Due to inadequate disclosure policies, drug company payments to European researchers and institutions for R&D work are often opaque, raising concerns about conflicts of interest and industry justifications for high medicine prices, according to a new study.
In 32 of 37 countries that were examined, R&D payments were reported as lump sums but did not name any specific recipients. And in 22 of those 32 countries, disclosure policies are regulated by the pharmaceutical industry, not governments. Meanwhile, only five countries have any regulations that require drug companies to publicly report at least some R&D payments.