PHM-Exch> WHO ADVISER CONCEALS A DONATION OF MILLIONS FROM A PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY

[Claudio Schuftan]

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From: Meghana Bahar meghana at haiap.org

Written by Louise Voller & Kristian Villesen for the Danish daily newspaper,
“Information”

10.12. 2009

A Finnish member of the WHO board, an advisor on vaccines, has received 46
million crowns (6 million euros) for his research centre from the vaccine
manufactures, GlaxoSmithKline. WHO promises transparency, but this conflict
of interests is not available for the public to see at WHO’s homepage.

Another ‘WHO’ vaccine advisor is withholding information concerning
financial support from the pharmaceutical industry.

Professor Juhani Eskola is the director of the Finnish research vaccine
programme (THL) and a new member of the WHO group, ‘Strategic Advisory Group
of Experts’ (SAGE), which gives advice to the WHO Director-General, Margaret
Chan. ‘SAGE’ also recommend which vaccines - and how many - member countries
should purchase for the pandemic.

According to documents acquired through the Danish ‘Freedom of Information
Act,’ Professor Juhani Eskola’s Finnish institute, THL, received almost 6.3
million Euro from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for research on vaccines during
2009.

This amount of money qualifies GlaxoSmithKline as THL’s main source of
income.

GlaxoSmithKline produces the H1N1-vaccine ‘Pandemrix,’ which the Finnish
government following recommendations from THL and WHO purchased for a
national pandemic reserve stockpile.

These facts bring Professor Juhani Eskola in line with several other ‘WHO
’experts who play a double role by having financial ties to the
pharmaceutical industry – a double role which notably is not published by
WHO.

During November, the Danish daily, ‘Information’ has informed the public
that several members of WHO’s expert group have also been secretly working
for the pharmaceutical industry. Since revealing this information, a record
of meetings and the conflict of interests of some of the experts have become
accessible, but not all, including Juhani Eskola.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST
In Finland, Professor Juhani Eskola is at the centre of a national conflict
of interest. The Finnish Minister of Health has become involved in this case
and has asked for transparency concerning the researcher’s financial ties to
the pharmaceutical industry. However, Professor Eskola doesn’t agree that
there is a problem. He secures and protects his ‘WHO’ status, by offering a
minor ‘consultative payment’ to the pharmaceutical company, ‘Novartis.’

“Why haven’t you informed the public about a research grant of six million
Euros from GlaxoSmithKline?” Professor Eskola comments, “It is a contract my
chief and GSK have made, and I am not a part of the study, which receives
the money.”

Regarding ‘WHO’s declaration on conflicts of interest, ‘SAGE’ experts are
obliged to inform on all kinds of financial research support, scholarships,
payment for collaboration and sponsor support for the research unit, during
the past three years. “We have 1,400 researchers at ‘THL’ and if I declare
every economic transaction I am a involved in then it gets complicated.

My interpretation of the WHO-declaration was that I didn’t have to declare
the agreement of collaboration with GSK, as I neither receive the money
personally nor do my research team. ‘WHO’ has asked me, and now I wait to be
informed, whether they agree with my interpretation. If they don’t, they
should make their declaration more clear.”

You are chair of the department and during 2009, GSK is your greatest
contributor. Don’t you see a conflict of interests in this matter?

“It is a discussion we have had with the Finnish Minister of Health during
the past few weeks but it is the ministry, who has bought the vaccines, not
our institute. Pandemrix was chosen as the best vaccine and could be
available soon at the Finnish market. The decision had to be made at the
beginning of June and in my mind, the ministry of health chose the right
solution, namely Pandemrix.”

But do you recognize a conflict of interest? - “We are aware that there
appears to be a conflict of interest” he says.
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