Document is current

Article History

Received: 27 May 2016

Accepted: 19 June 2016

First Online: 3 November 2016

Competing interests

: DP has acted as a consultant for Almirall, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Meda, Mundipharma, Napp, Novartis, Pfizer and Teva. He has received research grants from the UK National Health Service, the British Lung Foundation, Aerocrine, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, Eli Lilly, GSK, Meda, Merck, Mundipharma, Novartis, Orion, Pfizer, Respiratory Effectiveness Group, Takeda, Teva and Zentiva. He owns shares in AKL Ltd, which produced phytopharmaceuticals and owns 80% of RiRL Ltd and its subsidiary social enterprise Optimum Patient Care. He has received unrestricted funding for investigator-initiated studies from Aerocrine, AKL Ltd, Almirall, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, Meda, Mundipharma, Napp, Novartis, Orion, Takeda, Teva and Zentiva. MM has received speaker fees from Almirall, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Chiesi, Esteve, GSK, Menarini, Grifols, Mycomed and Novartis, and has received consulting fees from Almirall, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer, GSK, Gebro Pharma, CLS Behring, MedImmune, Novartis, Grifols and Nycomed. In the last 5 years, IP has received speaker’s honoraria for speaking at sponsored meetings from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Aerocrine, Almirall, Novartis and GSK, and a payment for organising an educational event for SPRs from AstraZeneca. He has received honoraria for attending advisory panels with Almirall, Genentech, Regeneron, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD), Schering-Plough, Novartis, Dey, Napp and Respivert. He has received sponsorship to attend international scientific meetings from Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, AstraZeneca and Napp. Neither MT nor any member of his close family has any shares in pharmaceutical companies. In the last 3 years he has received speaker’s honoraria for speaking at sponsored meetings or satellite symposia at conferences from the following companies marketing respiratory and allergy products: Aerocrine, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, MSD and Teva. He has received honoraria for attending advisory panels with Aerocrine, Almirall, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, GSK, MSD and Novartis. He has received sponsorship to attend international scientific meetings from GSK, AstraZeneca and Mundipharma. He has received funding for research projects from GSK and Almirall. He is chief medical adviser to the charity Asthma UK, a member of the BTS SIGN Asthma guideline group and the NICE Asthma guideline group. JW has received research grants from GSK, Takeda, Almirall, Novartis, Johnson and Johnson and Vifor Pharma, honoraria for advisory boards for Almirall, Novartis, GSK, Boehringer, Takeda, Johnson and Johnson, Napp, Pfizer and AstraZeneca, and lecture/presentation fees from Almirall, Novartis, GSK, Boehringer and Takeda. JH has received reimbursement for attending symposia, fees for speaking, organising educational events, funds for research or fees for consulting from Almirall, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, Cipla, GSK, MSD, Mundipharma, Novartis and Teva. KB and DW were employees of RiRL Ltd at the time of the study.