Reply to "Apparent Commericial Bias in Supplement"

Letter to the Editor

Sir: As chair of the supplement "Translating the Psychopharmacologyof Antipsychotics to Individualized Treatment forSevere Mental Illness: A Roadmap," I would like to personallyrespond to the concerns put forth in Dr. Carlat’s letter regardingthe scientific integrity of this publication.

His letter contends that the selection of items in the surveywas "influenced by the fact that Bristol-Myers Squibb sponsoredthe production of the article." He disputes our statement of ourcriteria for item selection. Dr. Carlat’s contention is that wechose specific questions that were likely to show the relative advantagesof aripiprazole compared with other medication options.