From: "Aaron Friedman" <msdean@umn.

edu>
Subject: Important update on recent media coverage
Date: November 19, 2013 10:44:35 AM CST
Dear Medical School community,
Over the weekend, our local Fox affiliate ran a story taking yet another look at the case of Dan
Markingson, a young man who participated in a clinical drug trial in 2003-2004 before
committing suicide in May of 2004.
The story covered no new ground, and unfortunately the piece was full of inaccuracies and
unsubstantiated claims. The University provided numerous documents to Fox outlining the facts
of the case. These facts were ignored in the Fox report.
As weve reiterated in the past, Mr. Markingsons case has been investigated many times,
including reviews and assessments by:

The Food and Drug Administration

Hennepin County District Court
The Board of Medical Practice
The University and its General Counsels Office

None of these reports found a link between the clinical drug trial and Dan Markingsons
unfortunate death. None found fault with the University or our faculty. In recent years there have
been calls to conduct additional investigations. The matter has been thoroughly investigated. Ten
years later, it is time for closure, and time to move forward.
There are many regulatory processes in place at the University to ensure compliance with federal
and state laws, to protect patient safety and ensure proper patient care. Beyond that, the
University of Minnesota has a deep commitment to conducting high quality, ethical research.
In the area of psychiatric research, Dr. Stephen Olson and Dr. Charles Schultz are two of the
nations leading experts, looking for new ways to help patients facing severe schizophrenia. This
is a difficult illness and it has a high mortality rate, but our researchers are committed to finding
new treatments that will save lives.
I remain proud of the work that we do to tackle some of the most difficult health issues and
questions of our time. Thank you for your continued pursuit of discovery on behalf of the
patients and families we serve.
Sincerely,
Aaron Friedman, M.D.
Dean of the Medical School