AstraZeneca breach for funding declaration not prominent from the outset (AUTH/3849/11/23)

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Key facts

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Case number	AUTH/3849/11/23
Company	AstraZeneca
Complainant	Anonymous, non-contactable
Material	Non-promotional article in a named publication (Autumn/Winter 2021 edition) about improving outcomes for patients with severe asthma
Main issue	Funding declaration appeared in “Acknowledgements” on the final page, not sufficiently prominent from the outset
Applicable Code year	2021
Breach	Clause 5.5
No breach	Clauses 5.1 and 2
Sanctions	Undertaking received; additional sanctions not stated
Complaint received	08 November 2023
Case completed	12 February 2025
Appeal	No appeal

Reviewed by Dr Anzal Qurbain (FFPM) — ABPI Final Signatory

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An anonymous, non-contactable complainant alleged a severe asthma article in a named publication was funded by AstraZeneca but did not disclose this at the outset; the funding was only mentioned at the end.
AstraZeneca said it provided arms-length sponsorship to an independent healthcare organisation to support development of the article (Autumn/Winter 2021 edition).
The agreement stated AstraZeneca would not be involved in publication; the healthcare organisation had full editorial control; and “All material must disclose AstraZeneca funding and involvement”.
The published article included an “Acknowledgements” section on the final page stating “Funding for this publication has been provided by AstraZeneca…”, positioned half way down the last page of a four-page article.
AstraZeneca accepted the declaration was not positioned at the outset and acknowledged this constituted a breach of Clause 5.5; it updated its sponsorship agreement template to require declarations at the outset.

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Breach of Clause 5.5 (Failing to be sufficiently clear as to the company’s role and involvement).
No breach of Clause 5.1 (Requirement to maintain high standards at all times).
No breach of Clause 2 (Requirement that activities or materials must not bring discredit upon, or reduce confidence in, the pharmaceutical industry).
No appeal.

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