GSK increases transparency - Commentary, Economist Intelligence Unit
GSK first made a shift to greater transparency several years ago in the wake of the Merck Vioxx scandal, when it committed to publishing the results of all its clinical trials. Clearly Mr Witty feels that message did not get through to the public and that the company now needs to go further. In terms of public opinion, I am not sure that this latest move will make much difference to those already suspicious of pharma companies.
More interesting though is Mr Witty's plea that scientists will use the company's clinical trial data to further their research. Rivals such as Eli Lilly and Pfizer are also making a shift towards more open innovation in order to boost their R&D programmes, for example by inviting scientists to submit molecules via their websites for testing. GSK's initiative goes beyond this, giving scientists greater freedom to work without GSK. But the hope is that the company as well as society could benefit
