133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T +64 4 496 2000
W www.medsafe.govt.nz
16 November 2022
Heather Darby
By email: [FYI request #20947 email]
Ref:
H2022015318
Dear Heather
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) to Manatū Hauora
(the Ministry of Health) on 24 October 2022 for:
“Does anyone on the vaccine committees or within Medsafe or within MoH or within New
Zealand receive royalties from Pfizer?”
On 9 November 2022 we contacted you to clarify your request. You clarified that by ‘royalties’ you
meant:
“
Payments of any type (cash or kind or other metrics of compensation) based on the gross
or net revenues of Pfizer products OR Payments of any type (cash or kind or other metrics
of compensation) for Pfizer products to allowed to be used in New Zealand."
Manatū Hauora staff may own Pfizer stock in a personal capacity but are required to declare
conflicts of interest if this may interfere with their position. The vaccine committees, such as the
COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group, or the Medicines Assessment Advisory Committee (MAAC)
have processes in place which allow them to identify and deal with any conflicts of interest. For
example, you can find information about how conflicts of interest are dealt with by the MAAC
here:
www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/marc/MARC.asp
None of the parties you have identified receive payment from Pfizer to allow their medicines to be
approved or used in New Zealand.
I trust this information fulfils your request. Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to
ask the Ombudsman to review any decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be
contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Derek Fitzgerald
Acting Group Manager
Medsafe