IQWiG makes German newspaper headlines again

The German newspaper, Berliner Zeitung, published today an article regarding the mounting scandal around the instituts leader and the previous practise of contracting research projects to external experts. The accusitions to have channeled projects through a research institute where a family member is a major shareholder have lead the ministry of health to put in place an investigations on all contracts to outsiders since April 2006.

While these matters are being investigated, the leading industry associations in Germany (VfA) and the Association of Pharmaceutical Research Manufacturers in America (PhRMA) have in the meantime circulated their positions and comments regarding the method paper 3.0. In especially points were raised around RCTs as only menaingful source of evidence source, the lack of acceptance of surrogate endpoints as well as concerning IQWiG's statement that one single study would only provide "suggestion of benefit".