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Murayama A, Kugo H, Kamamoto S. Evaluation of non-research and research industry payments to pediatric hematologist/oncologists in the United States between 2013 and 2021. Leuk Lymphoma 2024; 65:774-782. [PMID: 38349842 DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2024.2317344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Financial interactions between healthcare industry and pediatric hematologist/oncologists (PHOs) could be conflicts of interest. Nevertheless, little is known about financial relationships between healthcare industry and PHOs. This cross-sectional analysis of the Open Payments Database examined general and research payments to PHOs from healthcare industry in the United States between 2013 and 2021. Payments to the PHOs were analyzed descriptively. Trends in payments were assessed using generalized estimating equation models. Of 2784 PHOs, 2142 (76.9%) PHOs received payments totaling $187.3 million from the healthcare industry between 2013 and 2021. Approximately, $46.3 million (24.8%) were general payments and $137.7 million (73.5%) were funding for research where PHOs served as principal investigators (associated research funding). Both general payments and associated research funding considerably increased between 2014 and 2019. The number of PHOs receiving general payments and associated research funding annually increased by 2.2% (95% CI: 1.2-3.3%, p < .001) and 5.0% (95% CI: 3.3-6.8%, p < .001) between 2014 and 2019, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anju Murayama
- School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai City, Japan
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Hinari Kugo
- School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai City, Japan
| | - Sae Kamamoto
- Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
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El Bairi K, Najem S, Chowdhury AR, Omar A, Abdihamid O, Teuwen LA, Benhima N, Madariaga A, Elkefi S, Diaz FC, Hussain S, Jenei K, Hammad N, Mutebi M, Rubagumya F, Trapani D, El Kadmiri N, Laouali N, Fourtassi M. Conflict of Interest Disclosure in Oncology: Preliminary Insights From the Global ONCOTRUST-1 Cross-Sectional Study. JCO Glob Oncol 2024; 10:e2400167. [PMID: 38822759 DOI: 10.1200/go.24.00167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Conflicts of interest (COIs) between oncologists and industry might considerably influence how the presentation of the research results is delivered, ultimately affecting clinical decisions and policy-making. Although there are many regulations on reporting COI in high-income countries (HICs), little is known about their reporting in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Oncology Transparency Under Scrutiny and Tracking (ONCOTRUST-1) is a pilot global survey to explore the knowledge and perceptions of oncologists regarding COI. MATERIALS AND METHODS We designed an online 27-question-based survey in the English language to explore the perceptions and knowledge of oncologists regarding COI, with an emphasis on LMICs. Descriptive statistics and the Consensus-Based Checklist for Reporting of Survey Studies guidelines were used to report the findings. RESULTS ONCOTRUST-1 surveyed 200 oncologists, 70.9% of them practicing in LMICs. Median age of the respondents was 36 (range, 26-84) years; 47.5% of them were women. Of the respondents, 40.5% reported weekly visits by pharmaceutical representatives to their institutions. Regarding oncologists' perceptions of COI that require disclosure, direct financial benefits, such as honoraria, ranked highest (58.5%), followed by gifts from pharmaceutical representatives (50%) and travel grants for attending conferences (44.5%). By contrast, personal or institutional research funding, sample drugs, consulting or advisory board, expert testimony, and food and beverage funded by pharmaceutical industry were less frequently considered as COI. Moreover, only 24% of surveyed oncologists could correctly categorize all situations representing a COI. CONCLUSION These findings underscore the importance of clear guidelines, education, and transparency in reporting COI in oncology. This hypothesis-generating pilot survey provided the rationale for ONCOTRUST-2 study, which will compare perceptions of COI among oncologists in LMICs and HICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalid El Bairi
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, University Mohammed VI Polytechnic, Ben Guerir, Morocco
| | - Salma Najem
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Institute of Oncology, Rabat, Morocco
| | | | - Abeid Omar
- Department of Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Research and Referral Hospital Kenyatta Teaching University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Omar Abdihamid
- Garissa Cancer Center, Garissa County Hospital, Garissa, Kenya
| | - Laure-Anne Teuwen
- Department of Oncology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
| | - Nada Benhima
- Medical Oncology Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Ainhoa Madariaga
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Safa Elkefi
- School of Nursing, Columbia Medical School, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Fernando Cristobal Diaz
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Sadaqat Hussain
- Oncology Department, University Hospital of Leicester, Licester, United Kingdom
| | - Kristina Jenei
- Health Policy Department, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nazik Hammad
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, St Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Miriam Mutebi
- Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Dario Trapani
- Division of Early Drug Development, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Nadia El Kadmiri
- Molecular Engineering, Biotechnology, and Innovation Team, Geo-Bio-Environment Engineering and Innovation Laboratory, Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taroudant, Ibn Zohr University, Taroudannt, Morocco
| | - Nasser Laouali
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, University Mohammed VI Polytechnic, Ben Guerir, Morocco
| | - Maryam Fourtassi
- Laboratory of Life and Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tetuan, Morocco
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Chakraborty N, Brown M, Persaud S, Gallagher G, Trivedi NU, Bach PB, Mitchell AP. Trends in financial payments from industry to US cancer centers, 2014-2021. JNCI Cancer Spectr 2024; 8:pkae015. [PMID: 38825338 PMCID: PMC11144522 DOI: 10.1093/jncics/pkae015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Industry payments to US cancer centers are poorly understood. METHODS US National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers were identified (n = 51). Industry payments to NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers from 2014 to 2021 were obtained from Open Payments and National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant funding from NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT). Given our focus on cancer centers, we measured the subset of industry payments related to cancer drugs specifically and the subset of NIH funding from the NCI. RESULTS Despite a pandemic-related decline in 2020-2021, cancer-related industry payments to NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers increased from $482 million in 2014 to $972 million in 2021. Over the same period, NCI research grant funding increased from $2 481 million to $2 724 million. The large majority of nonresearch payments were royalties and licensing payments. CONCLUSION Industry payments to NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers increased substantially more than NCI funding in recent years but were also more variable. These trends raise concerns regarding the influence and instability of industry payments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirjhar Chakraborty
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Meredith Brown
- US Digital Corps, Office of Technology Transformation Services, US General Services Administration, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Sonia Persaud
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Grace Gallagher
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Niti U Trivedi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Delfi Diagnostics, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter B Bach
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Delfi Diagnostics, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Aaron P Mitchell
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
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Sanford NN, Gyawali B. Financial Conflicts of Interest: Payment at the Expense of Patients? JCO Oncol Pract 2024:OP2400032. [PMID: 38498791 DOI: 10.1200/op.24.00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
This provocative editorial proposes four steps that can be immediately implemented to reduce the impact of financial conflicts of interest in oncology without stifling collaboration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Niu Sanford
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Bishal Gyawali
- Department of Oncology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology, Queen's Cancer Research Institute, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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Mitchell AP, Nemirovsky D, Mishra Meza A, Chakraborty N, Persaud S, Farooki A, Morris MJ. Costs to Medicare of Nonrecommended Bone-Modifying Agent Use for Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer. JCO Oncol Pract 2024; 20:393-400. [PMID: 38190588 DOI: 10.1200/op.23.00602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Bone-modifying agents (BMAs) do not prevent skeletal-related events among patients with castration-sensitive prostate cancer (CSPC), but many patients receive BMAs unnecessarily. The costs to Medicare from overuse have not been assessed. METHODS We used linked SEER-Medicare data 2011-2015 to measure the frequency and number of doses of zoledronic acid (ZA) and denosumab received during CSPC (between diagnosis and initiation of metastatic, castration resistant prostate cancer therapy). We estimated excess BMA among patients who received BMA therapy for CSPC and did not have an indication for osteoporosis fracture prevention. We used the Medicare fee schedule for drug prices and peer-reviewed sources to estimate adverse event frequencies and costs. RESULTS Median CSPC duration was 387 days (IQR, 253-573), during which time 42% of patients received ≥one dose of denosumab (mean doses, 7) and 18% received ≥one dose of ZA (mean doses, 7). Thirty-eight percent of those receiving denosumab and 47% of those receiving ZA had a history of osteoporosis, osteopenia, spine or hip fracture, or hypercalcemia. The estimated, annual excess BMA cost to Medicare was $44,105,041 in US dollars (USD), composed of $43,303,078 USD and $45,512 USD in drug costs for denosumab and ZA, respectively, and $682,865 USD and $75,585 USD in adverse event costs, respectively. In one-way sensitivity analysis, the estimate was most sensitive to denosumab dosing frequency (estimate range, $28,469,237 USD-$98,830,351 USD) and duration of CSPC (estimate range, $36,823,311 USD-$99,015,908 USD). CONCLUSION BMA overuse in CSPC incurs substantial cost to Medicare, largely because of denosumab drug costs. Excess costs may be reduced by greater adherence to guideline-concordant BMA use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron P Mitchell
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Department of Medicine, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - David Nemirovsky
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Akriti Mishra Meza
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Nirjhar Chakraborty
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Sonia Persaud
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Azeez Farooki
- Department of Medicine, Division of Subspecialty Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Michael J Morris
- Department of Medicine, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
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Menkes DB, Mintzes B, Macdonald N, Lexchin J. Raising the bar for disclosure of industry payments to doctors. BMJ 2024; 384:e078133. [PMID: 38423552 DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2023-078133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- David B Menkes
- Waikato Clinical Campus, University of Auckland, Hamilton, New Zealand
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Murayama A, Senoo Y. Cross-sectional analysis of financial relationships between board certified allergists and the pharmaceutical industry in Japan. BMC Med Ethics 2024; 25:22. [PMID: 38378633 PMCID: PMC10880373 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-024-01014-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Financial interactions between pharmaceutical companies and physicians lead to conflicts of interest. This study examines the extent and trends of non-research payments made by pharmaceutical companies to board-certified allergists in Japan between 2016 and 2020. METHODS A retrospective analysis of disclosed payment data from pharmaceutical companies affiliated with the Japanese Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association was conducted. The study focused on non-research payments for lecturing, consulting, and manuscript drafting made to board-certified allergists from 2016 to 2020. We performed descriptive analyses on payment data. Trends were analyzed using generalized estimating equation models. RESULTS Of the 3,943 board-certified allergists, 2,398 (60.8%) received non-research payments totaling $43.4 million over five years. Lecturing fees comprised 85.7% ($37.2 million) of the total payment amounts. For allergists who received at least one payment, the median amount per allergist was $3,106 (interquartile range: $966 - $12,124), in contrast to a mean of $18,092 (standard deviation: $49,233) over the five-year span. The top 1% and 10% of these allergists accounted for 20.8% and 68.8% of all non-research payments, respectively. The annual payment amounts significantly increased by 7.2% annual increase (95% CI: 4.4 - 10.0%, p < 0.001) each year until 2019, but saw a significant decrease in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION The majority of allergists received non-research payments, with a notable concentration among a small group. Payments increased annually until the pandemic's onset, which coincided with a substantial decrease. Further research is needed to explore the implications of these financial interactions on clinical practice and patient care in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anju Murayama
- School of Medicine, Tohoku University, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba ward, Sendai City, Miyagi, 980-0872, Japan.
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA.
| | - Yuki Senoo
- Higashi Totsuka Memorial Hospital, Yokohama City, Kanagawa, Japan
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Schnog JB, Samson MJ, Gersenbluth I, Duits AJ. Pharmaceutical Industry Payments to Medical Oncologists in the Netherlands: Trends and Patterns Provided by an Open-Access Transparency Data Set. JCO Oncol Pract 2024:OP2300533. [PMID: 38354335 DOI: 10.1200/op.23.00533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Health care expenditure related to oncologic treatments is skyrocketing although many treatments offer marginal, if any, clinical benefit. Financial conflicts of interest (fCOI) resulting from pharmaceutical industry (pharma) payments to physicians is increasingly recognized as a predictive factor for regulatory board approval and guideline incorporation of low-value treatments. We sought to study the extent to which pharma payments to medical oncologists occur in the Netherlands, the amount of money involved, and whether these occur more frequently and are higher for key opinion leaders (KOLs). METHODS In our cross-sectional retrospective database study, we used several Dutch open-access databases and extracted data registered between 2019 and 2021. RESULTS A cumulative amount of €899,863 was paid to 48.8% of the 408 registered medical oncologists. Over time, there was a marked decline in both the proportion of medical oncologists receiving payments (from 40.4% in 2019 to 19.1% in 2021) and the mean annual value of payments (from €2,962 in 2019 to €2,188 in 2021) with the latter mainly resulting from a decline in hospitality-related transactions. KOLs were more likely to receive industry payments and received a higher median payment value. DISCUSSION Our findings should contribute to the increasing awareness in the Netherlands of the potential effects of fCOI.
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Affiliation(s)
- J B Schnog
- Department of Hematology-Medical Oncology, Curaçao Medical Center, Willemstad, Curaçao
- Curaçao Biomedical & Health Research Institute, Willemstad, Curaçao
| | - M J Samson
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Curaçao Medical Center, Willemstad, Curaçao
| | - I Gersenbluth
- Curaçao Biomedical & Health Research Institute, Willemstad, Curaçao
| | - A J Duits
- Curaçao Biomedical & Health Research Institute, Willemstad, Curaçao
- Department of Medical Education, Curaçao Medical Center, Willemstad, Curaçao
- Institute for Medical Education, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Red Cross Blood Bank Foundation, Willemstad, Curaçao
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Murayama A. Industry Payments to Pediatricians in the United States Between 2013 and 2021. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 2023:99228231218850. [PMID: 38102791 DOI: 10.1177/00099228231218850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Financial relationships between physicians and the health care industry sometimes lead to conflicts of interest and need to be properly managed. Using the Open Payments Database between 2013 and 2021, this cross-sectional analysis examined the industry payments made to physicians whose primary specialty was pediatrics. Descriptive analyses were performed for the payment data overall and other pediatrician demographics. Of 99 764 eligible pediatricians, 59 984 (60.1%) received a total of $297 million (12.8%) in general and $2 billion in research payments over the 9 years. Median 9-year per-physician payments were $288 (interquartile range [IQR]: $88-$958) in general and $65 343 (IQR: $16 763-$255 208) in research payments. Male pediatricians were 1.06 (95% CI: 1.05-1.09, P < .001) and 1.56 (95% CI: 1.49-1.65, P < .001) times more likely to receive general and associated research payments than female pediatricians, respectively. The number of pediatricians receiving general payments annually decreased by 1.5% (95% CI: -1.7% to -1.4%, P < .001).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anju Murayama
- Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Mitchell AP, Winn AN. Authors' reply to Laurent. BMJ 2023; 383:p2832. [PMID: 38049172 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.p2832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Aaron N Winn
- University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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