David Kunkel, MD
Gastroenterology · San Diego, CANPI 1902056245
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
This record is dominated by speaking fees: $246,917 of the $286,942 with a category attached, or 86.1%. 20 manufacturers reported payments, led by Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc. at 34.5% of the total. 2025 is the largest year on record at $88,757, 7.2 times the $12,271 reported in 2019. Among gastroenterology clinicians in CA with any reported payments, this total sits in the top 5% — high for the specialty, which is a reason to read the composition above rather than the number alone.
Across 237 payments — averaging $1210.72 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.$99K
- Sanofi$66K
- Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.$60K
- Pfizer$22K
- Evoke Pharma, Inc.$16K
- Shire North American Group Inc$11K
- plus $13K from 14 others
Across 40 payments — averaging $9811.15 each. Payments tied to a research study. These frequently flow through the physician to a hospital or research institution rather than to the physician personally.
- Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.$392K
What the payments were for
- Consulting fees$14,8955%
- Speaking & faculty fees$246,91786%
- Travel & lodging$17,5156%
- Food & beverage$7,6153%
General payments by program year
Who reported the general payments
Companies are grouped under their corporate parent — a single manufacturer often files under several CMS reporting entities. Research and ownership payments are counted separately and are not in this table.
| Company | Payments | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc. | 94 | $99,067 |
| Sanofi | 18 | $66,022 |
| Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 56 | $59,832 |
| Pfizer | 7 | $22,437 |
| Evoke Pharma, Inc. | 11 | $16,021 |
| Shire North American Group Inc | 9 | $11,033 |
| Ardelyx, Inc. | 6 | $2,254 |
| Redhill Biopharma Inc. | 2 | $2,100 |
| Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | 2 | $2,056 |
| Salix Pharmaceuticals, A Division Of Bausch Health US, LLC | 19 | $1,493 |
| GI Supply, Inc. | 1 | $1,200 |
| Mahana Therapeutics, Inc. | 3 | $1,154 |
| Palette Life Sciences, Inc. | 2 | $986 |
| Alfasigma USA, Inc. | 1 | $750 |
| Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 1 | $124 |
| Medtronic | 1 | $122 |
| Shield Therapeutics Inc | 1 | $97 |
| AstraZeneca | 1 | $83 |
| Covidien LP | 1 | $75 |
| AbbVie | 1 | $34 |
What the payments were tied to
Products named in the reported payments. Only payments of $100 or more are attributed here — the typical reported payment nationally is a meal worth about $16, and listing those product-by-product would be noise.
How this compares
$286,942 in reported general payments places this provider in the 95th percentile of 1,885 gastroenterology providers in California.
Medicare billing
What this is not: this is the amount Original Medicare Part B allowed for services this provider billed in 2024. It is not their income. It excludes Medicare Advantage — now more than half of all Medicare enrollment — along with Medicaid and all commercial insurance, and it is gross practice revenue before staff, rent, supplies and malpractice premiums. CMS also suppresses any figure covering ten or fewer patients, so low-volume providers appear smaller than they are.
Most prescribed under Part D
| Drug | Claims | Cost to plans & patients |
|---|---|---|
| LinzessLinaclotide | 102 | $112,239 |
| MotegrityPrucalopride Succinate | 47 | $54,605 |
| VoqueznaVonoprazan Fumarate | 19 | $26,979 |
| TrulancePlecanatide | 28 | $23,557 |
| Sod Sulf-Potass Sulf-Mag SulfSodium, Potassium,mag Sulfates | 72 | $4,663 |
| ClenpiqSod Picosulf/Mag Ox/Citric Ac | 19 | $3,173 |
| Rabeprazole Sodium | 47 | $2,908 |
| Lubiprostone | 11 | $2,479 |
| Peg3350-Sod Sul-Nacl-Kcl-Asb-CPeg3350/Sod Sul/Nacl/Kcl/Asb/C | 15 | $773 |
| Famotidine | 39 | $705 |
| Ondansetron OdtOndansetron | 14 | $347 |
| Pantoprazole Sodium | 31 | $291 |
| Diltiazem 24hr Er (Cd)Diltiazem Hcl | 18 | $269 |
| Gavilyte-GPeg3350/Sod Sulf,bicarb,cl/Kcl | 16 | $243 |
| Peg-3350 And ElectrolytesPeg3350/Sod Sulf,bicarb,cl/Kcl | 15 | $237 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Companies that both paid and supply prescribed drugs
These companies both reported payments to this provider and make drugs the provider prescribed under Medicare Part D in 2024. For most specialties this overlap is expected — a cardiologist who is paid by a cardiology drugmaker also treats heart disease. It is shown so the reader can see it, not because it implies anything on its own.
| Company | Paid to this provider | Part D cost of their drugs |
|---|---|---|
| AbbVieLinzess | $34 | $112,239102 claims |
| Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.Motegrity | $2,056 | $54,60547 claims |
| Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Voquezna | $59,832 | $26,97919 claims |
| Salix Pharmaceuticals, A Division Of Bausch Health US, LLCTrulance | $1,493 | $23,55728 claims |
Reading this fairly. The Part D column is what drug plans and patients paid pharmacies — this provider received none of it, and it reflects how many patients they treat and what those drugs cost. Against peers, this provider's reported payments sit in the 95th percentile of 1,885 gastroenterology providers in California.
Other gastroenterology in San Diego
- William SandbornSan Diego$340K
- Naveen GaraSan Diego$178K
- Bennett RothLos Angeles$2.8M
- Douglas NguyenMission Viejo$2M
- Sammy SaabLos Angeles$1.9M
- Kenneth ChangNewport Beach$1.3M
- Joo HwangStanford$1M
- Drew SchembreWalnut Creek$659K
- Quan Nhula Jolla$641K
- Sadeea AbbasiLos Angeles$556K
Where these figures come from
- Payments: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019–2025 (publication P06302026_06032026).
- Billing: Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners, data year 2024. Original Medicare Part B only.
- Identity: NPPES NPI Registry, July 2026.