Financial Conflicts of Interest Worth Knowing

In his Letter “The antidote to bias in research” (23 October 2009, p. [522][1]), D. B. Allison argues against the need to disclose sources of funding when publishing scientific research. He claims that “disclosure does nothing to buttress the validity of the scientific information and conclusions produced.” The methods of science, Allison claims, are “the antidote to the poison of bias in research.” Allison is deeply mistaken about disclosure. As J. R. Brown ([ 1 ][2]) reports, when a published study “is funded by one of the pharmaceutical companies, the sponsor's drug invariably does better.” Brown cites evidence from a variety of studies, including Davidson ([ 2 ][3]), Friedberg et al. ([ 3 ][4]), and Stelfox et al. ([ 4 ][5]). Davidson, for example, reports that “of 107 published papers that compared rival drugs, the drug produced by the sponsor of the research was found to be superior in every single case” ([ 1 ][2]). Given the data reported by Brown, researchers ought to report what organizations support their research. Doing so serves the knowledge-seeking goals of science. The aim of the scientific method is to aid scientists in drawing the appropriate conclusions from the data they have gathered. The data Brown presents suggest that in order to properly assess the research results that others publish, it is essential that a researcher know who financed the research. Furthermore, not regularly disclosing such information would prevent us from developing a better understanding of how conflicts of interest affect our pursuit of scientific knowledge. 1. [↵][6] 1. M. Carrier 1. J. R. Brown , in The Challenges of the Social and the Pressure of Practice: Science and Values Revisited, M. Carrier et al ., Eds. (Univ. of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, 2008). 2. [↵][7] 1. R. Davidson , J. Gen. Intern. Med. 12, 155 (1986). [OpenUrl][8] 3. [↵][9] 1. M. Friedberg 2. et al ., JAMA 282, 1453 (1999). [OpenUrl][10][Abstract/FREE Full Text][11] 4. [↵][12] 1. H. T. Stelfox 2. et al ., N. Engl. J. Med. 338, 101 (1998). [OpenUrl][13][Abstract/FREE Full Text][14] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.326_522b [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #ref-3 [5]: #ref-4 [6]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text" [7]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2 in text" [8]: {openurl}?query=rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [9]: #xref-ref-3-1 "View reference 3 in text" [10]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJAMA%26rft.stitle%253DJAMA%26rft.issn%253D0002-9955%26rft.aulast%253DFriedberg%26rft.auinit1%253DM.%26rft.volume%253D282%26rft.issue%253D15%26rft.spage%253D1453%26rft.epage%253D1457%26rft.atitle%253DEvaluation%2Bof%2BConflict%2Bof%2BInterest%2Bin%2BEconomic%2BAnalyses%2Bof%2BNew%2BDrugs%2BUsed%2Bin%2BOncology%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1001%252Fjama.282.15.1453%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F10535436%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [11]: /lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiQUJTVCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6NDoiamFtYSI7czo1OiJyZXNpZCI7czoxMToiMjgyLzE1LzE0NTMiO3M6NDoiYXRvbSI7czoyNDoiL3NjaS8zMjcvNTk2Mi8xNDQuMi5hdG9tIjt9czo4OiJmcmFnbWVudCI7czowOiIiO30= [12]: #xref-ref-4-1 "View reference 4 in text" [13]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DNew%2BEngland%2BJournal%2Bof%2BMedicine%26rft.stitle%253DNEJM%26rft.issn%253D0028-4793%26rft.aulast%253DStelfox%26rft.auinit1%253DH.%2BT.%26rft.volume%253D338%26rft.issue%253D2%26rft.spage%253D101%26rft.epage%253D106%26rft.atitle%253DConflict%2Bof%2BInterest%2Bin%2Bthe%2BDebate%2Bover%2BCalcium-Channel%2BAntagonists%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1056%252FNEJM199801083380206%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F9420342%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [14]: /lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiQUJTVCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6NDoibmVqbSI7czo1OiJyZXNpZCI7czo5OiIzMzgvMi8xMDEiO3M6NDoiYXRvbSI7czoyNDoiL3NjaS8zMjcvNTk2Mi8xNDQuMi5hdG9tIjt9czo4OiJmcmFnbWVudCI7czowOiIiO30=