Comments on: A Soap Opera: Pharmaceuticals Is An Ugly Business

By: Patent Baristas » Friday IP Round-Up

Patent Baristas » Friday IP Round-Up — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:50:56 +0000

[...] the pharmaceutical business (reporting) has become a soap opera. Pharmalot stimulated some comments after posting about an Rx video soap opera. We haven’t [...]

By: Nathan

Nathan — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:20:36 +0000

Ok, fair enough. I only found two additional “funny” things on this site with Pharma as the butt. The third was Eliott Spitzer a few days ago.
How Many CEO’s To Change A Light Bulb?
For Glaxo’s Witty: A Way To Reduce Stress

Don’t get me wrong — I do find these things funny. I just hope that Ed is just as quick to post a funny article about FDA inefficiency, frivolous lawsuits, incompetent doctors, etc. I take your word that you will be…

By: Justice in Michigan

Justice in Michigan — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 04:04:08 +0000

I suppose this is beside the point, but I checked out the first clip.

One thing is clear - this is _not_ the Actors Studio…

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:32:10 +0000

Nathan
I like your posts in general but how on earth can you ask for unbiased humor? What would that look like? Lowest common demoniator - offend no-one? Hello C-Span.

In general I’m pro industry and find the rants and raves on here sometimes ludicrous, usually interesting, and probably well intended. And often, very funny in an unintentional way: especially the super-opinionated anti-pharma zealots who can find nothing of value in that industry in which we have spent many years.

So perhaps try to see that a bit more and let the unintentional humor from ‘those whom we know’ screech for itself.

By: Ed Silverman

Ed Silverman — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:53:48 +0000

Hi Nathan,

With all due respect, I’ve already explained my decision about why I chose to post the soap opera. And I’m not ‘hiding’ my own views in choosing to post this particular soap opera. Go back and read my explanation if you’re not clear - it addresses some of the issues that are often discussed on this site.

I’m not sure which other humorous items you’re referring to when you say the pharma industry is always the butt of the joke here. You suggest there have been a lot. In reality, I’ve posted only a couple of outright parody items since the site launched in January 2007 - one was the spoof of John Lennon’s Imagine, which I already mentioned, and that was last summer. (Recently, I did post two politically oriented humorous items - about Kennedy, Obama and Clinton; and last week, about Spitzer).

Lastly, I like to think I have a well-developed and well-rounded sense of humor (candidly, you need one to be a journalist and run this kind of site). But I’ll tell you what - if I find a parody of ‘frivolous’ lawsuits concerning pharma, and it’s a well done parody, I will consider posting. To the best of my knowledge, no one has bothered to make a good one.

Regards
ed

By: Nathan

Nathan — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 01:30:46 +0000

Ed,
For what it’s worth, these “humorous” things that you post from time-to-time always are at the expense of an industry full of hard-working and honest people who work to develop life-saving medications. I think Bob (and myself) would appreciate your humor a little more if it were balanced. I’ve never seen any humorous stuff on your website about frivolous lawsuits. What about ill-informed juries making ridicules decisions about patents? Your humor is one-sided — the pharma industry is always the butt of the joke. While those pieces are funny sometimes, your inclusion of them on your site says something about the views that you try to hard hide in your journalistic pieces. If you strive to be unbiased in your reporting, I think you should strive to be unbiased in your humor as well.

By: MyPharmalotID

MyPharmalotID — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:09:54 +0000

Say what you will, it sure beats the depressing thoughts associated with Drs. Scher and Hussain and their COIs, the impact they might have had on the approval of Provenge, and the almost 26,000 deaths from PCa since Black Wednesday, May 9, 2007!!!

By: Insider

Insider — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:18:47 +0000

Oh, and by the way Sal, keep your eyes peeled on PharmaGossip for a “just for you” post!

By: Insider

Insider — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:12:28 +0000

For Dr. Sal Giorgianni,

Thank you so much for your kind words.

It’s good to know that we are making an impression.

All the very best and Happy St Paddy’s Day.

Jack

http://pharmagossip.blogspot.com

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:02:27 +0000

Like any other service that offers a choice, so does Pharmalot. If you don’t find a particular post interesting, don’t click on it. There’s plenty of serious, though-provoking stuff to read and think about.