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Thomas M. Schindler, PhD1 and Gail V. Flores, PhD2/ 1Head Innovation Medical Writing, 
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Biberach, Germany; and 22020-2021 
President, AMWA; Encore Biomedical Communications LLC, Encinitas, California.

AMWA, EMWA, and ISMPP Promote Ethical,  
Professional Medical Writing in JAMA Oncology 
Letter to the Editor

In March 2021, Del Paggio et al. published an article in JAMA Oncology that included disparaging com-

ments about medical writers. American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) leaders, in partnership 

with representatives from the European Medical Writers Association (EMWA) and the International 

Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP), immediately and swiftly drafted and submitted a 

letter of response to this article, which was published on August 26, 2021, along with 2 other letters and 

the authors‘ response to all 3 letters. Del Paggio et al.’s article reported on multiple aspects of random-

ized clinical trials in oncology, including the use of professional medical writers. Specifically, the authors 

stated, “There is reason to be concerned that medical writers may unduly influence the interpretation of 

trials, … as it is unlikely that medical writers have a neutral effect on the clinical trial reporting.”1

 Although we all share an understanding of the value of medical writers, it is imperative that we 

respond publicly to these attacks to safeguard the reputation of our profession. As highlighted in our 

letter, the use of our profession’s expertise improves accuracy, timeliness, and adherence to ethical con-

duct. Evidence from independent research on the benefits of working with medical writers was included 

in the response. The commitment of medical writers to adhere to Good Publication Practice (GPP3) guide-

lines and to ethical principles in scientific publishing as well as to the professional codes of conduct of 

their professional organizations was also identified as a significant benefit of working with professional 

medical writers. Although the letter is behind a paywall, JAMA Oncology has granted the authors free 

access to the full text to share with our members; note that this link should not be shared outside of the 

AMWA membership.

Author declaration and disclosures: The authors note no commercial associations that may pose a conflict of interest in 
relation to this article.

Author contact: thomas.schindler@boehringer-ingelheim.com; gflores@encorebiomed.com

References 
1. Del Paggio JC, Berry JS, Hopman WM, et al. Evolution of the randomized clinical trial in the era of precision oncology. 

JAMA Oncol. 2021;7(5):728-734. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.0379

AMWA Journal / V36 N4 / 2021 / amwa.org    185

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/article-abstract/2783530?guestAccessKey=e38e72e5-1cde-42ac-a66e-f0495987b788
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/article-abstract/2777587