Pharmaceutical company payments to authors of the Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Hepatitis C treatment. (23rd December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kida, Futa; Murayama, Anju; Saito, Hiroaki; Ozaki, Akihiko; Shimada, Yuki; Tanimoto, Tetsuya
• Is Part Of: Liver international. Volume 41:Number 3(2021)
• Page Start: 464
• Page End: 469
• Publication Date: 2020-12-23
• Subjects: conflict of interest -- DAA -- direct‐acting antiviral -- FCOI -- Hepatitis C -- Japan; Liver -- Periodicals; Liver -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 616.362
• DOI: 10.1111/liv.14761
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1478-3223

Abstract

Abstract: Background & Aims: Promotional activities of pharmaceutical companies (Pharma) relating to newly marketed direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs) may have targeted the authors of the Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) for Hepatitis C. This study aimed to assess payments made by Pharma to the CPG authors and the financial conflicts of interest (FCOIs) reported by those authors. Methods: We analyzed payments reported by Pharma to the CPG authors as well as the COI as published by the JSH, using publicly available data for 2016 and 2017. Results: A total of 35 of 78 Pharma‐reported payments of $613, 973 in 2016, while 40 of 73 Pharma declared payments of $524, 674 in 2017, with six companies failing to report. Payments by Pharma manufacturing DAAs accounted for 53.7% of the total (55.7% and 51.6% in 2016 and 2017 respectively). All 17 authors received payments from Pharma which totalled $1, 138, 647. The mean and median payments per author were $66, 979 (standard deviation (SD): $64, 875) and $46, 033 (interquartile range [IQR]: $29, 796 ‐ $34, 428) for 2016 and 2017 combined. Conclusions: Financial relationship between Pharma and the Hepatitis C CPG authors, which was unclear owing to the guideline regulation, was clarified. The authors had the strongest ties to the Pharma which manufactures DAAs in 2016 and 2017.