PhRMA: We Didn’t Send A Spy To Cannes!
8 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // June 8th, 2007 // 6:12 pm
What spy? It goes like this: Ken Johnson, PhRMA’s senior vp, tells BusinessWeek that a friend called him from Cannes, where Michael Moore’s SiCKO made its debut, and told him about the flick. With publicity about the film building, PhRMA promptly issues a statement lambasting Moore and accusing him of “finding new ways to advance his political agenda.”
Earlier this week, after the magazine story appears, Moore issues a statement, saying “Billy Tauzin, the chief lobbyist for the drug industry, doesn’t need to hide behind a ‘friend’ if he wants to see the movie. I invite Mr. Tauzin to join me in New Hampshire later this month for a screening of ‘SiCKO,’ followed by a town hall discussion…Tauzin has a starring role in ‘SiCKO’ and I am sure the spy reported back on the film’s treatment of Mr. Tauzin. The town hall forum will certainly offer the public a chance to explore Tauzin’s record and the drug industry’s role in our health care system.”
This afternoon, Ken Johnson tells Pharmalot: “This is a pretty desperate attempt to drum up some publicity. Billy had nothing to do with this. I spent 15 years in Washington, and made a lot of friends from Hollywood. And one of them, who I’m not going to drag into this, called to tell me about it. And I got some pretty good blow-by-blow. But we didn’t have a spy there, and we didn’t send anyone there. It was a friend from the motion picture business.”
What do you think? Was it really a friend or a spy?
- Friend (51%, 37 Votes)
- Spy (47%, 34 Votes)
Total Voters: 73
Loading ...Hat tip to Pharma Marketing
Laurie
Pharma has been nervous about this film for years. To believe that they didn’t have someone over there to see it firsthand is naive.
Chris
It would certainly be naive to believe that: I think it’s called spin and not very good at that. The industry has been consistently poor over the years at projecting many of the good things it does, and has been remarkably ineffective responding objectively to the various and many challenges it faces, whether genuine, political or whatever. Perhaps Moore’s professionalism and no doubt effective portrayal of his particular agenda will prompt the big shots in DC to finally get their act together.
Mark
Moore got plenty of advertising on the Opera show, you can find clips http://pharmagossip.blogspot.com/2007/06/michael-moore-on-oprah.html
John Mack
Ed,
Thanks for the hat tip!
I hope you don’t mind a bit of self-promotion for my review of SiCKO, which may be the first review by a blogger who has actually SEEN the movie firsthand!
While the pharmaceutical industry is part of Michael Moore’s — and many other people’s — “Axis of Evil” consisting of pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and insurance companies, he does cut the industry some slack in his new movie “SiCKO,” which I saw yesterday at a special screening in New York City. Pharma is merely a “necessary evil,” whereas insurance companies are just not necessary at all — at least the for-profit insurance industry.
If your readers would like to read my review, please see “SiCKO is Boffo but Not Anti-Pharmaco, per se” at http://pharmamkting.blogspot.com/2007/06/sicko-is-boffo-but-not-anti-pharmaco.html
John Mack, Editor & Publisher
Pharma Marketing News/Pharma Marketing Blog
John Mack
P.S. Regarding PhRMA’s “SiCKO Spy Scheme”
I have inside information about how this all came about (a little “Intern” told me) — see my post Monday on Pharma Marketing Blog!
John
Melody
Axis of Evil: who delivers “medicine” to the patient? The insurance company? No. The pharmaceutical company? No. Hospitals? Maybe. Doctors? YES!
John Mack
PhRMA Intern is back!
In the latest episode of the Adventures of PhRMA Intern — Strange visitor from an Ivy League school who came to PhRMA with powers and ability far beyond those of Ken Johnson — works behind the scenes to get Ken Johnson’s Hollywood friend to go to Cannes, view the movie SiCKO and report back to PhRMA.
Learn about it in “PhRMA Intern Makes Movie Mogul an Offer He Can’t Refuse!” here:
http://pharmamkting.blogspot.com/2007/06/phrma-intern-makes-movie-mogul-offer-he.html
Lillian Katz
Could you please explain how Pharmalot will help Americans receive honest health care? Pharmaceuticals are protected by warning labels. Many medications are making people seriously sick, even causing cancer. The warning lbels on medicines tell you to tell your doctor if you expiernce any adverse side effects. But when you tell your doctor, he says, could be and does nothing about the issue.
New Jersey has Patient Safet Act that protects the doctors and the Hosptials. Will Pharmalot investigate the problems Americans are experiencing in receiving ethical Health Care?