Home / Health / Covid SAGE Advisors' Undeclared Millions from Pharma Investor
Covid SAGE Advisors' Undeclared Millions from Pharma Investor
6 Dec
Summary
- 26 SAGE members failed to declare over £200 million in grants.
- Funding came from the Wellcome Trust, linked to pharmaceutical investors.
- The undeclared funds were received between 2018 and 2026.
Scientific advisors who guided the UK's Covid-19 response allegedly failed to declare substantial research grants from the Wellcome Trust, a major pharmaceutical investor. A report indicates that 26 members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) did not register funding totaling at least £210 million. This significant sum was received between 2018 and 2026, with £175 million provided during the critical Covid years of 2020 and 2021.
The failure to declare these research interests, received from an organization largely funded by its investment portfolio and linked to the pharmaceutical industry, has ignited concerns about transparency. Prominent figures like Professor Neil Ferguson and Professor Gavin Screaton are named among those who allegedly did not fully disclose their financial ties to the Wellcome Trust. The SAGE register of participants' interests requires disclosure of commercial and research funding relationships.
Campaign group UsForThem highlighted that while some SAGE members complied with disclosure rules, a considerable number apparently did not, potentially compromising the impartiality of advice given during a national emergency. The Wellcome Trust, an independent foundation, states that its grant details are publicly available, and returns from investments fund its charitable mission. This situation prompts calls for greater accountability to maintain public trust in governmental advisory bodies.
