The following confirms to us that the U.S. government (specifically, in this case, the FDA) and licensed academic and/or commercial laboratories that test drugs in human subjects have descended into a moral abyss.
“There is a crisis of credibility in medicine and science,” says Dr Joseph Sonnabend who, as a former virologist for the Medical Research Council and a retired Aids physician, has watched the basis for public confidence decline.
A front page article in The New York Times gives a ray of hope about reclaiming medicine from the clutches of industry and its single-minded profit-driven goals:
Under the influence of pharmaceutical companies, physicians anhd drug companies engage in "disease mongering." Below is a critique of Dr. David Healy’s essay: Dr. Nassir Ghaemi who argues for the legitimacy of bipolar diagnosis.
The Wall Street Journal reports: “The FDA is allowing Northfield [Laboratories, Inc] to test its blood substitute without the consent of the trauma patients, who often are unconscious.”
"Lobbyists influence how the government spends your money, but financially conflicted physicians can threaten your well-being."
"This is out-of-control use of drugs that have profound cardiovascular consequences. We have got a potential public health crisis. I think patients and families need to be made aware of these concerns."
"During a hastily called press conference yesterday,” the FDA announced that it is considering ADDITIONAL warnings on the labels of SSRI drugs—Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, et al.
Big Pharma by Jacky Law reveals that in essence, most of the pharmaceutical industry’s claims are false; it is not the drug, but the placebo effect whose potency deserves almost all of the credit for any health improvement:
Applause to Editor of Amer J of Hypertension Who Said NO to financially compromised Society Fri, 29 Jul 2005 The Wall Street Journal reports: “In a dispute reflecting heightened concerns about the control and credibility of medical information, the American Society of Hypertension said it is severing its 16-year relationship…
Law Suits and Court Decisions Sep 15 2005: FDA Amicus Curiae–Kallas–claims FDA infallibility pre-empts state safety laws (warning: 1.6 MB file) Aug 6 2004: Psychiatrist Scolds the APA After Winning Distinguished Fellow Award/ NYC Sues 44 Pharma Companies Aug 5: Pfizer issues prosecutors a manual to defend drug – Star…
Conflict of Interest: Profits vs Safety Congressional Investigations US Senators Pharmaceutical industry holdings, 2004: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/SenPharma.pdf Oct 12: How Did the Vioxx Debacle Happen? USA Today / Lancet Oct 4: Op Ed: Psychiatry on the Ropes–WP / Evidence-based Psychiatry Oct 3: BBC PANORAMA TONIGHT – Taken on Trust – 13 years-Medical…
