Introduction
Pharmaceutical companies frequently provide payments to physicians for
both research and non-research activities[1,2]. Such financial
interactions, while often instrumental in fostering healthcare
innovation and enhancing patient care, may also engender potential
conflicts of interest[3]. In Japan, pharmaceutical companies have
been reported to make substantial non-research payments totaling $1.8
billion, with $1.1 billion allocated for the sponsorship of conferences
and lectures geared toward drug promotion, and $236.0 million
distributed for lecture and consulting services[4]. The majority of
these lecture and consulting payments were directly made to individual
physicians. Previous studies suggest that the incidence of non-research
payments among Japanese physicians[5-12] surpasses that in other
developed countries such as the United States, Australia, and
France[1,13-19].
The discipline of allergy and clinical immunology has been marked by the
introduction of numerous novel biologics for the treatment of allergic
diseases, including asthma, atopic dermatitis, and allergic rhinitis.
Concurrently, the last decade in Japan has witnessed the approval of new
therapeutic agents for allergic rhinitis, such as antihistamines (e.g.,
rupatadine, desloratadine, and bilastine) and sublingual immunotherapy
products.
The introduction of these novel drugs has expanded the therapeutic
choices available to physicians and patients, yet the absence of
comparative clinical trials assessing these drugs has resulted in
increased promotional activities by pharmaceutical companies. Prior
research indicates a yearly 7.2% increase in marketing payments to
allergists in the United States, rising from $13.1 million in 2014 to
$19.2 million in 2019[20]. Additionally, these payments were
associated with the prescribing patterns of new biologics for moderate
and severe asthma among allergists in the United States[21]. The
scrutiny of the financial relationships between allergists and
pharmaceutical companies is therefore of particular importance. However,
data on these relationships in Japan remain sparse. This study aims to
assess the financial interactions between allergists and pharmaceutical
companies in Japan using publicly disclosed payment data.