The fellow who heads the UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which advises the National Health System on drugs to be used, wonders aloud why patient groups never criticize drugmakers over price. Sir Michael Rawlins infers the lack of criticism reflects the donations made by drugmakers. So he urged charities to question the cost of drugs more.

“Patient organisations need to think very carefully about why pharmaceutical companies are giving them money and they have to make sure they are not beholden to a pharmaceutical company. I have yet ever to hear a patient organisation criticise a price of the drug. When they do that they will come into their own.” He declined to name specific groups.

But patient groups insist there are strict guidelines covering donations by industry. The subject is a sensitive issue. Several groups, although not all, accept donations from drugmakers. Most of those that do have codes of conduct setting out what those donations how the money can be used - most are restricted to funding education purposes than for campaigning. And the timing of his remarks is no coincidence.

The Alzheimer’s Society is involved in legal action along with Eisai and Pfizer against NICE over the decision to restrict the use of Alzheimer’s treatments. The group has accepted money from both companies. But a spokeswoman argues that industry donations account for less than 1 percent of its income. She said the society’s legal challenge is being done independently of industry and added donations were never used to fund campaign activity.

Source: The BBC[tags]Eisai, NICE, Pfizer, Pricing[/tags]