Cochrane Renal Group (AW, JCC): The Cochrane renal group receives financial support from several sources including government and industry. These funds go into a general fund managed by the Children's Hospital at Westmead. These funds are used to support key activities including hand‐searching, the development of a studies registry, training and support for reviewers conducting reviews, and consumer participation in the group. Those contributing funds have no rights of authorship or publication. The authors of the review retain the right to interpretation of the results and the right to publish. Funding sources are/have been ; Amgen Australia (past), Amgen Inc (past), Aventis Pharma (past), Janssen‐Cilag (past), Novartis Pharmaceuticals (past), Servier (past), Wyeth Australia (past), Australian Department of Health and Ageing, Australian Kidney Foundation, Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology, National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

AW receives indirect support for infrastructure costs associated with unrelated research with ANZDATA, the dialysis and transplant registry of Australia and New Zealand, in the form of an unrestricted educational grant from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Australia.

JRC has advisory board and clinical study involvement with Novartis, Roche, Janssen‐Cilag, Fujisawa and Wyeth, and has also been an invited speaker at national and international meetings sponsored by these companies.

RT declares no conflicts of interest

RW declares no conflicts of interest