Abstract
Translating research results to clinical settings requires that both researchers and clinicians work together with pharmaceutical companies. At the same time, however, it must be recognized that pharmaceutical companies are basically profit-motivated organizations. When pharmaceutical companies develop deeper doctor-patient relationships, the benefits of individual doctors and organizations inevitably conflict with the benefits or interests of patients. To promote industry-university cooperative activities, research quality and research ethics should be of major importance and we must ensure the reliability of the scientific nature and ethics of the research for the sake of the public. In other words, “confirming the quality and reliability of research”, “ensuring transparency”, and “accountability of research activity” are all clearly warranted. For this purpose, it is mandatory that each individual involved has the ethical sophistication and professionalism expected of doctors and researchers. Each physician and researcher must bear in mind that firm insights and the highest ethical judgments regarding the problems of conflict of interest, by themselves, are the only and the final barrier preserving the fairness and transparency of medical research.
