Swedish Officials Investigate Ties Between AstraZeneca, Nobel Foundation Over Award For Discovery Of HPV

Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Article Date: 23 Dec 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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Swedish officials are investigating whether the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca could have improperly influenced this year's Nobel Prize for medicine, which was awarded to the researcher who discovered the human papillomavirus, London's Times reports. AstraZeneca last year acquired a company that holds a license for a key component used in the production of HPV vaccines. In addition, two members of committees that assess candidates for the award have links to the company. According to the Times, Bertil Fredholm -- chair of the five-member committee that assess Nobel candidates -- was a paid consultant for AstraZeneca in 2006, and Bo Angelin -- a member of the 50-person committee that votes for the winner -- sits on AstraZeneca's board. AstraZeneca also sponsors the Nobel Web site and a promotional subsidiary.

Christer van der Kwast, director of the Swedish police anti-corruption unit, has ordered a preliminary investigation into any potential conflicts of interest. A spokesperson for AstraZeneca said, "We have no influence over the prizewinners nor would we ever seek to. AstraZeneca as a company is not involved in the process of Nobel Prize selection" (Charter, Times, 12/19).

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