- IHSI is composed exclusively of members that represent governmental bodies. Member states are prohibited from nominating organizations that are controlled by or under the influence of for-profit entities. As a result, representatives of IHSI member organizations are by definition considered free from direct conflicts of interest.
- Members of the IHSI Secretariat, whether they are employees of an IHSI member organization or direct employees of IHSI itself, are also required to provide a conflict-of-interest declaration to ensure full transparency.
- No funding from pharmaceutical companies or non-state actors is accepted, and all financial resources are derived solely from membership fees paid by member states.
- IHSI is a non-political, data-driven organization, focused on providing governments with independent and transparent pharmaceutical intelligence. Its goal is to ensure governments have the best available information to support their decision-making processes.
- IHSI is only permitted to work with publicly available data. Unlike regulatory agencies, IHSI does not engage with pharmaceutical companies in confidential discussions about drug development pipelines or any activities that would require restrictive agreements.
- All data within the IHSI database and high-impact reports remain the intellectual property of IHSI and its member states. Member states are free to use, analyze, and cite the data as needed without restrictions.
- Direct interaction with the pharmaceutical industry is not relevant to the IHSI Horizon Scanning System (HSS). Beyond publicly available data, IHSI does not seek, receive, or rely on confidential industry input.
- IHSI has occasionally hosted Stakeholder Meetings, where industry representatives were invited, but these meetings serve only to inform external stakeholders about IHSI’s goals and intended impact. These events occur once a year and do not influence IHSI’s methodologies, decision-making, or data collection processes.
- IHSI’s legal structure as an A.I.S.B.L. (international not-for-profit association under Belgian law) enforces its independence by prohibiting industry influence over governance, funding, and operational decisions.
