Founded in June 1992 in Munich, the European Parkinson's Disease Association (EPDA) is a non-political, non-religious, and non-profit making organisation.
Relationship with industrial and other potential partners
- Relationships between the EPDA and its industrial and any other partners are based on equal partnership. Both sides will work together on policy development and practical initiatives, in the interests of all the member organisations and the overall EPDA strategic direction
- Successful partnerships are those where both partners gain by making the effort to understand the internal culture and external pressures of the other
Funding
-
Funding will be declined if its application comprises the independence of the EPDA in any way.
-
The EPDA is an independent organisation. It relies on no conflict of interest and total transparency with the funder, and exchange of agreed and signed contracts
-
The EPDA favours the use of funding consortia of two or more companies from the same or other industries to meet its strategic direction
-
Details of EPDA’s funding are included on its website and within its published Audited Reports and Accounts
-
The EPDA requires its funders to adhere to relevant company, national and international codes of conduct, including the publication on their websites of their support for the EPDA.
Product Endorsement
- The EPDA’s name must not be used to imply approval or endorsement of any of the funder’s products
- The EPDA encourages research into new treatments and the better application of existing therapies. It does not endorse the use of individual treatments over others
- The EPDA supports the proper licensing of medicines.
Contact details
Email: info@epda.eu.com
Additional
European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) National Codes of Practice on relationships between the pharmaceutical industry and patient organisations
In July 2008, EFPIA implemented a Europe-wide Code of Practice governing relationships between pharmaceutical companies and patient organisations that the EPDA fully supports.
The pharmaceutical industry recognises that it has many common interests with patient organisations, which represent and/or support the needs of patients and/or carers. EFPIA adopted the EFPIA Code of Practice on relationships between the pharmaceutical industry and patient organisations to ensure that these are carried out in an ethical and transparent manner.
The aim of the Code is to ensure that the promotion of medicines to health professionals and to administrative staff is carried out within a robust framework to support high quality patient care. As well as covering promotional material, it controls:
- samples
- meetings
- promotional aids
- provision of medical and educational goods and services
- conduct of non- interventional studies
- use of health professionals to provide services.
The Code also sets standards for the provision of information about prescription only medicines to the public and patients, including patient organisations.
The industry considers that provided the requirements of the Code are met, working with patients and patient organisations can bring significant public health benefits. These requirements also apply to working with all user groups, such as disability, relative, carer and consumer associations.
The Code is regularly updated and covers the promotion of medicines for prescribing to both health professionals and appropriate administrative staff. It also includes requirements for interactions with health professionals. In addition to the Code there are extensive national and European laws relating to the promotion of medicines.
In summary, companies must ensure that their materials are appropriate, factual, fair and capable of substantiation and that all other activities are appropriate and reasonable.
Reference
- P. Andlin-Sobocki et al, European Journal of Neurology 12 (Suppl 1) June 2005
