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and Germany this year, research institutions aler
ted the press about their cost disputes with scientific journal publishers. The University of California, with more than 27,000 scientists, cancelled its $11 million annual subscription to Elsevier, calling the Amsterdam-based publishing house a monopoly. These bold acts are part of the open access movement to make journal content freely available online. ”Open access,” says Novo Nordisk Director of Global Publications Lise Baltzer, “means no paywalls and no barriers to reading or accessing content”, including no embargoed release dates. Open access is tied to a broader open science movement that extends to data, other study materials, and their management. The movement affects industry, too, by changing the ecosystem for communicating about research – including clinical trials. Industry leaders must be involved, open science advocates say, to have a voice in new models about sharing research results. Baltzer is a member of Open Pharma, a group coordinated by health science communications consultancy Oxford PharmaGenesis. Open Pharma works towards medical research transparency by engaging stakeholders such as pharma leaders, journal publishers and editors, funders, patients, and regulators. “Our vision,” Baltzer says, “is that all clinical research is free and immediately available to anyone, anywhere in the world.” The case for open access includes medical reasons, Baltzer says. Physicians and patients should be able to see clinical trial findings that might help them make care decisions. In addition, clinical trial transparency aligns with corporate responsibility goals. For example, Novo Nordisk is committed to sharing clinical trial results, Baltzer says, “whether positive or negative.” Baltzer recommends that R&D executives, leaders, and staff learn about open access and why it’s important for research. “All research stands on the shoulders of what came before,” she says. “If that previous research is not accessible, we can’t advance science.” From a business perspective, advocates says, limiting access to research results slows discovery and innovation. Marianne Gauffriau, coordinator of bibliometric service at Copenhagen University Library, says that especially small and medium-sized enterprises, which can’t afford journal subscriptions, are hampered by paywalls. Even global corporations with large R&D units are burdened by the expense of journal subscriptions. In addition, the inability to see prior results means industry can’t build on or add value to them and wastes time duplicating studies. The open access movement goes back decades, but has new energy because of a general feeling that it isn’t advancing fast enough. ”We need to push the transition to open access,” says Peter Eriksson, head of Operational Development and Support at Vinnova, Sweden’s government agency for innovation. ”It’s been on the agenda for many years in the scientific community, but it always seems to be sometime in the future.” Increasing access to publications, Eriksson says, ”will spur exploration, discovery, and ultimately commercial development.” Lise Baltzer, Director of Global Publications, Novo Nordisk Peter Eriksson, Head of Operational Development and Support, Vinnova NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG 101