Comments on: Will Glaxo Sue Steve Nissen For $15 Billion?

By: Brenda

Brenda — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 23:28:44 +0000

Interesting article. An associate of mine is actually hosting a forum on medical ethics in San Francisco this November, highlighting the Avandia/FDA debate. I’m curious to find out if there is any progress to be made in light of this article.

By: Hank

Hank — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:00:56 +0000

There was an interesting survey a year or so ago, I have lost track of which organization did it, of pharma senior managers. A striking finding was that some 40% of _them_ believed that pharma senior managers cut ethical corners for profits. An even larger percentage agreed that off-label promotion was more common than otherwise.

Of course, for this to be meaningful, you’d have to compare it with how senior people in other fields rate their cohort. There was no such comparison.

My own view is that, overall, the pharm industry attracts a _more_ ethically principled group of people than other fields. I mean, of course, the chemists, pharmacologists, and a very wide range of others who go into the field because of their wish to do something enormously useful and meaningful.

Those are not the folks to be concerned about, just as at the FDA the line reviewers are, virtually without exception, extraordinarily dedicated, excellent professionals.

By: Jason

Jason — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 16:02:11 +0000

Lisa, I understand your personal viewpoint. But these are troubled children to begin with. I certainly agree it needs more study and research, which is hard to do in children — especially potentially suicidal children. I don’t think the answer is to quit trying to find an answer. I have seen too many people helped by medications. With the amount of publicity this has generated, WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD TRY TO HELP THIS GROUP OF PATIENTS! You might as well set yourself up for the lawsuits. You could be right, but this will stop progress. If I were a pharma company, I wouldn’t try to innovate at this point at all. The risks are much too big. It seems like we are satisfied with the current state of medical care - which is sad. There are still diseases to treat and patients to help.

By: Dr. Remulac

Dr. Remulac — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 15:04:01 +0000

The entire field of psychiatry is bizarre to begin with. It is by far the worst when it comes to off-label prescribing (once a psych drug becomes available, they all start prescribing it for nearly everything experimentally), and also off-label promotion. I totally agree that the SSRIs as well as all the atypical antipsychotics are horribly over- and inappropriately prescribed. Both the healthcare practitioners and the pharma companies need to be spanked on this one!

By: Lisa Van Syckel

Lisa Van Syckel — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:30:05 +0000

Jason,
That meta analasys you refer to was “TEENY TINY!!” SSRI’s Cause suicide in children.You would have known that had you read the Editorial of Dr. Pfeffer-(Para.6,last 2 sentences)Secondly,there is no efficay of SSRI’s in the treatment of depression in Teens(Check out Energy an Commerce,O and I).Read the staements of FDA and Pharma that were given under oath.

Heck better yet,check out Ed’s coverage here on Pharmalot and articles he wrote for the NJ Starledger.

And yes the original information is GOSPEL!! The watered down warnings will COST CHILDREN THEIR LIVES!!

By: Dr. Remulac

Dr. Remulac — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:06:31 +0000

Lisa - I just bet you are!! Go get ‘em!

By: jason

jason — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:05:34 +0000

Lisa, I notice you are taking the original information as gospel. Full disclosure — I am not in any way connected to this company or any company with a SSRI, so I am not as up to date as I should be! That being said, I know I saw a huge meta-analysis on SSRI in the last 2 months that confirmed they did not cost lives. Yes, some who are put on SSRI’s commit suicide, but many who are not treated medically commit suicide. Maybe someone out there is more familiar with the study, but the bottom line was — there are risks, but the benefits likely outweigh the risks.

In the age when pharma and medical advances have hit new highs, I don’t understand why everyone wants to take a step backward. Keep in mind, there is no way aspirin would be approved today with its tedency to cause GI bleeds.

I hope if nothing else, I hope the general public begins to realize that medications are not the magic bullet for all medical conditions. If seems diet and exercise might be a better option for diabetics than carrying around the bong or taking Avandia

By: Lisa Van Syckel

Lisa Van Syckel — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 01:57:51 +0000

Dr. R,
Im sure GSK will admit privately,that I have been a real THORN in their side…………

By: Lisa Van Syckel

Lisa Van Syckel — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 01:53:31 +0000

No Dr. R.,
My daughter was one of the lucky ones,she survived….
Many other Parents weren’t so lucky..

By: Dr. Remulac

Dr. Remulac — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:10:08 +0000

Lisa - Believe it or not, I am on your side, and I have no doubt that senior management in many a pharma company has behaved unethically or even illegally in the past, and will do so again. I believe that companies themselves are not evil, but sometimes the greedy egomaniacs at the top are. Those people should pay, but not the many innocent and moral/ethical people that are still found today in all pharma companies. I gather you’ve suffered personal loss that may very well indeed be due to the actions of some of the types of people I am talking about, and for that I am sincerely sorry. I hope you find closure and peace and maybe pin a few butts to the wall as you do!