Study: 94% of Certain Anti-Diabetic Drug Researchers Had Financial Relationships with Pharmaceutical Companies

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic discovered that 94 percent of scientific authors who provided positive results for an anti-diabetic drug, rosiglitazone, had financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal, also found that 45 percent of the authors in question had financial conflicts of interest and that 23 percent of these authors did not disclose this information. In fact, three studies included in the latter group published statements declaring no financial conflicts of interest.

Rosiglitazone, the drug at the center of the 200 articles examined by the Mayo Clinic researchers, has been shown to lead a significant increased risk of heart attacks. This discovery prompted additional studies and commentaries about the safety of rosiglitazone, and policies were created to encourage disclosure of financial conflicts of interest.

The authors of the Mayo Clinic study arrived at this conclusion: "Disclosure rates for financial conflicts of interest were unexpectedly low, and there was a clear and strong link between the orientation of authors' expressed views on the rosiglitazone controversy and their financial conflicts of interest with pharmaceutical companies.

"These findings, while not necessarily causal, underscore the need for further progress in reporting in order for the scientific record to be trusted."