise Aloe, M.D.
Livonia
William Athens, Jr.,
Brownstown
Michael Goldfarb,
Dearborn
George Czertko, M.D.
Warren
Benjamin Johnson,
Marshall
heart failure experiments it has performed
Frank Smith, M.D.
Ypsilanti
Ajay Raman, D.O.
Novi
Emily Mathias, M.D.
Grosse Pointe
M.D.
Mohammad Jafferany,
Saginaw
George Goffas, M.D.
St. Clair Shores
Richard Cross, M.D.
St. Clair Shores
Adelita Alcala, M.D.
N. Muskegon
Rochester Hills
Timothy Marsh, D.O.
West Branch
Randall Jacobs, M.D.
Warren
Mark Goetting, M.D.
Portage
John Crayne, M.D.
Lambertville
Hisham Ahmed, M.D.
Lapeer
Curtis Marder, M.D.
Marquette
James Jackson, D.O.
Muskegon Heights
Jennifer Glance, D.O.
St. Clair
Mark Cowan, M.D.
Marquette
to pressure Wayne State University to end the
M.D.
M.D.
Alvin Williams, M.D.
Detroit
laboratory.
Alicia Williams, D.O.
Kalamazoo
Gabriel Williams IV,
Grand Rapids
M.D.
, D.O.
William Workman
Kalamazoo
Daniel Yakimo, D.O.
Northville
M.D.
Mohammed Zahoor,
Farmington
Nicole Zaremba, M.D.
Dewitt
“I urge you to end these senseless experiments as soon
as possible.”
— Lily Tomlin, a Wayne State alumna, in her letter to
Wayne State president M. Roy Wilson, M.D.
Madonna was killed after being used in heart failure experiments at Wayne State University.
A study by Physicians Committee doctors provided further evidence debunking heart failure
experiments on animals: “Insights gleaned from decades of animal-based research efforts have
not been proportional to research success in terms of deciphering human heart failure and
developing effective therapeutics for human patients,” wrote Charukeshi Chandrasekera, Ph.D.,
and John Pippin, M.D., in the American Journal of Translational Research.
Musicians Moby and
Tony Kanal and actor
Kristin Bauer wear
Physicians Committee’s
#EndDogExperiments
T-shirts.
EndDogExperiments.org
Road
to Heart
Disease
Eating
at least 2.5
cups of fruits and
vegetables per day
can reduce the risk
of cardiovascular
disease.
Birth
Toddlers
23% of 2- to
5-year-olds are
overweight or
obese.
6 in 10 children
eat too much
saturated fat.
Babies born
to overweight
mothers have
thickened
aortas.
7 in 10
packaged toddler
meals have
excess sodium.
Elementary School
9 in 10 kids
eat excess
sodium.
Signs of
atherosclerosis and
hypertension can
appear at age 5.
1 in 3 kids
is overweight
or obese.
Teenagers
High-potassium
diets help teens
lower blood
pressure.
1 in 5 teens
has high
cholesterol.
Pizza is the
second leading
source of calories
in teens’ diets.
By ages 17-21,
half a million Am
ericans
are eligible for sta
tins.
Only 2 in 10
kids eat 5 daily
servings of fruits
and vegetables.
Plant-based
diets lower
the risk of heart
disease in obese
children.
Heart disease is the
leading cause
of death in the Un
ited States.
The causes and effects of heart disease are already well understood. This 2015 Physicians Committee infographic
traces the development of heart disease in early life.
CHANGING
CHANGING MEDICINE.
MEDICINE. SAVING
SAVING LIVES.
LIVES.
Their
experiments
take attention
away from the
real causes of
illness…
“With the exception of genetic factors and smoking, diet and exercise are the biggest
determinants of risk for cardiovascular disease, hypertension and cancer. Yet, people still
turn to medication and surgery as the first choice for treatment. I
support PCRM because it has been a leader in reversing this trend
by making vegan diets mainstream and educating people about
the health risks associated with eating animal products.”
—Gary K. Michelson, M.D., president of the Michelson
Medical Research Foundation
10 2015
2015 ANNUAL
ANNUAL REPORT
REPORT
PHYSICIANS
PHYSICIANSCOMMITTEE
COMMITTEEFOR
FORRESPONSIBLE
RESPONSIBLEMEDICINE
MEDICINE
#CholesterolKills billboards urged the House Agriculture Committee to keep the Dietary Guidelines free of industry influence.
Killer Cholesterol
When the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee announced in February 2015 that “cholesterol
is not a nutrient of concern for overconsumption,” the Physicians Committee said, “no so fast,”
and began working to keep cholesterol warnings in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Decades of science have conclusively linked dietary cholesterol to cardiovascular disease, which
kills nearly 2,200 Americans daily.
In March, Physicians Committee president Neal Barnard, M.D., presented oral testimony at the
National Institutes of Health, stating that “for all its good work, the Committee made a scientific
error on cholesterol and to carry this glaring mistake into the Guidelines is not scientifically
defensible.”
Following the nearly year-long campaign including petitions, oral testimony, billboards, and
threat of legal action by the Physicians Committee, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
released in early January 2016 retained—and strengthened—recommendations for Americans
to limit cholesterol consumption—a major rebuff for the purveyors of high-cholesterol food
products. A Physicians Committee lawsuit is still demanding an investigation into food industry
financial pressures that nearly toppled cholesterol warnings.
CholesterolKills.org
“The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which advocates
a vegan diet, announced that they were filing a lawsuit against the
government over its decision to drop the 300-milligram cholesterol limit
from the guidelines. The group said that members of the dietary guidelines advisory
committee had close ties to the egg industry and that they had relied too heavily on
industry-funded studies.”
—New Dietary Guidelines Urge Less Sugar for All and Less Protein for Boys and Men, Jan. 7, 2016.
The Western Diet
China and India—countries with traditional plant-based diets—have been inundated with
burgers, pizza, and fried chicken. The result: obesity, heart disease, and diabetes epidemics.
In 2015, Physicians Committee experts toured both countries to promote plant-based disease
prevention.
Chengdu #37 Middle School
Kickstart China program specialist Jia Xu,
Ph.D., visited 28 cities in China, where he
spoke to nearly 9,000 people and handed
out Vegetarian Starter Kits in Mandarin at
hospitals, hotels, yoga studios, festivals,
corporations, restaurants, and schools.
Mandarin Vegetarian Starter Kit
Zeeshan Ali, Ph.D.
Zeeshan Ali, Ph.D., Kickstart India
program specialist, went to India
where he gave presentations in Bhopal,
Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad,
and Bangalore. At his presentations, he
distributed literature in Hindi on health
concerns about dairy products, diet
Building a Healthy India booklet, tour
poster, and Ingredient Substitution Chart
in Hindi
and diabetes, and the protein myth.
PCRM.org/India and PCRM.org/China
Hazardous Hospital Foods
Five hospitals featured in the Physicians Committee’s 2015 report “Hazardous Hospital Foods:
How Fast Food Jeopardizes Public Health” ended contracts with McDonald’s. Another will
terminate its contract this spring.
The Cleveland Clinic, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Texas, and
Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Fla., all ended contracts with the fast-food chain.
Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Minn., will end its lease this May.
PCRM.org/Hospital
“Seeing this in a children’s hospital—that’s the most
vulnerable population. Fast food is not going to help
children get better.”
—Physicians Committee dietitian Cameron Wells, M.P.H., R.D.,
in “Do Your State’s Hospitals Serve Big Macs?” April 6, 2015
The Physicians
Committee is
moving research
away from
animal “models”
to a new focus on
human biology,
nutrition, and
health…
Transforming Nutrition Research
Many common health problems have their roots in diets based on meat and dairy products.
There is an urgent need to shift diets away from animal products and toward plant-based
choices. Research studies are a powerful tool. In 2015, the Physicians Committee began working
on a series of research studies that will be promoted to the press and to policymakers, leading to
the transformation of national nutrition policies and a major shift in the public’s eating habits in
favor of plant-based diets.
CHANGING MEDICINE.
MEDICINE. SAVING
SAVING LIVES.
LIVES.
CHANGING
Publishing Plant-Based Studies
Physicians Committee clinical research
published in leading medical journals in
2015 showed the wide-ranging health
benefits of a plant-based diet.
A meta-analysis published in the
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition
and Dietetics found that a vegetarian
diet causes weight loss—even in the
absence of exercise or calorie counting.
Research published in the American
Journal of Health Promotion found that
a low-fat, vegan dietary intervention in
the workplace improves productivity
and alleviates symptoms of anxiety
and depression. A low-fat vegan diet
may also reduce pain associated with
diabetic neuropathy, according to a
study published in Nutrition & Diabetes.
Ellen DeGeneres thought the weight-loss study was so important she shared it with her 50
million Twitter followers.
That same week, she celebrated her birthday by encouraging her fans to support the Physicians
Committee. A few days later, Drew Brees appeared on Ellen’s program with a $50,000 gift from
the Brees Dream Foundation to the Physicians Committee
Ellen DeGeneres
Drew Brees
Accelerating Alcohol and Antibodies Research
Alcohol
Physicians Committee experts continued to promote human-based alcohol disorder research
last year.
“Rather than continuing to funnel limited research funding into animal-related studies with
limited translational capacity,
NIAAA (National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
and other funding bodies
should invest in research aimed
Charukeshi
Chandrasekera,
Ph.D., Physicians
Committee
director of
laboratory
science
at discovering methods for
educating women about the
effects of fetal alcohol exposure,
developing new diagnostic and
treatment paradigms, enhancing
family support networks,
and developing methods for
widespread implementation
of these measures,” wrote a
Physicians Committee expert in
a commentary published in the
Journal Alcohol and Alcoholism.
The American Public Health
Association passed a resolution
urging the National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to
allocate more funding for humanbased studies.
Antibodies
Antibody production is a massive
industry, since antibodies serve as
fundamental tools in biomedical research. The vast majority of research antibodies are produced
by live animals using procedures that are extremely painful and ultimately lethal. Physicians
Committee scientists are working to prove that antibodies made without harming animals are
as good as or better than those made in animals. Our goal is to demonstrate the viability of fully
in vitro antibodies, promote their acceptance by researchers, and force a change in the funding
requirements of the National Institutes of Health.
CHANGING MEDICINE.
MEDICINE. SAVING
SAVING LIVES.
LIVES.
CHANGING
Our work is changing
Physicians Committee president Neal D.
Barnard, M.D., and Kim Williams, M.D., at
the International Conference on Nutrition in
Medicine: Cardiovascular Disease
“It’s not just about medication.
What we are really talking about
it trying to change the way that
people eat.”
—Kim Williams, M.D., president of the
American College of Cardiology
medical practice.
Healing Hearts
Nearly 500 health care professionals learned how to help their patients prevent and reverse
heart disease with a plant-based diet at the Physicians Committee’s International Conference
on Nutrition in Medicine: Cardiovascular Disease on July 31 and Aug. 1. The conference, which
was accredited by the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences,
featured an international panel of 21 cardiovascular disease researchers including Kim Williams,
M.D., president of the American College of Cardiology, who began
following a vegan diet in 2003 to improve his own heart health.
Each attendee received new Dietary Guidelines for Atherosclerosis
Treatment and Prevention, developed by the Physicians
Committee, giving them a tool to help their patients combat the
early signs and advanced stages of cardiovascular disease, the
Baxter Montgomery, M.D., and
Theresa Stone, M.D., at Physicians
Committee Leadership Summit
leading cause of death worldwide.
PCRM.org/Conference
We are
working on
Capitol Hill.
Physicians Committee member Janell Lundgren, M.D., Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Physicians Committee
president Neal Barnard, M.D., and regulatory testing policy specialist Aryenish Birdie
Sen. Udall addresses attendees about the
importance of the Lautenberg Act’s passage
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), a Lautenberg Act
co-sponsor, and Dr. Barnard
Championing New Chemical Testing Methods
Since 2005, the Physicians Committee has worked with the federal government and industry to
include reforms that would reduce animal testing in the 40-year-old Toxic Substances Control
Act of 1976. In 2015, the Senate passed the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st
Century Act, a bill introduced by Sen. Tom
Udall (D-N.M.). The bill contains language
requiring chemical companies and the
Environmental Protection Agency to replace
and reduce animal tests and increase the use
of human-relevant methods.
Purging Processed Meats
From Congress to schools to ballparks, the Physicians Committee continued to warn the country
about cancer-causing hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats.
In April, a
billboard warned
fans of the
IronPigs—an
Allentown, Pa.,
minor league
baseball team
with processed-meat mascots including Chris P. Bacon—about bacon’s risks. The viral campaign
was covered by more than two dozen news outlets, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, MSN,
and Sports Illustrated.
“If there is one thing that is certain in science, it’s that hot
dogs are bad for you.”
—Physicians Committee president Neal Barnard, M.D., in “On the Hill,
Annual Hot Dog Day Faces Another Challenger,” July 22, 2015
To counter the North American Meat
Institute’s annual July hot dog
lunch for members of Congress,
the Physicians Committee
hosted the Congressional
Veggie Burger Smackdown.
Members of Congress,
staffers, and the media voted
for their favorite veggie burger
inspired by four vegetarian members of
Congress: Arizona Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, Florida
Rep. Ted Deutch, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and New
Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. The New Jersey Burger, topped
with a Slow-Cooked Tomato Chutney, prevailed with 36
percent of the vote.
When a World Health Organization report declared in October that processed meats are
“carcinogenic to humans,” the Physicians Committee filed a legal petition urging the U.S.
Department of Agriculture to stop distributing carcinogenic hot dogs and other processed
meats to children through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.
“As you enjoy these veggie burgers,
think about how much better
this meal is going to be for you as
compared to the kinds of things that
are too much a part of the American
diet in large part because of decisions,
unfortunately, made [in Congress].”
Rep. Ted Deutch votes for the Florida-inspired
veggie burger.
A packed room enjoys all four burgers, but has to pick a favorite.
—Florida Rep. Ted Deutch at the Congressional
Veggie Burger Smackdown
DropTheDog.org
Neal Barnard, M.D., Ellen Kassoff Gray, Rep. Kyrsten Sinema,
chef Todd Gray, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and Rep. Steve Cohen
We are giving
millions of
people …
… new tools
Schooling Scientists
Physicians Committee scientists strengthened relationships with industry and government
scientists from across the globe in 2015, furthering acceptance of nonanimal chemical test
methods.
Representatives from the Dow Chemical Company and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency were among the 60 experts who participated in a workshop at the National Institutes
of Health co-organized by the Physicians Committee to discuss in vitro alternatives to LD50
tests—which expose animals to chemicals through the skin, by mouth, or by inhalation. Species
differences often make results irrelevant to humans.
The Physicians Committee has already persuaded the UK to lead an ongoing project at the
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which sets chemical testing
guidelines worldwide, to remove the LD50 skin test.
TailOfToxics.org
Modernizing Medical Education
“Speaking for myself and for all medical students who
have expressed to me the same
unsettling feelings, I would urge Johns
Hopkins leadership to close the book
Dr. Bruno, second from right
on its live animal lab.”
—Richard Bruno, M.D., M.P.H., who works at Johns Hopkins
University Bloomberg School of Public Health
On Jan. 1, 2015, the U.S. Department of Defense transitioned from live animal use to simulators
in several medical training programs, a decision the Physicians Committee spent years
championing.
Building on that success, a Physicians Committee simulator demonstration for members of
Congress supported passage of the Battlefield Excellence through Superior Training (BEST)
Practices Act, which would eliminate the U.S. military’s use of all animals, including more than
8,500 goats and pigs, to teach military medics.
Simulator demonstration for Congress: Laerdal’s SimMan
Strategic Operation’s Cut Suit
Gaumard’s Hal S3201
The Physicians Committee also successfully
persuaded the University of Mississippi School of
Medicine, Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, the
University of Texas Medical Branch, Rush Medical
College, and the University of Utah to stop using
animals in 2015.
This year, the Physicians Committee will continue
to work with Dr. Bruno and other physicians
who want to end the use of animals in medical
training programs, including the last two U.S.
medical schools—Johns Hopkins University and
the University of Tennessee Health Science Center
College of Medicine in Chattanooga.
… new hope
Alleviating Alzheimer’s Disease
A commentary in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease by Physicians Committee scientists called
for research efforts to shift from animal experiments to human-based methods, such as human
cells, computational models, and clinical studies.
“Animal models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have been extensively utilized for decades…
However, research success has not effectively translated into therapeutic success for human
patients,” wrote Francesca
Pistollato, Ph.D. “Our analysis
indicates that a paradigm shift
toward human-based, rather
than animal-based research is
required in the face of the everincreasing prevalence of AD in
the 21st century.”
Plant-based diets also play
a crucial role in fighting
Alzheimer’s. In a public service
announcement, actor Alec
Baldwin, a longtime Physicians
Committee supporter, told
viewers, “Vegetables, fruits,
whole grains, and beans can help
keep your
brain strong
and memory
sharp. Let’s
eat right
to fight
Alzheimer’s.”
Alec Baldwin
PCRM.org/Alzheimers
PHYS
Physicians Committee’s Caroline Trapp (second from right) at the Navajo Nation Research Conference
Fighting Diabetes
The Physicians Committee’s director of diabetes education and care Caroline Trapp, D.N.P.,
A.N.P.-BC, C.D.E., F.A.A.N.P., continued to work with the Navajo Nation to help its citizens fight
diabetes with a plant-based diet.
At the Navajo Nation Research Conference, Dr. Trapp joined nutritionists who presented the
Diné (Navajo) Power Plate, based on the Physicians Committee’s Power Plate, and featuring
images of fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans common in the Navajo Nation.
The Navajo Nation’s leaders also proclaimed: “Now, therefore, be it resolved, the month of
November 2015 is hereby proclaimed as Navajo Nation Diabetes Awareness and Prevention
Month…to encourage all citizens of the Navajo Nation to commit to…eating more plant-based
meals such as vegetables and fruits...”
Dr. Trapp is now expanding her work to promote better health in Native American communities.
Educators from the Navajo Nation, seven pueblos in New Mexico, and the Gallup Indian Medical
Center have also participated in an introductory workshop and a series of six conference calls to
gain a basic understanding of the science of plant-based nutrition for diabetes prevention.
ThePowerPlate.org
CHANGING
CHANGING MEDICINE.
MEDICINE. SAVING
SAVING LIVES.
LIVES.
… new lives
Students at Walker Jones Education Campus participated in a plantbased lunch pilot program.
Powered-Up Pasta with Chickpeas
“A handful of American food and
agriculture companies are receiving hundreds of millions of dollars
by selling processed meats that are ending up in school lunchrooms
and contributing to the childhood obesity epidemic.”
—The Guardian covers the Physicians Committee’s school lunch report in “Watchdog
Group Calls for Less Processed Meats in School Cafeterias,” Aug. 31, 2015
… new futures
Improving School Lunches
Physicians Committee nutrition experts partnered with D.C. Central Kitchen for a plantbased lunch pilot program with more than 400 students at Walker Jones Education Campus in
Washington, D.C. With the school’s support, they tracked how students responded to having
vegan options added to the cafeteria’s daily menu.
The offerings—including Powered-Up Pasta, VegOut Chili, Southwest Energy Burgers, and Barbecue
Tofu Bites—were a hit with students. For many
students, this was the first time they tried foods rich
in vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, and
heart-healthy plant protein.
D.C. Central Kitchen (DCCK) at Walker Jones also
won the grand prize in the Physicians Committee’s
2015 Golden Carrot Award for improving school
lunches. The other winners were the Village School
in Eugene, Ore., Atlanta Public Schools, Odyssey
Charter Schools in Orlando, Fla., and the Santa
Barbara Unified School District in California.
GoldenCarrotAward.org
5
1
20den
Gol
s
d
r
a
w
A
t
o
r
r
Ca
Leadership
Board of Directors
Neal D. Barnard, M.D., President
Russell Bunai, M.D., Treasurer and Secretary
Mindy Kursban, Esq., Chairperson
Mark Sklar, M.D., Director
Barbara Wasserman, M.D., Director
Scientific Advisory Board
Ron R. Allison, M.D., 21st Century Oncology
Ted Barnett, M.D., Rochester Lifestyle Medicine, PLLC; Borg & Ide Imaging, P.C.
T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., Cornell University
Neil Cooper, M.D., M.H.A., M.Sc., Kaiser Permanente
Brenda Davis, R.D.
Garth Davis, M.D., The Davis Clinic
Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., M.D., The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute
Joanne Evans, A.P.R.N., Healthy Nurses…Healthy Communities, LLC
Joel Fuhrman, M.D., Nutritional Research Foundation
Roberta Gray, M.D., Pediatric Nephrology Consultant
Daran Haber, M.D., Riverview Medical Center
Henry Heimlich, M.D., The Heimlich Institute
David J.A. Jenkins, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto
Lawrence H. Kushi, Sc.D., Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente
John McDougall, M.D., Dr. McDougall’s Health & Medical Center
Jeffrey I. Mechanick, M.D., Mount Sinai Hospital
Baxter Montgomery, M.D., Montgomery Heart and Wellness
Carl Myers, M.D., Switch Healthcare
Ana Negrón, M.D.
Robert Ostfeld, M.D., M.Sc., F.A.C.C., Montefiore Medical Center
Affiliations are listed for identification only.
2015 Consolidated Fiscal Year Report
Expenses
Program Services 72.49%
Research Advocacy, Clinical Research, Nutrition
Education, Legal Advocacy, Publications,
Education and Policy, Communications
Operations 9.48%
Membership Development/Fundraising
18.03%
Program Services
Research Advocacy................... .$ 3,325,881
Clinical Research....................... .$ 144,420
Nutrition Education.................. .$ 1,874,666
Legal Advocacy......................... .$ 229,355
Publications............................... .$ 641,798
Education and Policy................. .$ 560,658
Communications....................... .$ 963,624
Total Program Services...................................$ 7,740,402
Operations .......................................................$ 1,012,165
Membership Development/Fundraising.......$ 1,925,097
Total Expenses.................................................$ 10,677,664
Support and Revenue
Contributions and Donations 67.61%
Legacies and Bequests 24.63%
Grants 3.07%
Other Revenue 4.69%
Investment Income, Merchandise Sales,
Services, Rental and Other Income
Contributions and Donations.........................$ 8,565,383
Legacies and Bequests....................................$ 3,120,314
Grants...............................................................$ 389,380
Other Revenue.................................................$ 593,673
Total Support and Revenue............................$ 12,668,750
Net Assets, End of Year: $ 15,976,835
To support the Physicians Committee’s lifesaving work,
visit PhysiciansCommittee.org/Donate
or call us at 202-527-7304.
5100 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 400 • Washington, DC 20016
PhysiciansCommittee.org • 202-686-2210
15296-DEV • 20160303

changing medicine. saving lives. advancing human health and

Transcription

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