FDA Scientists Collide with FDA Managers Re: Safety Issues
Since 1995 FDA scientists have been at odds against FDA managers who routinely override sientists’ safety concerns to approve dubious prescription drugs.
J & J Suspends Prostate Cancer Drug Trial–Why?
The decision to suspend the trial is viewed as highly questionable, raising disturbing questions about the role that marketing played–especially in light of the fact that Zytiga’s patent is due to expire in 2017.
Vicissitudes of Psychiatry’s Diagnostic Manual Revisions
The latest area of controversy focuses on the proposed revision of the definition "behavioral addiction disorder" extending the addiction diagnosis to include drug, alcohol and gambling. It is estimated that the change would expand the number of people labeled as "addicts" by 20 to 30 million who would be entitled to treatment and disability payments costing taxpayers many hundreds of millions of dollars.
High Court Exonerates Senior Author of Controversial MMR Paper
The UK High Court issued a ruling completely exonerating Dr. John Walker-Smith, co-author of the maligned vaccine article published by The Lancet in 1998.
Harvard Psychiatrists Disciplined for Conflicts of Interest
The primary promoters–inventors, one might say– of diagnosing children with "bipolar" disorder, who for over a decade, aggressively promoted the biopolar diagnosis and use of antipsychotics in children, were disciplined by Harvard University and its affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.
Academic Freedom & the Corporate University
The Chronicle of Higher Education looks at the increasingly dark side of conflicts of interest in academia.
Author of Ghostwritten Paxil Study Ran for Canadian Parliament
Dr. Stan Kutcher, a co-author of a widely disseminated–now discredited ghostwritten report–“Study 329”–who ran for Canadian Parliament, The Coast, a small Canadian newspaper, retracted and then apologized for a story that highlighted about the benefits of the antidepressant, Paxil, for children.
professor of psychiatry who penned his name to aghostwritten report
POGO to NIH: Stop Academic Ghostwriting Pollution
Project on Government Oversight (POGO) asked NIH Director to take a firm stance against ghostwriting by academics who receive taxpayer funded grants.
Report Blasts Unethical HPV Vaccine Trial in India
The Tribune and The Deccan Herald report (below) that a report submitted by a high level committee appointed by the government of India, after seven girls died while enrolled in an HPV vaccine trial testing the safety of vaccines manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, and Dohme, brought out “shocking findings” about…
Private Foundations’ Conflicts of Interest Revealed
The largest private global health foundations exert inordinate influence on public health policy–ensuring that those policies increase profits for their corporate and endowment portfolios.
SSRI Antidepressants Linked to Breast Cancer
A meta- analysis of 61 studies in PLoS ONE found an increased risk of breast cancer for women taking an antidepressant.
This Year Alone, Drug Industry To Lose $50 billion
This year alone, because of patent expirations, the drug industry will lose control over more than 10 megamedicines whose combined annual sales have neared $50 billion.