Kissing goodbye to key opinion leaders

Drug industry report reveals strained relations with medical “thought leaders”

One of the hottest topics in the business of medicine is how the new sunshine of disclosure is affecting relations between drug companies and so-called key opinion leaders, or KOLs. In the United States, growing public scrutiny of company payments is now causing many doctors to shy away from corporate invitations to consult, speak or advise. As greater transparency comes to Australia, and previously hidden dealings are put on the table, industry here may also have to kiss goodbye to a key component of its marketing machinery.