What is the main conflict of interest for a physician acting as an investigator while having licensed a compound to a company?

The main conflict of interest arises from ownership interests leading to bias. When a physician acts as an investigator and has licensed a compound to a company, they may have financial stakes that could influence the outcomes of the research. This situation creates a potential bias in how the trial is conducted, the interpretation of the data, and the reporting of results. Such conflicts need to be carefully managed to uphold the integrity of the research and ensure that the findings are unbiased and credible.

Ownership interests may lead a physician to favor their own financial interests over the responsibility to provide objective, evidence-based findings. For example, if the physician stands to profit significantly from positive trial results, they may unconsciously or consciously influence the study to produce favorable outcomes. This type of bias can undermine the trustworthiness of the research and affect patient safety.

Other potential conflicts, such as timing of the trial, participation in marketing strategies, or collaborative agreements with other researchers, while relevant, do not inherently represent the core conflict of interest as clearly as ownership interests do. These aspects may also contribute to complex situations but do not directly link to the personal financial incentives that can compromise the integrity of research results.