WHO vaccine expert had conflict of interest, Danish newspaper claims

doi:10.1136/bmj.c201

Published 12 January 2010, doi:10.1136/bmj.c201
Cite this as: BMJ 2010;340:c201

News

WHO vaccine expert had conflict of interest, Danish newspaper claims

Jo Carlowe

¹ London

Controversy has arisen at the World Health Organization afterallegations that some WHO experts, including a leading vaccineadviser, have financial ties to the drug industry.

Documents acquired through the Danish Freedom of InformationAct by the Danish daily newspaper Information show that JuhaniEskola, a Finnish vaccines adviser on the WHO board, has received£5.6m ( ${euro}$ 6.2m; $9m) for his research centre, the FinnishNational Institute for Health and Welfare. The money, from GlaxoSmithKlinefor research on vaccines during 2009, is the institute’smain source of income.

Professor Eskola is the deputy director general of the instituteand a member of WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Expertson Immunization (SAGE), which advises member states on whichvaccines to use and how much of these they should purchase.

GlaxoSmithKline produces the H1N1 vaccine Pandemrix, which theFinnish government stockpiled after recommendations from ProfessorEskola’s institute and WHO.

Information recently alleged that several members of WHO’sexpert group had ties with the drug industry. It also claimedthat, although some of these alleged conflicts of interest hadbeen made public, Professor Eskola’s links had been withheld.

But Philippe Duclos, executive secretary for the advisory group,defended its position and denied any conflict of interest. Ina statement to the BMJ he said, "It has recently been broughtto WHO’s attention that the Finnish National Institutefor Health and Welfare has a research contract with GSK. Thiscontract relates to a study of the impact of the new pneumococcalconjugate vaccine in the Finnish vaccination programme.

"WHO has reviewed potential conflicts of interest concerningDr Juhani Eskola and his participation as a SAGE member at theOctober 2009 SAGE meeting and is satisfied that there were notany with regard to the discussions on H1N1 influenza vaccinesnor with any of the other topics discussed at the meeting.

"WHO continues to take appropriate measures to address anyperceived conflicts of interest for all experts serving on itsadvisory committees."

Professor Eskola has since written to WHO to explain his position.In the course of this letter he suggested that its conflictof interests form be clarified to prevent further misunderstandings.

"Since I was not directly involved in the THL [National Institutefor Health and Welfare] GSK study, nor had any personal interestin it (neither financial nor scientific), I did not report itin my declaration of conflicts before the SAGE meeting. My understandingwas that the declaration applies only to the eventual personalinterests, but [I] did not understand that the contracts whereour large institute is involved should also be reported," hewrote.

Speaking directly to the BMJ Professor Eskola said, "From thisincident I have learnt that in the future I will include inmy conflict of interest statement also the contacts THL haswith the industry."

He confirmed that WHO has asked him to continue to serve onits advisory group.

Cite this as: BMJ 2010;340:c201

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