Our guiding principles

The guiding principles for relationships between Edwards and patient organizations

The objective of these global guidelines is to ensure collaboration and other interactions between Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (Edwards) and patient organizations are both productive and ethical. Edwards and the patient organizations it works together with share the mutual aims of helping patients and working on behalf of their interests. Ethical and transparent collaboration helps enable and support patients and patient organizations with the goal of elevating the patient voice and improving patient health outcomes.

Consistent

Edwards’ financial or in-kind support of patient organizations is consistent with the patient organization’s mission and has the primary objective of advancing patient health. Initiatives supported by Edwards may include those focused on improving disease awareness, accurate and timely diagnosis and access to treatment for people living with disease.

Independent

Independence of patient organizations is always respected and the interactions between Edwards and these organizations will comply with applicable laws and regulations.

Trusted

Any financial support of patient organizations by Edwards is documented in writing and reflects the principles outlined in this document. Such agreements are developed in the spirit of mutual respect and trust, and based on sound medical, educational and public policy grounds, including the protection of patient privacy.

Fair and transparent

Patient organizations supported by Edwards should seek donations in a fair and transparent manner from multiple sources to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest and to preserve their autonomy.

Mutual transparency

On Edwards.com we disclose the names of patient organizations that the company provides financial or in-kind support or purchases services at fair market value. This information is updated annually.

Agreements entered into between Edwards and patient organizations require the patient organization to publicly disclose all industry funders (including Edwards) on its website and, if applicable, in materials related to activities that have been funded by an industry sponsor or others.

Funding

Edwards may provide patient organizations with financial support in the form of:

Charitable donations

Provided the organization is a qualified charity and the donation is in support of the organization’s stated charitable mission.

Grants

Unrestricted or restricted to purposes aligned with the mission of the patient organization.

Sponsorships

Sponsorship of a specific activity or initiative undertaken by the patient organization.

Edwards support for meetings and activities is permissible when the primary purposes of the activity is professional, educational, scientific or otherwise consistent with a patient organization’s mission and is held in appropriate venues with modest meals and refreshments.

Agreements between Edwards and patient organizations will be monitored to ensure that they are executed in line with the proposals and objectives, as agreed upon.

Edwards will neither offer nor withhold funding in return for a patient organization agreeing to:

Provide product promotion activities (branded or unbranded)
Promote or endorse Edwards products or services
Support a campaign that is funded, developed and managed solely by Edwards;
or
Afford special privileges, overt or implied, such as allowing Edwards to direct or unduly influence a meeting agenda, unduly influence educational materials or content, choose speakers at organization-hosted events or influence the outcome of research

Edwards is fully committed to patient organizations establishing and maintaining their independence and autonomy. In support of this, Edwards will not provide financial support to patient organizations if Edwards is the sole source of funding, unless the funding is:

For an event or project, provided:

The funding is to support a specific event or time-specific project, and
The event or project is one of several projects the organization has or is organizing during the same calendar year, which are financially supported by others besides Edwards, and
The opportunity to support the event or project is made available to multiple sponsors.

For a new, start-up patient organization, provided:

The organization can demonstrate that it must rely on a single source of funding in its set-up phase, and
The patient organization immediately seeks funding from multiple sources, and
The patient organization secures and maintains multiple funding sources within, at the latest, 36 months of achieving charitable/ non-profit status

Interactions with patient organizations

To respect patient groups’ independence, Edwards will not:

Attempt to direct or control the organization’s mission, leadership or priorities;
Provide unsolicited advice or input outside the scope of a specific agreement;
Provide or present branded marketing materials for use by the organization; or
Request the patient group to endorse or support a campaign that is run solely by Edwards.

Edwards does not contract with patient organization leaders, employees or individuals having governance responsibilities as consultants or service providers to Edwards on matters associated with their patient organization roles or on matters which might create a conflict of interest.

All Edwards communications and interactions with patient organizations and/or their designated representatives are advisory in nature. Relationships with patient organizations are managed by employees trained and operating within these guiding principles, and in coordination with Edwards’ Patient Engagement personnel, to ensure appropriate interactions in compliance with local laws and regulations.

Edwards may engage patient organizations to provide patient services subject to the following:

A legitimate need for services is identified and documented prior to engaging, and
The organization is qualified to provide the services, and
Organization is not paid more than fair market value.

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