Researchers who support Sling The Mesh have made an urgent call for UK Sunshine legislation forcing industry to disclose the secret millions given to the health sector.

The call comes following an investigation by university researchers which uncovered the giant behind blockbuster weight-loss drugs – Wegovy, Ozempic, and Saxenda – failed to disclose £7.8 million in payments to patient groups and health organisations.

Dr Piotr Ozieranski, who added his name to our Sling The Mesh #signforsunshine letter to the government calling for transparency legislation, said:

When a company as large as Novo Nordisk doesn’t disclose payments, it’s not just damaging to their reputation—it undermines trust in the entire healthcare system. Transparency in the UK’s pharmaceutical industry is transparency in name only. A total overhaul is urgently needed.”

Experts in research transparency have said that the repeated offences make a mockery of self-regulation of the drug industry and that only a Sunshine law to disclose payments, backed by financial penalties, will deter companies from inappropriate and aggressive marketing.

The Danish drug giant Novo Nordisk, known for its antidiabetes and weight loss drugs , has been censured by the UK’s Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) over its failure to properly disclose payments to healthcare organisations and patients’ groups between 2015 and 2022.

It is the third time in less than a year that they have been reprimanded.

Dr Emily Rickard said of the investigation:

This process was labour-intensive and shouldn’t fall on the shoulders of researchers or the public. Transparency systems exist to hold companies accountable, but our findings show they’re failing. Companies must do better, and systemic reform is urgently needed.

In July 2024 Novo Nordisk voluntarily admitted that it had failed to disclose around 500 payments totalling £7.8m to 150 recipients, including doctors, patients, journalists, and healthcare organisations, between 2020 and 2022. It said that this was due to a problem with its vendor tagging system.