Pharmaceuticals

Roche Fined for Doctors' Feast

by Bob Burton — February 14, 2007 - 6:37am

Source: Guillaume restaurant at the Sydney Opera House

The global drug company, Roche has been fined $A75,000 for breaching a provision of the Australian drug industry's voluntary c

Main Source: 
The Australian, February 13, 2007

Lobbyist Business Booms as Oversight Hearings Start

by Diane Farsetta — February 7, 2007 - 11:05am

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is holding hearings on "waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars"; topics include Iraq reconstruction, Homeland Security contracting, and prescription drug pricing. Companies called to testify are "scrambling to hire lobbyists with Democratic ties," reports Bloomberg.

Main Source: 
Bloomberg, January 31, 2007

Drug Ads Make Researchers Sick

by Diane Farsetta — January 31, 2007 - 6:13pm

A new study "funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and published in the Jan. 29 Annals of Family Medicine, claims the $4.5 billion" direct-to-consumer drug ad (DTC) industry "produces ads that are more emotional than informational, and may be convincing Americans that they're sicker than they really are," reports Advertising Age.

Main Source: 
Advertising Age, January 31, 2007

BBC: Drug Firm and U.S. Doctor Consulted on Media Message for Antidepressant

by Jonathan Rosenblum — January 30, 2007 - 8:12pm

A University of Pittsburgh child psychiatrist who conducted company-sponsored clinical trials on adolescent use of the antidepressant Paxil also conferred with the company on how to respond to press inquiries challenging the safety of the drug for adolescents, reports the BBC investigative program, Panorama. The psychiatrist, Dr. Neal Ryan, sent emails to GlaxoSmithKline dating to 2002 requesting media advice.

Main Source: 
BBC, January 29, 2007

Political Mood Swings on Drug Industry Direct-to-Consumer Ads

by Bob Burton — January 22, 2007 - 6:33am

The $4 billion a year spent by the drug industry on direct-to-consumer advertising promoting drugs is generating a political backlash. "There's a lot of support for a ban on direct-to-consumer advertising, and the Democrats know it," said Gary Ruskin, Commercial Alert's executive director.

Main Source: 
Indianapolis Star, January 21, 2007

Leaked Documents Spur Investigation into Lilly Drug Marketing

by Bob Burton — January 21, 2007 - 3:15am

A U.S. federal court judge has extended an injunction banning groups in the U.S. from adding a weblink to leaked internal documents on Eli Lilly's schizophrenia and bipolar disorder drug, Zyprexa.

Main Source: 
New York Times, January 20, 2007

Drug-Free Medical Education For Doctors

by Bob Burton — January 10, 2007 - 11:05pm

Medical researchers at George Washington University have launched a new website, PharmedOut, which is designed to help doctors "identify and counter inappropriate pharmaceutical promotion practices." It also provides links to over 100 continuing medical education (CME) courses that have been developed without drug industry funding.

Main Source: 
PharmedOut, January 2007
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