A day after India rejected the conclusions of a study published in a British scientific journal regarding the presence of New Delhi Metallo-beta lactamase bacteria in India that could pose a serious public health threat, suggesting that it was funded by two pharmaceutical companies, Wellcome Trust – that was one of the sponsors – has said it is not a pharmaceutical company.
Contrary to recent media coverage, the Wellcome Trust is not a pharmaceutical company. It is a global charity that funds biomedical research to improve human and animal health and it is independent of both political and commercial interests, a statement issued by the Trust said here on Friday.
India on Thursday said the study was funded by Wellcome Trust and Wyeth, suggesting a conflict of interest.
The Wellcome Trust awarded a grant to Dr. Tim Walsh at the University of Cardiff to collaborate with international colleagues on this research. The aim of the research was to better understand the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance amongst populations of medically important bacteria.
Antibiotic resistance is a serious threat to the clinical management of patients across the world and a challenge to health services globally. It must be tackled with openness and transparency. There is no better way to achieve this than through the support of high quality, internationally peer-reviewed research, publication and data sharing. The research reported in the Lancet has been through the peer-review process, as did the application for funding that Dr. Walsh submitted to the Wellcome Trust, it said.
The Wellcome Trust is a global charity dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust's breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests, the statement said.
