Note to Readers/Aviso a Nuestros Lectores en Español

As our translator leaves on indefinite sabbatical, we have temporarily suspended the Spanish translation of TAGline. We apologize to our hispanohablante readership and hope soon to return to a reliable, real-time bilingual service. The silver lining to this otherwise unfortunate turn of events is that it has freed up our middle column for a new follow-on feature which ties into last month's detailed look at Big Pharma's growing stranglehold on the research and care of HIV/AIDS.

This new column will feature each month a short bio of one power-wielding KOL (Key Opinion Leader) and what are oftentimes distressing overlaps between the medicine and monetary sides of his or her research and treatment activities. After the proposed title for this column, "Shill Factor," scored poorly among focus groups, we chose the more ambiguous "Double Duty": caring physician/researcher by day; ravenous pharma whore by night. The winner of our inaugural profile was virtually unanimous (although the competition was naturally quite keen). The man who along with Miami's Peggy Fischl, got this whole game going. Coming next month.