Pharmaceutical Company Disclosures
'Dollars For Docs'
Pharmaceutical sales in the United States totaled $300 billion in 2009. Below is a summary of the top pharmaceutical companies ranked by U.S. drug sales and their status for disclosing payments made to physicians and other health practitioners for marketing and promotion.
| Company | 2009 Sales | Disclosure Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pfizer | $27.8 billion | Began posting information (including payments for clinical research) in March 2010. | The company also posts information about grants for medical education, lobbying and contributions. Agreed to release the information as part of a September 2009 settlement with the U.S. Justice Department. |
| Merck & Co. | $19.8 billion | Began releasing information in October 2009. |
The company also posts grants, political contributions and charitable contributions. |
| AstraZeneca | $19.8 billion | Began releasing information in August 2010. |
Agreed to release the information as part of an April 2010 settlement with the U.S. Justice Department. |
| GlaxoSmithKline | $15 billion | Began releasing information in December 2009. | The company also posts grants and charitable contributions and plans to disclose grants for clinical trials starting in 2010. |
| Roche | $14.3 billion | Does not post physician payments. |
Began posting grants for medical education in August. |
| Novartis | $13.4 billion | Agreed to release the information by March 2011 as part of a September 2010 settlement with the U.S. Justice Department. |
|
| Eli Lilly | $13.2 billion | Began releasing information in July 2009. |
The company also posts grants and charitable contributions. Agreed to release the information as part of a January 2009 settlement with the U.S. Justice Department. |
| Johnson & Johnson | $12.8 billion | Began posting information in June 2010 by division, not centrally. | The divisions also post grants for medical education and charitable contributions. |
| Amgen Corp. | $12.5 billion | Does not post physician payments. |
|
| Teva Pharmaceuticals USA | $12.1 billion |
Has not responded to requests for comment. |
|
| Sanofi-Aventis | $11.1 billion | Does not post physician payments. |
|
| Abbott Laboratories | $9.5 billion | Does not post physician payments. |
From a company statement: “Abbott began voluntarily disclosing grants and donations greater than $200 to U.S. medical organizations beginning with the third quarter of 2008.” |
| Bristol-Myers Squibb | $8.9 billion | Does not post physician payments. |
From a company statement: “We also are preparing to publish information about our payments to physicians in all states as required by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act. I am unable to provide a specific date for publishing the information, but we will do so by March 1, 2012, as the law requires.” |
| Takeda | $7.9 billion | Declined to comment on whether it would post payments. |
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| Boehringer Ingel | $7.6 billion | Has not responded to requests for comment. |