University of Minnesota responds to Grassley probe (Medtronic payments)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The University of Minnesota says a surgeon who was paid more than $1 million in consulting fees by medical device maker Medtronic properly disclosed any possible conflicts of interest on his research projects.

The university responded Wednesday to a list of questions from Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, a longtime critic of corporate influence in medicine.

Grassley's letter to the university in June criticized Dr. David Polly for failing to disclose to Congress that he was working for the medical device maker in 2006 while at the same time requesting funding to research the company's treatment for soldiers wounded in combat.

The letter also said Medtronic paid Polly more than $1 million in consulting fees between 2003 and 2007.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.