Conflict of interest statement: Competing interests Dr Wolfgang Hueber is an 
employee of Novartis Pharma and owns shares; Dr Bruce E Sands received 
consulting fees for service on a scientific advisory board for Abbott 
Immunology, Avaxia Biologics, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Elan Pharmaceuticals, Glaxo 
SmithKline Welcome, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer and Prometheus 
Laboratories; consulting fees from Emmi Solutions; and holds common stock in 
Avaxia Biologics (a company that is not publicly traded); Steve Lewitzky is an 
employee of Novartis Pharma; Dr Marc Vandemeulebroecke is an employee of 
Novartis Pharma and owns Novartis shares; Dr Walter Reinisch is a medical 
advisor to Novartis; Dr Peter D R Higgins consults for Amgen, Genentech and JBR 
Pharma, and receives honoraria from Abbott; Dr Jan Wehkamp has no conflict of 
interest; Dr Brian G Feagan has been a scientific advisor for Protein Design 
Labs, Astra Zeneca, Elan/Biogen, Celltech, Synta, Merck, Celgene, Novartis, 
Given Imaging Inc., UCB Pharma, Salix Pharmaceuticals, Abbott Laboratories, 
Centocor Inc. Pfizer, Axcan, Tillotts Pharma AG, Prometheus Laboratories, a 
consultant for Synta, Millennium, Merck, Centocor, Elan/Biogen, Janssen-Ortho, 
Protein Design Labs, ISIS, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Santarus, Bristol-Myers Squibb, 
Celgene, UCB Pharma, Abbott, Proctor and Gamble, Genentech, Tillotts, Given 
Imaging Inc., Salix Pharm., Ore Pharm. (previously GeneLogic), Novo Nordisk, 
GSK, Actogenix, Prometheus Therapeutics and Diagnostics, Athersys, Alba 
Therapeutics, Axcan, Pfizer, Shire, Wyeth, Zealand Pharm and has received a 
research grant from Merck, Milllennium, Tillotts, Abbott, Engelheim, Novartis, 
Centocor, Synta, Elan/Biogen, UCB Pharma, BMS, Proctor and Gamble, Genentech, 
CombinatoRx, ActoGeniX; Dr Michael D Yao has nothing to disclose; Dr Marek 
Karczewski was an external consultant for Novartis Pharma AG; Dr Jacek 
Karczewski was an external consultant for Novartis Pharma AG; Nicole Pezous is 
an employee of Novartis Pharma; Dr Stephan Bek is an employee of Novartis 
Pharma; Dr Gerard Bruin is an employee of Novartis Pharma and owns Novartis 
shares; Dr Bjoern Mellgard is an employee of Novartis Pharma; Claudia Berger is 
an employee of Novartis Pharma and owns Novartis shares; Dr Marco Londei is an 
employee of Novartis Pharma; Dr Arthur P Bertolino is an employee of Novartis 
Pharma; Dr Gervais Tougas is an employee of Novartis Pharma and owns Novartis 
shares; Dr Simon P L Travis has received honoraria for advisory boards or 
consultancy from Abbott; Asahi; Aspreva; BMS; Centocor; Cosmo; Elan; Ferring; 
Genentech; Genzyme; Giuliani; GSK; Glenmark; MSD; Novartis; Ocera; Procter & 
Gamble Pharmaceuticals; PDLBiopharma; Santarus; Schering-Plough; Shire; Takeda; 
Tillotts; UCB Pharma; Vertex; Vifor and Warner Chilcott. He has given expert 
testimony on behalf of Elan, Cosmo, Ocera, Procter & Gamble, Santarus and 
Tillotts, and received unrestricted educational grants from Abbott, Ferring, 
MSD, Procter & Gamble, Schering Plough and Warner Chilcott.