Complexities of evaluating collaborations and COI
It is important for research partnerships to be carefully analysed to prevent, mitigate and manage any conflicts of interest (Bhatt, 2018).
Different people or organisations/institutions might have different perceptions of what constitutes a COI within the same context (Ralston et al., 2021).
If a prospective partnership has the possibility of a COI, a decision has to be made about whether to engage with the partner, whether to eliminate, avoid or manage the COI.
Some critics argue that industries are fundamentally driven by the need to sustain or increase their profit share (Bialous, 2021).
The Tobacco and Alcohol beverage industries produce commodities that are known to cause harm, and, as with other industries, always aim to increase sales of their products.
Industries such as the Pharmaceutical and the Food Industries produce commodities that are both needed (life-saving medication; nutritional food) as well as products that are harmful (harmful drugs; sugar-sweetened beverages), particularly when consumed excessively.
It becomes even more important to manage the collaboration between industry and health research institutions when the core business of the involved industry is to increase sales of its products, and the nature of the industry’s products is known to have the potential for harm (such as the products of the tobacco and beverage alcohol industries), posing the threat of compromised research partnerships (Ghooi, 2015).
A shortage of research funding creates an unequal footing where researchers and their institutions may be pressurised or desperate to accept funding that has strings attached – particularly in LMICs. Thus, it is important that organisations and institutions, as potential research partners with industry, are well-trained, and adequately resourced to prevent, mitigate and manage COIs if, and when, they occur.