Credibility of industry-funded clinical trials

Controversies surrounding authorship of manuscripts by industry employees: academic and industry perspectives

The medical device and pharmaceutical industries play an essential role in the development of cardiovascular devices and drugs, and industry employees are frequently listed as co-authors of clinical trials published in peer-reviewed journals. Potential conflicts of interest in biomedical research have attracted significant attention in recent years, but issues and challenges surrounding authors who are industry employees have not received nearly as much scrutiny. We present a comprehensive discussion of the concerns and challenges regarding the role of industry in the authorship of scientific manuscripts. Academic co-authors, industry employees, the editors of medical journals, and, most importantly, readers, need to consider the perception and implications that accompany industry employee authorship. Potential concerns include the effect of industry authors (and industry support) on study design, data analysis, interpretations, conclusions, and, ultimately, scientific content. Meaningful contributions from industry employees must be acknowledged and reported in scientific and clinical publications. Efforts to provide full transparency on industry support and the role of industry contributors are necessary to maintain confidence in the reports of studies with industry involvement.