To uncover how medical research really works, I’m building a database which I’m calling the “Map of Distortion.” The database links together publicly available data on which people, institutions and companies are receiving money from pharmaceutical companies and their proxies.
Sounds like a wonderful project, so needed. Many of us intuitively know that pharmaceutical money has flooded the system in governments, University grants, biomedical studies, medical personnel, medical journals, mass media, etc. Helping to make individual people accountable for being directly or indirectly within the pharmaceutical pipeline is a good way to shine a light possibly have an impact.
This sounds exactly like the governance style of The McKinsey Group - hiding behind blind trusts , screens, and NDAs . Hidden hands everywhere ; Canada is run by this governance style from my perspective and enjoyed by the united front tentacles as well.
Lack of transparency at NICE? Surely not?Plus ça change ! Back in 2023 I sent this email to NICE :
Sent: Tuesday, August 8, 2023 11:06 PM
To: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) <nice@nice.org.uk>
Subject: Review of semaglutide DOIs
Dear Sir or Madam,
Earlier this year (18/3/2023) the Observer published an article entitled “Skinny jab’ drug firm facing fresh inquiries after ‘serious breaches’ of industry code”
In it, NICE was said to be assessing evidence that suggests some of those who provided it with expert submissions regarding semaglutide [Wegovy]did not follow its “robust policy” on declaring interests. A spokesperson for NICE was quoted as saying “Following concerns raised by the Observer, we are reviewing the declarations of interests from organisations and experts who provided advice to our committee that undertook the appraisal of semaglutide [Wegovy],”
Please could you tell me :
1. Has this review been concluded, and….
a. if it has, please could you tell me what its findings were or where I can find them ? Or, if it has not…,
b. when it will be concluded and where and when the results will be published ?
Yours sincerely,
Dr Alan Black
This was their response :
Dear Dr Black
Thank you for contacting NICE regarding our appraisal of semaglutide.
Our independent technology appraisal committee developed the recommendations for semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity after rigorously reviewing the evidence provided by the stakeholders.
Following the issues raised in the media, we conducted an internal investigation in relation to payments made by the manufacturer of semaglutide, Novo Nordisk (NN), to healthcare professionals, academics, clinicians, and health organisations involved in providing evidence to our committee.
The investigation found that there were breaches of our policy on declaring and managing interests as noted below. However, we are confident that the findings do not impact on the recommendations in the guidance, as the breaches did not involve the individuals on the committee who developed NICE’s recommendations.
As part of the investigation we identified opportunities to further strengthen the process for ensuring NICE is aware of the interests of organisations and individuals making written and oral submissions to the committees, which were incorporated into our guidance development process.
The findings of our investigation are:
Prof John Wilding did not breach the policy.
The Royal College of Physicians did not declare funds from Novo Nordisk received in 2020 and 2021 as required by the policy.
There was a potential discrepancy between the funding from Novo Nordisk declared by Association for the Study of Obesity and the figures on the Disclosure UK website
The British Dietetic Association and The UK Obesity Organisation did not submit declarations of interests, however no funding has been found so these would have been nil returns.
The failures to declare all interests did not have a material effect on the outcome on the guidance NICE produced. The breaches did not involve the individuals who developed NICE’s recommendations.
I hope this information is helpful.
Kind regards
Janet
Communications Executive
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
Level 1A | City Tower | Piccadilly Plaza | Manchester M1 4BD | United Kingdom
Phil, it looks like you're based in the Bay area of the USA, but you are doing this deep research on the British healthcare system--which is fantastic, but I'm wondering, are you, or will you do the same for the American healthcare system, which undoubtedly is rife with similar conflicts of interest? My other question is, what do you plan to do with your findings that (hopefully) will have an impact on these systems, not just confirm the fears and frustrations of every day people whose lives are in the hands of these healthcare systems and the corporate and personal interests that infest them?
Follow the money! It is almost always more accurate than "following the science"!
Sounds like a wonderful project, so needed. Many of us intuitively know that pharmaceutical money has flooded the system in governments, University grants, biomedical studies, medical personnel, medical journals, mass media, etc. Helping to make individual people accountable for being directly or indirectly within the pharmaceutical pipeline is a good way to shine a light possibly have an impact.
Publish the names with their links to pharma money. It's ultimately public data that you have done a great job of making transparent.
I think I'll get there with it. There's a lot more that I've found… a lot
This sounds exactly like the governance style of The McKinsey Group - hiding behind blind trusts , screens, and NDAs . Hidden hands everywhere ; Canada is run by this governance style from my perspective and enjoyed by the united front tentacles as well.
Shocking (we wish)
Lack of transparency at NICE? Surely not?Plus ça change ! Back in 2023 I sent this email to NICE :
Sent: Tuesday, August 8, 2023 11:06 PM
To: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) <nice@nice.org.uk>
Subject: Review of semaglutide DOIs
Dear Sir or Madam,
Earlier this year (18/3/2023) the Observer published an article entitled “Skinny jab’ drug firm facing fresh inquiries after ‘serious breaches’ of industry code”
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/mar/18/skinny-jab-drug-firm-facing-fresh-inquiries-after-breach-of-industry-code
In it, NICE was said to be assessing evidence that suggests some of those who provided it with expert submissions regarding semaglutide [Wegovy]did not follow its “robust policy” on declaring interests. A spokesperson for NICE was quoted as saying “Following concerns raised by the Observer, we are reviewing the declarations of interests from organisations and experts who provided advice to our committee that undertook the appraisal of semaglutide [Wegovy],”
Please could you tell me :
1. Has this review been concluded, and….
a. if it has, please could you tell me what its findings were or where I can find them ? Or, if it has not…,
b. when it will be concluded and where and when the results will be published ?
Yours sincerely,
Dr Alan Black
This was their response :
Dear Dr Black
Thank you for contacting NICE regarding our appraisal of semaglutide.
Our independent technology appraisal committee developed the recommendations for semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity after rigorously reviewing the evidence provided by the stakeholders.
Following the issues raised in the media, we conducted an internal investigation in relation to payments made by the manufacturer of semaglutide, Novo Nordisk (NN), to healthcare professionals, academics, clinicians, and health organisations involved in providing evidence to our committee.
The investigation found that there were breaches of our policy on declaring and managing interests as noted below. However, we are confident that the findings do not impact on the recommendations in the guidance, as the breaches did not involve the individuals on the committee who developed NICE’s recommendations.
As part of the investigation we identified opportunities to further strengthen the process for ensuring NICE is aware of the interests of organisations and individuals making written and oral submissions to the committees, which were incorporated into our guidance development process.
The findings of our investigation are:
Prof John Wilding did not breach the policy.
The Royal College of Physicians did not declare funds from Novo Nordisk received in 2020 and 2021 as required by the policy.
There was a potential discrepancy between the funding from Novo Nordisk declared by Association for the Study of Obesity and the figures on the Disclosure UK website
The British Dietetic Association and The UK Obesity Organisation did not submit declarations of interests, however no funding has been found so these would have been nil returns.
The failures to declare all interests did not have a material effect on the outcome on the guidance NICE produced. The breaches did not involve the individuals who developed NICE’s recommendations.
I hope this information is helpful.
Kind regards
Janet
Communications Executive
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
Level 1A | City Tower | Piccadilly Plaza | Manchester M1 4BD | United Kingdom
Tel: 0300 323 0141 | Fax: 0300 323 0149
Web: http://nice.org.uk image001.jpg Follow us @NICECOMMs
Phil, it looks like you're based in the Bay area of the USA, but you are doing this deep research on the British healthcare system--which is fantastic, but I'm wondering, are you, or will you do the same for the American healthcare system, which undoubtedly is rife with similar conflicts of interest? My other question is, what do you plan to do with your findings that (hopefully) will have an impact on these systems, not just confirm the fears and frustrations of every day people whose lives are in the hands of these healthcare systems and the corporate and personal interests that infest them?
I’m actually British, but my audience is 2/3rds American.
So, I’ve been building things for a long while, unsure at first how ‘the build’ fits into all this work, but it’s much clearer to me now.