Big PHarma caught in lies

[Bud Weiss]

Big Pharma Misrepresents Studies

by David Brownstein MD

SOURCE:
Blog
Sunday
November 14, 2009
https://www.drbrownstein.com/blog_main.html

A series of articles in JAMA [Journal of the American Medical Association]
(4.16.08) documented how Merck misrepresented the data on the early VIoxx
trials and manipulated the clinical research.

This series of articles came to light due to the litigation over the 50,000
people who died by taking Vioxx. The authors of this series were privy to
the court documents during the ongoing trials for Vioxx.

The authors found that published, peer-reviewed studies were written by
Merck employees but given first authorship to someone else(the first name
reported in the final published version).

The first name on the final study is supposed to go to the researcher who
was intimately involved in the project. However, Merck used `big name'
academicians to give the article more validity.

The problem is that these `big name' academically affiliated physicians
often did little or no work on the study. Merck was using them (and paying
them) for their name to give the article more merit.

The consequence of doing business this way is that these `evidenced-based'
articles are taken as the gospel and physicians change their prescribing
habits based on these articles.

To add insult to injury, there was often no disclosure of the financial
support from Merck in these articles.

What is the consequence of this practice of hiring `big-name' academic
doctors to put their names as the lead authors in main stream journal
articles? In the case of Vioxx, it became a multibillion dollar drug for
Merck.

Of course, in this case the downside was the deaths of 50,000 Americans who
took this toxic drug.

The accompanying editorial commented,

"The profession of medicine in every aspect-clinical, education, and
research- has been inundated with profound influence from the pharmaceutical
and medical device industries. This has occurred because physicians have
allowed it to happen, and it is time to stop."

It is time to stop. It will only stop when the patients take control of
their health care. Patients can only do that with knowledge. I encourage you
to study the mode of action of the drugs prescribed to you and to further
study the mode of action of natural therapies.

You need to make the right choices about the types of therapies you will
take.
I believe once you learn about the safe and effective natural therapies that
are available, the choice will be an easy one.

-- 
"The perfect man breathes as if he is not breathing" - Lao-Tzu (circa 4th
century BC)
Breathing is the foundation of life, and good breathing is the foundation of
good health. Improve your health by improving your breathing with the BIBH
Buteyko Method.
Call or write me for details or appointments.
Barnett J. Weiss, MA, LCSW ,
7410 Ridge Blvd 2D;Brooklyn, NY 11209
E-mail: ButeykoNYC at gmail.com
Voice mail (951) 262-3004
Web site : www.ButeykoNYC.com
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