So the battle over Avandia has begun anew, and issues raised in the meeting between the four executives and Dr. Nissen are likely to be raised again. For instance, during the meeting, company executives repeatedly promised to begin a crucial analysis of the safety of Avandia “within days.” Nearly three years later, such a study has not been published in a medical journal, although the company has posted results on its Web site.

Also during the meeting, Dr. Ronald L. Krall, GlaxoSmithKline’s chief medical officer, predicted almost exactly the results of another crucial study of Avandia that was two months from publication and whose results, according to scientific protocols and the company itself, should have been kept secret from the company. In an interview, Dr. Nissen said the recording showed that the executives hoped to persuade him not to publish his study by suggesting that they had contradictory information they would share with him in a joint study.

“In retrospect, it seems clear that neither statement was true,” Dr. Nissen said. “They did not have contradictory data, and they never intended to cooperate in any analyses.”

In response to questions, GlaxoSmithKline said that its executives went to see Dr. Nissen to discuss a possible research collaboration and to review the safety information surrounding Avandia. “G.S.K. was not aware that Dr. Nissen secretly recorded the May 10 meeting and is disturbed to learn that he did so without advising G.S.K.,” the company said in an e-mail message.

Dr. Krall, in an e-mail message on Monday, said he did not recall discussing potential results of the Avandia study in the meeting, but added that he did not learn the results “until many days after the meeting with Dr. Nissen.”