Stephen Senn: Declaration of Interest

Warning.

You need to know the following about this declaration on interest.

First, although I have made every effort to try and list all relevant interests, I cannot guarantee that I have not overlooked some.

Second, these declarations are made freely by me. Other parties that are named have not been consulted.

Third, when publishing letters or articles on topics that may have some connection to companies for whom I have consulted in the past or continue to consult, it is usually the case that these companies have not been contacted about the particular issue I am writing about.

Fourth it follows, therefore, that it should not be assumed that when I write on such a topic that I do so on behalf of such a company or companies, nor should it ever be assumed that I represent their point of view. In most cases I have made no effort whatsoever to establish what their point of view, if any, is.

Fifth. I consider that you have every right to consider my interests when deciding why I hold the positions I hold. However, I also consider that I have the right to expect that where I have put a statistical argument on the table with which you disagree you should show why it is wrong through argument and analysis and not only by reference to my presumed motives.

Interest as a scientist

I am a scientist (and also worked as an academic for a total of more than 25 years) and my career is furthered by publishing. Controversial topics often attract greater publicity and this should always be borne in mind. Before my retirement (in 2018) my performance contract required that I publish in high impact journals.

Statement of nationality

I was born Swiss and tend to have a prejudice in favour of Switzerland, Swiss institutions and even Swiss companies. In August 2018 I acquired British nationality by descent and may have a similar pro-British bias.

Statement of politics

I mistrust both conservatives and socialists and above all, I dislike nationalists (including Swiss nationalists).

Statement of religion

I am a Christian with a liberal (not fundamentalist) point of view. Certain ethical positions may be predictable from this or perhaps vice versa. (This statement is made because occasionally I have been asked to advise on analysis of topics such as abortion that are controversial from a religious point of view.)

Statement of share ownership

Because I used to work for CIBA-Geigy I own shares in Novartis. I have shares in family business Senn Beteiligungen AG. I have two share portfolios that are managed by an independent advisor. I am only exceptionally consulted on decisions to buy or sell.

Statement of interest as an editor

I was a series editor for Wiley (Statistics in Practice Series, Human and Biological Sciences strand) from 2002 to 2019. I obtain a royalty on every book sold for the series that was commissioned during this period.

Statement of interest as an author

I am the author of Cross-over Trials in Clinical Research, (Wiley, 1993 and 2002) Statistical Issues in Drug development (Wiley,1997, 2007, 2021) and Dicing with Death, (Cambridge, 2003, 2022). I obtain royalties for sales on these books. Obviously, if I cite my own books (and I often do) it may increase their sales. I have occasionally received small 'one-off' royalties for contributing chapters to edited books. If I cite these, their sales may increase but this usually has no effect on my royalties.

List of companies or organisations for whom I have consulted.

NB In some cases I have also provided advice for 'ancestor' companies of merged companies. These ancestor companies are usually not separately listed.
NB Companies are listed with whom I have or have had contracts. In a very few cases I have not (yet) done any work for them and in some of these I doubt that I ever shall. Also in some cases my contract is not directly with the company but a CRO. I list both if I can remember to do so!

Aadi Bioscience
Ablynx
Actelion
Acticor
Acuta
Aimmune
Allergy Therapeutics
Almiral
Astra-Zeneca
Auxilium
Bayer
Biogen
BIOP
Biosyn
Biovitrum
Bloom Science
Braco
Bristol-Myer Squibb
Boehringer Ingelheim
Celgene
Chiesi
Chiron
Circle Science
Confo Therapeutics
Covance
CROS
Danone
Dynavax
Elan
Ely Lilly
Eisai
Ferring
Fournier
Galecto
Genzyme
GlaxoSmithKline
Heartbeat Labs
Helsinn
Henry Stewart Conference Studies
Heron
Hogan Lovells
Hudson Bay Capital
Idorsia
Inotrem
INOT
Inura Medical
Jansen
Jerini
Kayentis
Kearny Venture Partners
Leiras
L'OREAL
Limmatech Biologics
Lung Biotechnology
Luxembourg Institute of Health
Medeor
Merck
Merz
Munich Re
Neupharma
Novartis
Novo-Nordisk
Numico
Organon
Orion ,Br> Phastar
Pfizer
Pharmapart
Pharsight
Phastar
Phocus
Pleiad
Pozen
Quanticate
Quintiles
Roche
R W Johnson
Sanofi-Aventis
Schein
Schering AG
Scilex
Servier
Shire
Simmons and Simmons
Stallergenes
Statistica Medica
Statistical Solutions
Stemline
Strakan
Supernus
Syneos
Taiwan Liposome Company
Takeda
TFS Develop
The University of Dundee
Third Bridge
UCB
Unilever
Vaderis
Vanda
Vertex
Wyeth
Zambon

List of organisations and companies who have given me grants (including travel grants & grants for students) during my career either directly or indirectly as a member of a team

Amgen
AstraZeneca
Boehringer Ingelheim
Chiesi
The Drug Information Association (DIA)
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
European Union FP7 programme
European Union COST programme
GlaxoSmithKline
IMMPACT
NHS (The UK National Health Service)
NIHR CTU Support Funding
Novartis
Pfizer
The Schering foundation
The World Health Organisation

Payment for courses

Organisations, not otherwise listed above, who have paid me for courses include
The American Statistical Association
BrAPP British Association of Pharmaceutical Physicians
ISCB The International Society for Clinical Biostatistics
Maseryk University, Brno
Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne
PSI Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry
RSS The Royal Statistical Society
The Medical University of Vienna
The University of Auckland
The University of Bristol
The University of Bern for MEDIASRES
The University of Cardiff
The University of Copenhagen
The University of Limerick
The University of Neuchatel
The University of Nottingham
The University of Oslo
The University of Tromso Medical School
University of York Centre for Dissemination and Reviews
The Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility at Edinburgh University

Organisations for whom I have worked fulltime

Tunbridge Wells Health District 1975-1978 (this organisation was part of the UK National Health Service and is now defunct)
Dundee College of Technology 1978-1987 (now the University of Abertay Dundee)
CIBA-Geigy 1987-1995 (now merged to form Novartis)
University College London 1995-2003
University of Glasgow 2003-2011
Luxembourg Institute of Health (called CRP-Santé prior to 2015), Luxembourg 2011-2018
I also had an eight month sabbatical at ENSAI in Rennes in 2009 and spent six weeks as a visiting scientist at Chalmers University, Gothenburg in 1997

Other

I have honorary appointments at The University of Sheffield, St Andrews, UCL and the Medical University of Vienna and had an honorary appointment at the University of Edinburgh (2019-2022).

Boards

I am a member of the Fisher Memorial Trust.
I was previously a member of the Pfizer board on release of clinical trial data
I have been involved in a minor capacity with the MUGAS investigation into Tamiflu.
I was previously a member of the Servier board on release of clinical trial data.
I am a member of the advisory board for the Institute of Computer Sciences of the Czech Academy of Science.

Do you think that there is an interest I have failed to declare? Please email me at stephen@senns.uk.