By DAVID ARMSTRONG and KEITH WINSTEIN
Federal investigators have subpoenaed financial records related to Scott S. Reuben, a Massachusetts doctor accused of faking data used in at least 21 anesthesiology studies, according to the hospital where he worked until recently.
The Baystate Medical Center, where Dr. Reuben was the head of the acute-pain unit, said it received a subpoena from the Boston U.S. attorney’s office for financial records related to the anesthesiologist’s work. A spokeswoman said the Springfield, Mass., medical center isn’t a target of the investigation. The hospital is "fully cooperating," the spokeswoman said.
Dr. Reuben’s privileges and staff position at the hospital were terminated March 19. The hospital said Dr. Reuben had been on a medical leave since May 2008. He had also been a professor at Tufts University medical school. A call to his attorney wasn’t immediately returned. Dr. Reuben hasn’t been charged with anything.
In an interview last month, attorney Ingrid Martin said Dr. Reuben "deeply regrets that this happened" and cited unspecified "extenuating circumstances."
A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment.
Last month, Baystate alleged that Dr. Reuben fabricated 21 medical studies that show benefits from painkillers like Vioxx and Celebrex.
Some of his research was funded by Pfizer Inc., Wyeth and Merck & Co., according to officials at each of these companies.
In a statement, Merck said it "was not aware of any issues with Dr. Reuben’s papers, or the data underlying them, until very recently." Pfizer said its support for Dr. Reuben’s research was based on the fact "he worked for a credible academic medical center and appeared to be a reputable investigator. " Wyeth said it provided $10,000 in grant money to Dr. Reuben from 2001 to 2003.
Write to David Armstrong at david.armstrong@wsj.com and Keith Winstein at keith.winstein@wsj.com
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