A century ago, a distinction was drawn between the ethical pharmaceutical industry and the patent medicines industry. Ethical companies specified what was in their medicines, whereas the patent industry kept the details hidden. The birth of pharma The patent medicines industry flourished on the back of a promise that some Secret Health Ingredient in their Treatment (SHIT) … [Read more...] about SHIT Happens
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The Attitude of Chicks to Trojans & Horses
Editorial Note: This is a cross post from 1boringoldman's Wisdom of the Dixie Chicks. It raises questions about a Lancet editorial jointly written by GSK and AllTrials it would seem. It calls on Iain and Ben to tell us what they are up to. So far there appears to be no clear response from AllTrials. There is an ambiguous message here. This repost omits the image of a Trojan … [Read more...] about The Attitude of Chicks to Trojans & Horses
A Black Box Warning for Clinical Trials?
Controlled trials are universally touted as providing gold standard information on drugs. Doctors are routinely taught to disbelieve the evidence of their own eyes and trust in controlled trials instead. Governments in North America and Europe are forcing patients to participate in controlled trials — saying that you get better care in a controlled trial — and claiming that … [Read more...] about A Black Box Warning for Clinical Trials?
GSK’s Manifesto: Voyeurs of the World Unite!
Editorial Note: There is a widespread impression that the pharmaceutical industry are split on the issue of access to clinical trial data with the bad guys like AbbVie taking legal actions to block access and the good guys like GSK in favor of transparency. An editorial like this one from GSK's James Shannon in the Huffington Post on September 3rd might support such … [Read more...] about GSK’s Manifesto: Voyeurs of the World Unite!
AbbVie: Sharing The Yellow Stuff
Editorial Note: This is the second part of our effort to "translate" Neal Parker's recent presentation in Bruxelles. The first half is here Neal Parker Avoiding Adverse Events. Reading the first half and Neal Parker's original transcript - available here - will give lots more material for the Caption Competition below. The least dramatic moment in Mr Parker's talk laying … [Read more...] about AbbVie: Sharing The Yellow Stuff
Neal Parker Avoiding Adverse Events
Editorial Note: Neal Parker, Section Head Legal, Biologics Strategic Development at AbbVie, was an industry representative on a panel organized by EFPIA - The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associates on August 27th in Bruxelles. In two posts AbbVie's Mission to Discover New Diseases and AbbVie's Mission to Discover New Patients, we gave a transcript of … [Read more...] about Neal Parker Avoiding Adverse Events
Neal Parker on AbbVie’s Mission to Discover New Patients
Editorial Note: Neal Parker, Section Head Legal, Biologics Strategic Development at AbbVie, was an industry representative on a panel organized by EFPIA - The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associates on August 27th in Bruxelles. Parker started off with a wonderful Freudian slip saying that AbbVie's mission is to discover new diseases and ends with another … [Read more...] about Neal Parker on AbbVie’s Mission to Discover New Patients
Neal Parker on AbbVie’s Mission to Discover New Diseases
Editorial Note: Neal Parker, Section Head Legal, Biologics Strategic Development at AbbVie, was an industry representative on a panel organized by EFPIA - The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associates on August 27th in Bruxelles. Parker started off with a wonderful Freudian slip saying that AbbVie's mission is to discover new diseases. A video of the … [Read more...] about Neal Parker on AbbVie’s Mission to Discover New Diseases
Trade Wars we have known and loved: Indianapolis v The World
Several weeks ago Canadians woke up to a Globe and Mail article saying that the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, who are based in Indianapolis, was suing their Government for $500 million for loss of revenues linked to the loss of patents on two of its drugs - Zyprexa and Strattera. "The drug giant alleges that the loss of its patents violates Canada’s obligations under … [Read more...] about Trade Wars we have known and loved: Indianapolis v The World
Trade Wars we have known and loved: AbbVie v China
Editorial Note: This post is taken from a more complete article published in BMJ today authored by Nigel Hawkes. It tells of a recent European meeting on access to clinical trial data. The meeting had input from AbbVie who it seems shocked everyone in the room shocked with their disregard for patient safety. The details here make it very clear why we need to petition AbbVie … [Read more...] about Trade Wars we have known and loved: AbbVie v China