The EU Observer launched tough questions at the European Medicines Agency, following Corporate Europe Observatory’s earlier report on the transparency of industry-funded patient organisations working with the Agency.


In the article EU drugs agency working with patient groups bankrolled by big pharma, author Leigh Phillips questions the Agency as to how omissions and inconsistencies in declaring sponsorship from pharmaceutical companies have occured.


“Mr. Harvey [a representative of the Agency] said that such [patient] representatives are nominated by the European Commission and the European Parliament, suggesting that if a conflict exists, it should be spotted by the Brussels officials that review the candidates: “They send us approved people and we have to take them.” Continue reading EU Observer article…

The Agency’s response leaves us wondering who is responsible to ensure that future gaps in interest declaration, particularly sources of income, can be avoided.


Katrina Perehudoff