Paul Benkimoun works as full time staff writer at Le Monde in Paris, covering health and medical issues. He also holds a position of Associate Professor at Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2, France, where he is working within the Pharmacology Department and INSERM U657. In this capacity he is member of the steering committee of an EC financed European Master (“Eu2P” European Programme in Phamacovigilance and Pharmacoepidemiology) set in collaboration with six other European universities and involving several pharmaceutical companies (Almiral, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Ely Lilly, GSK, Janssen, Novo-Nordisk, Roche and Sanofi Aventis). He also has university commitments as an invited lecturer (Sciences Po Paris, Sciences Po Bordeaux, Institut du Journalisme Bordeaux Aquitaine, Conservatoire national des Arts et Métiers in Paris). He writes occasionally for a number of other publications, including Les Tribunes de la santé, and Le Livre de l’Année. He has no stock options or shares in any pharmaceutical or healthcare companies and gets no financial payments from them.

Competing interests

1) Have you in the past five years accepted the following from an organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the results of your study or the conclusions of your review, editorial, or letter?

a) Reimbursement for attending a symposium?
No
b) A fee for speaking?
No
c) A fee for organising education?
No
d) Funds for research?
No
e) Funds for a member of staff?
No
f) Fees for consulting?
No

2) Have you in the past five years been employed by an organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the results of your study or the conclusions of your review, editorial, or letter?
No

3) Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the results of your study or the conclusions of your review, editorial, or letter?
No

4) Have you acted as an expert witness on the subject of your study, review, editorial, or letter?
No

5) Do you have any other competing financial interests? If so, please specify.

Nothing to declare