Health committee  Yes. I already emphasized that there are many countries, actually, with very successful commercialization mandates that do not have, in similar research-funding agencies, members of the pharmaceutical industry directly on the governing body. So there's no inherent requirement to

Health committee  In schools of business, even, people do work and consult with pharmaceutical companies. They have connections and have experience, but they do not have the direct and very significant conflicts that are brought to the table when it's a representative of one particular industry an

Health committee  Yes, for sure I do. I think the governing council would actually make decisions about large strategic initiatives. It could, for example, launch an initiative on research into the impact of patented medicines on pharmacare programs, as I mentioned in my presentation. Or it may ac

Health committee  I can point out the example of the Swedish Research Council. They have a member on their governance council from a public-private partnership organization that looks at, and basically has a specialty in, the creation of public-private partnerships. There is a lot of expertise o

Health committee  Madam Chair, members of the Standing Committee on Health, thank you for inviting me to elaborate on why the appointment of Dr. Bernard Prigent, Vice-President of Pfizer Canada and chair of the scientific committee of Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies, in my opinion

Health committee  Okay. Dr. Prigent might be involved in a conversation about whether a better governance system for research is needed, one with stricter conflict of interest guidelines and transparency rules. Such measures have to some extent been opposed by industry. Conflicts will also part