A new survey on pharmaceutical funding

of patient organisations shows

the need for better policies and policing

A new survey on pharmaceutical funding

of patient organisations shows

the need for better policies and policing

Survey on pharmaceutical funding of patient organsiations shows the need for better
policies and policing

Released on = March 9, 2005, 7:44 am

Press Release Author = Health and Social Campaigners' Network International /
PatientView

Industry = Healthcare

Press Release Summary = Survey of annual reports of patient organisations reveal escaltion in pharma donations, mostly for market-driven reasons.

Press Release Body = The latest monthly briefing of HSCNews International analysed the annual reports of 125 health campaigners worldwide. Combined revenues were over US$ 8 billion. Findings included:

► The extent of pharmaceutical giving in fiscal 2003-2004 escalated to reflect increased competition for funds among health charities. Competition for funds among health-based charities rose, triggered by a growth in their own numbers, a slowdown in the US economy, and a reduction in government grants. Of the 125 annual reports studied, nearly 60% stated that they had obtained funding from pharma. The American Heart Association, with record revenues of US$ 653 million in 2004, reported 37 pharmaceutical company donors (eight of which belonged to a roundtable that provided US$ 1.4 million in the same fiscal year).

► Pharma donations to health charities are mostly market-driven. The survey looked at the top 12 pharma donors to health-based charities (Pfizer; GSK;
AstraZeneca; Johnson & Johnson; Merck; Novartis; Aventis; Roche; Eli Lilly; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Wyeth; and Abbott), plus the types of health-based charities
to which these companies gave their money. In almost 100% of cases, pharmaceutical companies sought associations with patient organisations that specialise in the therapeutic areas in which the drug companies research, develop or market products.
[See table at end of press release.]

► High-profile health charities get much of the available money. The top ten health-based charities (as ranked by revenue) that accept money from pharmaceutical companies include the American Cancer Society; the American Heart Association; the
American Diabetes Association; Marie Curie Cancer Care [UK]; Help the Aged [UK]; the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada; the Arthritis Foundation [US]; the Canadian Cancer Society; Rethink [UK]; and the Canadian Diabetes Association. ► Only four out of the 125 annual reports of health charities contained data about the scale and amounts of money provided by pharma. Public access to—and the
financial competency of—the annual reports of health-based charities has improved over previous years. Even in the single year since HSCNews last wrote about this subject [‘Health campaigners, fundraising and the growth of industry involvement’, HSCNews, April 2004, issue 6, pages 6-62], health campaigners have made noticeable strides in some aspects of the transparency of their financial information. Nonetheless, precise details about pharma funding of health-based charities were almost entirely absent from most annual reports. Only four groups among the
125-strong sample specified both the individual pharma donors and the amounts the companies donated. Of these, three were UK based (Epilepsy Action; Help the Aged; and the Men’s Health Forum). The fourth group was the Swiss-based World Heart
Federation.

► Pharma funding can account for more than half of a health charity’s revenue. Of the relatively few health-based charities that indicated breakdowns of their sources of funding, the US group Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) reported the highest level of pharma support, at 53% of all revenue. [HSCNews conducted an interview with DBSA which is included in the February issue of its monthly briefing.] However, figures may be higher among other NGOs—and particularly with groups dependent upon industrial contributions (pharma plus other industries) for nearly all their funds.

New policies for pharma funding of health charities
As the health campaigning sector becomes increasingly dependant on pharmaceutical companies for funds, some charities have drawn criticism from several quarters (such as the media, academics and even government). Many groups are now unilaterally
reviewing their policies on relationships with pharma. However, the February issue of HSCNews found that “ no single gold standard prevails—yet one has never been more needed ”.

Source: “HSCNews 2005 review of health campaigners’ Annual Reports ”, in HSCNews, issue 15, February 2005, pages 6-27; plus 62-page Appendix.
[Published by PatientView].

Web Site = http://www.patient-view.com/news05.htm

Contact Details = From: Health and Social Campaigners’ News International (HSCNews
International)
Woodhouse Place
Upper Woodhouse
Knighton
Powys LD7 1NG
Telephone: 0044-(0)1547-520-965
Email: info@patient-view.com