NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - From 1994 to 2003, medical research funded by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies steadily increased and now surpasses research funded by government or public sources, according to a review of the most frequently cited studies.

These findings raise concerns that “academics may be losing control of the clinical research agenda,” senior author Dr. John P. A. Ioannidis, from the University of Ioannina School of Medicine in Greece, and colleagues note. However, “government and the public sector still make major contributions to academic research, despite the rapid increase in industry sponsorship in areas such as randomized controlled trials.” (more…)