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Article History

Received: 30 August 2018

Accepted: 24 October 2019

First Online: 8 November 2019

Competing interests

: Dr. Hirano is employed by The Department of Lifetime Clinical Immunology of Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), which has received unrestricted research grants from Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Ono Pharmaceuticals; Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co.; UCB Japan; CSL Behring; Towa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Abbvie Japan Co., Ltd.; Japan Blood Products Organization; Ayumi Pharmaceutical Co.; and Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd., with which TMDU currently pays the salary of Dr. Hirano. Dr. Hirano has also received speaking fees from Ono Pharmaceuticals, Astellas Pharma Inc., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma and Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Dr. Shimada has received lecture fee from Chugai. Dr. Furukawa has the following conflicts, and the following funders are supported wholly or in part by the indicated pharmaceutical companies. The Japan Research Foundation for Clinical Pharmacology is run by Daiichi Sankyo, the Takeda Science Foundation is supported by an endowment from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company and the Nakatomi Foundation was established by Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co., Inc. The Daiwa Securities Health Foundation was established by Daiwa Securities Group Inc. and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Welfare Foundation was established by Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., Ltd. Dr. Furukawa was also supported by research grants from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., and received honoraria from Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Pfizer Japan Inc., and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Luminex Japan Corporation Ltd., and Ayumi Pharmaceutical Corporation. Dr. Tohma was supported by research grants from Abbott Japan Co., Ltd., Astellas Pharma Inc., Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Eisai Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Merck Sharp and Dohme Inc., Pfizer Japan Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Teijin Pharma Limited. Dr. Sugihara has received honoraria from Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma Co., Astellas Pharma Inc., Bristol Myers Squibb K.K., Pfizer Japan Inc., UCB Japan Co. Ltd., and Abbvie Japan Co., Ltd., and has received research grant support from Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Astellas Pharma Inc., and Teijin Pharma Ltd. Dr. A. Hashimoto has received research funding from Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Dr. Matsui has received research funding from Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Janssen Pharmaceutical K K. Dr. Tamura has received research grant from Ayumi Pharmaceutical Co., Asahi Kasei. Pharma Co., Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma Co., Astellas Pharma Inc., Bristol Myers Squibb K.K., Abbvie Japan Co., Ltd., and Eisai Co., Ltd., and speaker’s fee from Abbvie Japan Co., Ltd., Bristol Myers Squibb K.K., Janssen. Pharmaceutical K.K., and Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Dr. Makino is a consultant for AbbVie and Teijin, receives speaker honoraria from Boehringer-Ingelheim. Dr. Harigai has received research grants and/or honoraria from Abbott Japan Co., Ltd.; Astellas Pharma Inc.; Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K.; Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Eisai Co., Ltd.; Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K.; Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co.; Santen Pharmaceutical Co.; Ltd.; Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Teijin Pharma, Ltd.; and Pfizer Japan Inc. Dr. Tsuchiya has received a research grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb, 2015 Japan College of Rheumatology Award from Japan College of Rheumatology and 2017 Novartis Rheumatology Award from Japan Rheumatism Association with research funding, and speaker’s honoraria from Ayumi Pharmaceutical Corporation.