Prescrire's annual Information Awards are based on pharmaceutical companies' responses to requests by Prescrire's Editorial Staff for the information we need to produce the analyses published in the Marketing Authorisations section of our French edition. Prescrire's Information Awards reflect the level of transparency that companies have shown towards Prescrire over the year.

What information does Prescrire request from pharmaceutical companies, and why?

Pharmaceutical companies hold a wealth of data that are not available elsewhere. Since its inception, Prescrire has therefore systematically asked companies to send us data on their products, from the drug development stage through to post-marketing surveillance. We also conduct a systematic search for information from other sources, such as health authorities and the scientific literature.

We mainly ask for: evaluation data concerning the drug's efficacy and adverse effects; its packaging; the conditions under which patients can access the drug; its reimbursement status in France; its availability; and, where applicable, the reasons for its market withdrawal. Prescrire's Editorial Staff analyse all the information and materials companies provide.

The purpose of these requests is to help keep healthcare professionals fully informed and up to date, in order to improve the quality of patient care, by promoting the correct use of drugs and by increasing patient safety.

9 companies honoured for their transparency

Prescrire requested information from 85 pharmaceutical companies in 2025. 9 of them earned a place on the 2025 Information Awards Honours List, by responding with detailed documentation. One of them, Cevidra, was rated as "Outstanding" for its rapid response times and the provision of detailed documentation, including particularly useful information and documents that are not publicly available.

But the vast majority of companies chose secrecy

15 pharmaceutical companies (of the 85 companies we contacted in 2025) chose not to provide Prescrire with information or documentation. These companies received an Information Red Card. Some of them made it clear that they had no intention of fulfilling our request, by telling us directly or referring us to the health authorities. 61 companies are neither on the Honours List, nor were given a Red Card.

More transparency

Other pharmaceutical companies that we contact frequently, such as GlaxoSmithKline, Lilly, Roche, Takeda and Viatris, earned a place on this year's Honours List for their regular and rapid responses to our requests. Their responses were partial, however. More comprehensive responses, including all the relevant data of use to healthcare professionals and patients, would be a sign of greater transparency. Prescrire encourages them to go that extra mile!

Transparency towards teams such as Prescrire, whose aim is to promote high-quality health care, first and foremost in the interest of patients, should be an ethical requirement for pharmaceutical companies.
 

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 FREE  "The Prescrire Awards for 2025" Prescrire Int 2026; 35 (281): 134-138 FREE.

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