Harvard Psychiatric Expert Wants His Testimony Sealed

“Lawyers for Dr. Joseph Biederman, a leading Harvard child psychiatrist, are asking a judge to seal his testimony and accompanying documents in a huge multistate lawsuit, saying they ‘could be immensely damaging to him, both personally and professionally.’”

Apparently Dr. Biederman has been influential in advancing the “off-label” use of anti-psychotic medications in both adults and children.  There have been filed approximately 2,000 cases against a number of drug manufacturers for alleged injuries from the drugs.  This reminds me of a number of doctors caught up in the “off-label” use of Fen-Phen for weight loss in which a number of doctors promoted Fen-Phen and found their medical careers suffer when Pondimin was pulled from the market and the deluge of lawsuits began.  Dr. Biederman is apparently trying to salvage his medical reputation from any further tarnishing.  He did not do himself any favors in that respect, however, based on his deposition testimony in which, at one point, he was asked about his rank at Harvard Medical School:

“Full professor,” Biederman replied.

“What’s after that?” the attorney asked.

“God,” Biederman responded.

“Did you say ‘God’?”

“Yeah,” Biederman said.

Dr. Biederman thinks he’s only second to God because he’s a full professor at Harvard.  Well, he does not need to worry about his reputation.

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