Tobacco industry ownership of pharmaceutical companies: an international survey of people with respiratory disease

Abstract

The 2021 purchase of the respiratory pharmaceutical company Vectura by Phillip Morris International has been criticised by the public health and medical community, as a conflict of interest, with little input to date, from the patient community or the public. To address this gap, the COPD Foundation, along with global partners, surveyed 1196 people with chronic respiratory disease. 70% were bothered by a tobacco company making an inhaler to treat lung conditions and 48% reported that they would want to switch inhalers if they knew that a tobacco company made or sold their inhaler devices. Patients care about who makes the therapies used to treat their diseases.

What if… your research is suddenly affiliated with a tobacco manufacturing company?

“…Continuation of our agreement with Vectura might feel uncomfortable for research participants for the same reasons patients would want to switch inhaled medication 14 : patients, in particular, may find it disrespectful to participate in a study that is indirectly funded by a tobacco manufacturing company, especially when their disease is caused or worsened by (secondhand) smoking. 24 Yet, at the same time, termination of our agreement would mean that patients who have already participated in the study would see no research published as a result of their participation, which they may similarly consider disrespectful. The principle of respect is, therefore, not a decisive argument in this moral dilemma, as there are both arguments for and against termination and continuation.…”

“…One of our core values is to conduct research that respects the feelings, wishes, and rights of research participants, colleagues, funders, and institutions. Continuation of our agreement with Vectura might feel uncomfortable for research participants for the same reasons patients would want to switch inhaled medication14: patients, in particular, may find it disrespectful to participate in a study that is indirectly funded by a tobacco manufacturing company, especially when their disease is caused or worsened by (secondhand) smoking 24. Yet, at the same time, termination of our agreement would mean that patients who have already participated in the study would see no research published as a result of their participation, which they may similarly consider disrespectful.…”

The COPD Foundation on Its Twentieth Anniversary

“…[19][20][21] The PPRN currently has over 6000 enrollees and has been used to support clinical trials and COPDF survey-based research. 22 Ensuring that the patient voice is incorporated into all COPDF research includes soliciting patient input into projects via our Community Engagement Committee, a group of patients and caregivers. 23 In 2019 the COPDF received funding from the Patient-Centered Outcome Research Institute (PCORI) for the Bridging the Gap Between Patients/Caregivers and COPD Research (BRIDGE) project to solicit input from patients and caregivers in identifying and prioritizing areas for current and future research.…”

ERS International Congress 2022: highlights from the Epidemiology and Environment Assembly

“…The late-breaking abstract of this session was presented by Ruth Tal-Singer [ 73 ] and involved sentiments on the tobacco industry owning respiratory therapies [ 74 ]. A survey was conducted by the COPD Foundation and partners including >1000 patients with respiratory diseases from all over the world.…”