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News and Commentary Archive
Scientific Fraud May Be More Widespread Than Thought
Poll finds few cases reported Bloomberg
Pfizer Ends Direct Funding of Courses
Nonprofit CME unaffected WSJ
Drug Makers Say FDA Safety Focus Is Slowing New-Medicine Pipeline
Pulling the plug on “big-sellers” WSJ
Senator Slaps GSK Med Ed in Letter to ACCME
Prenatal herpes testing promoted against guidelines MM&M
Glaxo Boosts Marketing of Smoking Aids Amid Pfizer Pill's Woes
Free samples go to pilots Bloomberg
Weighing the Costs of a CT Scan's Look Inside the Heart
Docs profit from overused test NYT
Implant Firms Pay Doctors Millions
51 docs paid a million each Philadelphia Inquirer
FDA Panel Urges More Testing for Diabetes Drugs
Ensure heart risks not increased AP
Doctors Under the Influence?
Chantix KOLs compare nicotine use to diabetes Businessweek
What Recession? Big Bonuses For FDA Brass
Some make more than $200,000 Pharmalot
Biogenerics Would Save How Much?
Try 25 billion Pharmalot
Down on the Cape
Pfizer study finds depression common BostonGlobe
AAMC on Industry Funding
AAMC report (read press release)
Pharma to Sit on DTC Ads
Voluntary 6 month moratorium PharmExec
Generics Grab Big Share Of Medicare Part D: Study
Filling the “donut-hole” Pharmalot
Vanda Shares Slip on Sleep Drug Results
Tasimelteon no better than placebo WP
Doctors Say Medication Is Overused in Dementia
Antipsychotics do not work NYT
AMA CME Measure Goes Nowhere
Industry-free proposal tanks MM&M
KOLs: Independent Experts or Drug Representatives in Disguise?
Doctors used as product champions BMJ
Pfizer Sales Reps Downplay Chantix Side Effects
Suicide risk not mentioned Pharmalot
Amgen's Enbrel in Kids 'Concerning'-FDA Staff
Seven cancer cases, severe infections reported Reuters (article on advisory committee; FDA briefing material and other documents)
FDA Contradicts Genentech on Eye Drug
Feds not to blame for imitations on Avastin distribution WSJ
Lawsuit Over Right to DTC in Canada
Competitive disadvantage invoked DTC Perspectives
Warning on Epilepsy Drugs Nears
Suicide risk will go on label of 11 drugs WSJ
Child Experts Fail to Reveal Full Drug Pay
Harvard psychiatrist made $1.6M from drug makers NYT
Big Drug Makers Raising Prices on their Best-sellers
Pfizer and GSK’s top-selling meds increase 9% News Observer
New Labeling Changes for Regranex
Topical treatment for skin ulcers increases cancer mortality FDA
FDA Bars Docs From Conducting Clinical Trials
Seven this year Pharmalot
Merck's Movie "Script" For Advertising Gardasil
Vaccine ads run before “Sex in the City” CNBC
Survey of Medical Schools Is Critical of Perks
7 of 150 schools get an "A" NYT (AMSA Scorecard; press release)
FDA Panel Backs Glaxo’s Platelet Booster
Short-term ITP treatment does not affect bleeding risk Pharmalot
Sanofi-Aventis Diet Pill Linked To Deaths
Rimonabant approved in U.K., not U.S. Pharmalot
Epilepsy Drugs Draw Industry Defense
May cause suicidal tendencies WSJ
FDA: TNF Blockers May Cause Lymphoma In Kids
30 cases reported Pharmalot (read FDA investigation)
Product Placements Require New FDA Regs
Rx drugs mentioned 462 times in 2006 Pharmalot
Court Limits Merck Monitoring in Vioxx Case
Class action suit dismissed WP
Medicare May OK Drug Guide
Corporate ties to compendia not disclosed CSPI (read AHRQ review)
FDA to Mine Big Databases for Safety
Sentinel Initiative will do active surveillance for ADRs Pharmalot (read FDA announcement)
Report Links Pfizer Drug To Accidents, Heart Trouble
ISMP reviews Chantix ADRs WSJ
Group: No More Corporate Gifts for Medical Students
Just say no STL Post Dispatch
Warning Over Drug Trial’s Effects on Testing
Non-pharma Lucentis/Avastin trial worries pharma Financial Times
British Columbia's ‘Bizarre’ Task Force Report
Therapeutics Initiative threatened Pharmalot
Top 17 Paychecks in Big Pharma
FiercePharma
No More Free Rx Samples
Carolinas HealthCare System leads the way Carolina Observer
Glaxo 'Downplayed' Warning
Abacavir doubles MI risk Independent
Physician, Reveal Thyself
Heart stent studies don't disclose funding Businessweek (PLoS One study)
Protecting Human Subjects
US clinical trials no longer required Center for Science in the Public
FDA Slow To Issue DTCA Warnings
Ads discontinued before letters received Pharmalot (read GAO report)
Celebrex Doesn't Prevent Memory Loss
Nor does naproxen Bloomberg (Archives of Neurology study)
Pfizer to Disclose Grants
With Lilly, supports revised Sunshine Act Pharmatimes
Migraine Medicines Problematic
Associated with serotonin syndrome Bloomberg (NEJM study)
Stealth Marketers
Shilling for pharma on NPR Slate
Psychiatry Handbook Linked to Drug Industry
COIs in over half of new working group members NYT (read Center for Science in the Public Interest article)
Legislators: Glaxo Letter on Gift Ban May Backfire
Does MA have a “strong anti-biopharmaceutical streak?” Boston Herald (read additional article)
Glaxo Tries to Corner Weight Loss Market
Tells FDA to deny dietary supplement claims Pharmalot
Anti-Psychotic Drug Use Soars in UK & US Children
6x higher use in US AP (read study)
Chantix Recommended to Quit Smoking
PHS guideline author was Pfizer consultant AP
Merck Wrote Drug Studies for Doctors
Trial deaths underreported NYT (read ghostwriting study; mortality study; JAMA editorial)
Drugmakers Didn't Begin 1,044 Promised U.S. Studies
62% of postmarketing studies Bloomberg
Many Ads For Psych Meds Are Unsubstantiated
Half of drug claims unsupported Pharmalot (read study)
Antipsychotics and Pneumonia in Elderly
60% increase; more risk with atypicals Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
AstraZeneca in Pact With Rival to Delay Generic
Ranbaxy will formulate Nexium NYT
Panel’s Bipartisan View: F.D.A. Is Underfinanced
Congress considers more funding NYT
Organon Allegedly Covered Up Raplon ADRs
Whistleblower says risks withheld from FDA Pharmalot
Heart Risk in ADHD Drugs?
AHA recommends EKGs Philadelphia Inquirer
Benefit Managers Profit by Specialty Drug Rights
PBMs build lucrative side businesses NYT
More States Consider Bans on Gifts to Physicians
Connecticut is latest Medical Marketing & Media
Device Maker Vows New Ethical Practices
Zimmer reforms Pharmalot
Global Rx Sales Grew 6.4 Percent In 2007
$178B increase over past 5 years Pharmalot
Cancer Drug Trials "Being Stopped Too Soon"
Benefits exaggerated Telegraph
Pfizer Warns of Lung Cancer with Inhaled Insulin
Warning added to Exubera label Reuters
Drug Makers Near Old Goal: A Legal Shield
Ortho-Evra and estrogen levels NYT
The Vytorin Saga Continues: Krumholz Strikes Back
“No new support for a widely prescribed drug” Pharmalot
Glaxo Angers the FDA
Ph 4 safety studies reported only to EME Motley Fool
Glaxo And Pfizer Win Preemption Cases
Federal court rules in SSRI case Pharmalot
Novartis Further Curbs Zelnorm Use in U.S.
No reason given Reuters
FDA Raises Estimate of Deaths Linked to Blood Thinner
62 deaths possible WP
Estrogen Linked to Benign Breast Lumps
Proliferative changes from menopause therapy AP
Bitter Pill
Portland doc flips on pharma Willamette Week
TV Rx Ads Should Include A/E Reporting Info
One in six consumers polled experienced ADR Consumers Union (read poll results)
The Enhance Study & Slides
ACC presentation on Vytorin Pharmalot
Congress: Vytorin Makers Held Bad News
Study results delayed to boost sales? WP (read Senate memo)
Who Is Excluded From Clinical Trials?
Minorities, elders, disabled Pharmalot
Judge Sides With NEJM in Peer-Review Dispute
Reviewer anonymity upheld Chron Higher Ed
Do Free Gifts Dictate Your Medical Care?
Influencing docs ABCNews
AIDS Drug Lifts Heart Attack Risk, Study Shows
Ziagen doubles risk, Videx increases risk by 50% AP
FDA Seeks Penalties from CA Device Maker
Advanced Bionics cochlear implant problems FDA
Dig Deep: Those Free Samples May Cost You
“Free” samples cost patients more Pharmalot (read study)
One Drug, Many Tragedies
Blowing the whistle on Ketek Readers Digest
Pfizer Is Denied Access to JAMA Files
Peer reviewers remain anonymous WSJ (read editorial; press release)
Pfizer, Glaxo Raise Prices as Drug Growth Declines
US wholesale prices up 9% Bloomberg (read AARP Rx Watchdog Report)
Cephalon CEO Tops in Pay
$13.5m; Pfizer CEO made $9.5m WSJBlog
Lilly Settles Alaska Suit
$15m paid in Zyprexa suit AP
Union Shills For Pfizer And Lipitor
IAEP sends letter to docs Pharmalot
FDA Identifies Contaminant in Heparin
Over-sulfated chondroitin adulterant WSJ
Cutting Dosage of Costly Drug Spurs a Debate
Could be effective, save $200,000 a year NYT
Drug Maker Stays Close to Doctors and Patients
Influences treatment of rare disease NYT
Corporate Influences on Epidemiology
Pushing “junk science?” International Journal of Epidemiology
CVS Settles Whistleblower Case Over Switching
Will pay $37m in Medicaid fraud lawsuit Pharmalot
Biotech Leader Charged with Fraud
Actimmune promoted off-label SF Chronicle
18 States Sue Abbott Labs
Generic version of Tricor blocked Business Week
Generics: Just As Good?
64% of filled scripts LA Times
related stories: Keeping Generic Drugs off the Market
FDA Standards for Generics are Questioned
For Some, Generics May be More Costly
Ex-Drug Sales Rep Tells All
Befriending docs to sell drugs ABCNews
FDA Panel Backs Curbs on Anemia Drugs
FDA to reconsider ESA labeling WSJ
Senate Wants ‘49 Plan’ Papers
Zetia reps to wine and dine docs Pharmalot
Dermatologists' Seal-for-Sale Program
Is AAD a “$5 hooker”? MedPage Today
Pricey Pills Work Better Even When They're Fake
Placebo effect extends to price MSNBC (read study)
Flu Drug Makers Change Labels
750 psych AE, 25 peds deaths with Tamiflu Reuters
Novartis Opens Non-profit R&D Vaccine Center
Will have global health focus Fierce Vaccines
Inside Drugmakers' War on Fat
Race for a miracle weight-loss pill Businessweek
Oregon Docs Ban CME Funding
2nd AAFP chapter to go Pharma-free Pharmalot
Prozac Doesn't Work
Only severely depressed benefit Guardian (PLoS study)
Death Risk From Anemia Drugs
Cancer deaths up 10% with ESAs NYT
NIH Starts Lucentis, Avastin Trial
Compares drugs for AMD WSJ
FDA Approves Avastin For Breast Cancer
Lowering the bar: no survival benefit Pharmalot
FDA to Boost Oversight of Drugs
New database will list side effects WSJ
Doctors' Education
Invisible Influence by Drug Companies BMJ
Drugmakers Asked to Reveal Grants to Docs
Grassley sends letter to 15 firms USA Today
Lobbying Overview
PhRMA spends $22.7M, AMA $10.4M, Pfizer $7.2M Center for Responsive Politics (comment in Pharmagossip)
Journal Publications Are Nothing But Marketing
Half of drug firms fund articles from marketing Pharmalot
Feds Recoup $2.2B in Healthcare Fraud Prosecutions
$1.5 billion goes back to Medicare The Hill
Drugmakers Could Promote Articles for Unapproved Uses
FDA softens stance Bloomberg News (FDA draft guidance and press release)
Big Pharma's Patent Headache
10 drugs to go off-patent BusinessWeek
Painkiller Patches Recalled
Duragesic leaks Boston Globe
Adverse Reactions Linked to Botox Use
FDA warns public FDA
Sloan-Kettering Booted CME To Be ‘Squeaky Clean’
No commercial support Pharmalot
Study: More Using Rx Drugs
Rates vary by state USA Today
Generics Capture 65% of U.S. Market
Branded drugs 80% of costs Bloomberg News
Did GSK Trial Data Mask Paxil Suicide Risk?
Internal memos revealing NewScientist
Serial Whistleblower
Doc turns in drug companies AP
Soft Targets: Nurses and the Pharmaceutical Industry
Influencing nurses PLoS Med
Merck to Pay $650M in Medicaid Settlement
Overbilled for drugs WP
FDA Receives Modest Budget Boost
$2.4 billion proposed for 2009 USA Today
Deaths Partially Halt Diabetes Study
Tight glucose control increases MIs AP
Diabetes Health Goes Beyond Blood Sugar
Treat hypertension and cholesterol NYT (NEJM study)
Committee Investigates Ad Tactics for Lipitor
Jarvik ads misleading? NYT
Doctors Paid to Prescribe Generic Drugs
Up to $100 per switch WSJ
Doctor Accused of Leak to Drug Maker
Pre-publication Avandia study given to GSK NYT
Building Up Docs' Marketing Resistance
Training docs to “just say no” BusinessWeek
Drug Industry Reconsiders Sales Tactics
PhRMA thinks twice on gifts Houston Chron
NitroMed Halts Marketing of Drug
Bidil sales disappointing WSJ
EU Raids Drug Makers
Blocking generics Reuters UK
Drug Has No Benefit in Trial
Zetia/Vytorin flunks NYT
Bias Toward Upbeat Findings on Antidepressants
One of 3 trials not published NYT
Drug Approved. Is Disease Real?
Cymbalta for Fibromyalgia NYT
FDA Receives New Data on ESAs
Rapid tumor growth noted FDA
Thimerosal Not Linked to Autism
Mercury in retrograde Pharmalot (Arch Gen Psych study)
Who's Behind the Bible of Mental Illness?
COIs in DSM U.S. News & World Report
Medicare Part D Fueled By Drug Spending
18.7% increase in 2006 Pharmalot (Health Affairs abstract)
Free Drug Samples Go to Wealthy, Insured
Poor get fewest sampless Reuters (read abstract)
The Cost of Pushing Pills
What pharma spends on promo PLoS Med
Where Have All the New Drugs Gone
Only 18 drugs approved in 2007 Star-Ledger
Drugs Don't Help Aggression
Attention as good as antipsychotics NYT
Ties That Bind
Persuading prescribers AARP
PharmedOut on Drugs AARP video
Finding Documents On The FDA Site
Locating drug studies Pharmalot
Genentech Blinks
Ends Avastin restrictions Pharmalot
Is Your Doctor Giving You Placebos?
Almost half of docs admit it WSJ Blog
Surgeon Pleads Guilty to Kickbacks
Device company implicated WSJ Blog
D.C. Council Passes SafeRx Act
Drug reps must be licensed DC Council
Zetia Risks Not Fully Revealed
Statin interaction enhances liver risks NYT
Restrictions on Schedule 2 Meds Eased
Docs can Rx 90-day supply Bloomberg
Mevacor Needs a Prescription
10-2 vote against OTC statin Bloomberg
New Warning on OTC Contraceptives
N-9 does not prevent STIs FDA
Novartis to Focus on Insurers Influence
Drug reps call on payers WSJ
New Anthrax Vaccine Doomed by Lobbying
Emergent victorious over Vaxgen LA Times
A Risky Drug May Get Wider Market
Zyprexa considered in kids St. Petersburg Times
D.C. Effort to License Drug Sellers Advances
Bill bans data mining WP
Avandia, Actos Increase Heart Risks
Diabetics especially at risk Bloomberg
Prilosec, Nexium Cleared
No increased heart risk, states FDA press release
OTC Cholesterol Drug Sought
FDA debates Mevacor AP
Lipitor Ups Risk of Bleeding Stroke
Ischemic stroke risk reduced Reuters
ALS-Statin Link?
FDA calls for research WSJ Blog
Replace a Wire That Might Fail?
Fidelis defibrillator lead defective NYT
Merck Recall Hib Shots
Haemophilus vaccine contaminated Fierce Pharma (Merck press release)
Medical Trainee Attitudes on Industry Relationships
Med lit on interventions reviewed Pediatrics
Study Finds Gaps Between Doctors' Standards and Actions
Say one thing, do another WP (read study)
FDA and Drug Marketing
More loopholes for manufacturers WSJ (read WSJ Blog; FDA document; Congressman Waxman’s letter)
Report Shows Conflict-free Advisers Easily Found
CSPI challenges FDA report CSPI (read CSPI letter; FDA press release; FDA study)
FDA Criticizes Avastin Use for Breast Cancer
No increase in survival NYT
Prescribing Better Way to Inform Pa. Doctors
Academic detailing expands Philadelphia Inquirer
PhRMA Spokesman Snaps at Teen Reporter in Savannah
Montel Williams, not-so-nice Medical Marketing and Media
Dr. Drug Rep
Docs promote drugs NYT
Alzheimer Drugs Don't Delay Dementia Onset
No benefit for MCI in 6 trials Reuters
Data-miners Unite in Maine to Block 'Opt-out' Rx Law
IMS, Verispan sue Modern Healthcare
Drug to Stop Smoking Questioned
Suicidal thoughts with Chantix (Champix) BBC News
Senator Criticizes Genentech’s Limits on a Cheaper Drug
Company battles its own drug NYT
Labeling Changes for Flu Drugs Recommended
Adverse events reported for Tamiflu and Relenza FDANews
FDA Warns GSK Over Promotional Materials
Tykerb risk info omitted FDANews (read FDA letter)
FDA Still Too Chummy With Pharmaceutical Industry, Critics Say Reforms ineffective? Seattle Times
Health Authority Bans Physician Shadowing
British Columbia bans rep "preceptorships" CMAJ
Study: CT Scans Raise Cancer Risk
Children at risk WP
FDA probes Chantix Reports of suicidal ideation, violent behavior, drowsiness CBS News (FDA Early Communication)
Drug Firms Accused of Biasing Doctors' Training
CME skewed Nature
Drug That Lengthens Eyelashes Sets Off Flutter
FDA seizes mascara with bimatoprost WSJ
Blowing the Whistle, Many Times
Former insider alleges Medicare fraud NYT
Medical Society Considers Suing Journal
Criticized as pro-industry Chronicle of Higher Education
Ark. AG Files Suit Over Drug Marketing
J&J accused of off-label promotion of Risperdal AP
Dementia Relief, With A Huge Side Effect
Off-label atypical use common in elderly St. Petersburg Times
The Intimidation Of An Avandia Critic
Senate releases report (read comments in Pharmalot)
Merck Agrees to Settle Vioxx Suits
$4.85 billion for 27,000 lawsuits NYT
Amgen Spends Big Protesting Curbs On Anemia Drugs
Lobbying to change federal rules WSJ
Amgen Dismantles Dicey Lobbying Site
Off-label use suggested Pharmalot
UPMC Tightening Policy on Drugmaker Relationships
Gifts banned Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (read policy)
Staph May Be Cured by $1-a-Day Antibiotics
NIH funds tests of sulfa drugs, clindamycin for MRSA Bloomberg News
After Debate, F.D.A. Backs Sale of Avandia
Black box warning imposed NYT
Bayer Halts Sale of Trasylol
Drug linked to deaths WP
Cephalon Will Pay $425M For Off-Label Marketing
Provigil promoted for ADHD Pharmalot
Are Acid-Reflux Meds OverRxed For Infants?
Unnecessary in 4 out of 5 babies Pharmalot (read study)
How Pharma Pads Its Research Costs
CME, PR included Hooked Blog
Tweenies Are Taking More Chronic Meds
Use rises in children age 5-19 Pharmalot
China’s Drugmakers Run Ads That Exaggerate
Licenses may be pulled Pharmalot
In Pakistan, Write 200 Scrips And You Get A Car
Marketing drugs in the developing world Pharmalot (Read Consumers International report)
Doctor? Or Druggist?
Docs dispense drugs in some states WP
Groups Back Physician Gift Disclosure
“Physician Payments Sunshine Act of 2007” Congressional Quarterly (see proposed legislation)
“What No One Is Telling You”
GSK funds PBS documentary Pharmalot
"The Mysterious Human Heart"
Medtronic and AZ fund PBS series Health Care Renewal (see the PBS site)
Genentech Revisits Plan for Avastin
Reconsiders ban on sales to compounding pharmacies San Francisco Chronicle (read Genentech’s letter)
Whistle-Blower Finds a Finger Pointing Back
Masterminded illegal plan NYT
Thanks, But No Thanks
AMCs refuse pharma gifts Newsweek
FDA Sides With CMS on ESAs
Only low doses to be reimbursed FDANews (read FDA letter)
Amgen, J&J, ASCO try to overturn decision CSPI
FDA Panel Urges Ban
No cough and cold remedies for kids under 6 Baltimore Sun
Medical Schools Leader and Industry Ties
60% of department chairs have direct COIs Bloomberg (read JAMA study)
Minn. Psychiatrist Quits Drug Panel
Advised state on Medicaid; paid $350,000 from pharma Philadelphia News
Minnesota Gift Limit May Catch On
NJ may be next NYT
For Drugmakers, a Name is More Art than Science
The lilt of Lyrica USA Today
Most PTSD Treatments Not Proven
Exposure therapy better than drugs WP
Critics Decry Touting Topomax for Alcoholism
UVA Q&A advocates off-label use FDANews (read JAMA study; read HRG letter)
Duel Over a Monopoly
Anemia drug competition could raise prices NYT
Too Many Meds Down Junior's Throat?
56% rise in GI drug use in kids 4 and under Pharmalot.com (Medco press release)
Government Has a New Way of Hiring
Governor's policy advisor paid through Lilly Indianapolis Star
Lilly Adds Strong Warning Label to Zyprexa
Weight gain and metabolic problems acknowledged NYT
OIG Report: FDA's Oversight of Clinical Trials
Report (article in Medical News Today)
Drug Firm, Subsidiary Settle Suits for $515M
Off-label promo of Abilify alleged Boston Globe
New Reps, New Rap: the Counter-detailers
Academic detailing spreads American Medical News
Congress OKs Bill Giving New Power to FDA
More post-marketing authority over Rx drugs MarketWatch
Helped by Generics, Inflation of Drug Costs Slows
Generic prescriptions up 13% NYT
New York State and City Sue Merck Over Vioxx
Medicaid fraud alleged NYT
FDA Launches Drug Safety Newsletter
Info for healthcare professionals FDA (subscribe)
Yale's Drug Dependency
Academic medicine for sale? Connecticut Business Journal
Study Questions Dead-End Cancer Clinical Trials
Are Phase II studies used to promote academics and off-label use? HealthDay News
Senators Seek Public Listing of Payments to Doctors
Push for disclosure from drug and device companies NYT
Healthy Growth in Marketing of Drugs
Samples stay popular Philadelphia Daily News
Court Rejects Class Action Over Vioxx
NJ Supreme Court sides with Merck WP (comments in Pharmalot)
Bipolar Illness Soars as a Diagnosis for the Young
40-fold increase from 1994 to 2003 NYT
Medical Students Partner with Medical Letter
3rd years receive free subs AMSA
Companies Sue Maine, Vermont
Lawsuits challenge restrictions on selling Rx data FDANews
FDA Approval Preempts State False Ad Laws
Appeals Court finds drug ads based on label exempt FDANews (read decision)
FDA to Study Drug Ad Reactions
Upbeat images distract from warnings AP
Drug Rep Creates Stir
Influencing physicians AMA News
Breast Cancer Declines
Drop in hormone use credited Reuters
Drug Trade Group Spent $10.7M Lobbying
PhRMA's spend in first half of 2007 Forbes
Insurers Embracing Generic Rx
Incentives paid to docs Detroit News
Death By Medicine
Drugs a common cause of confusion in elders Sydney Morning Herald
Minnesota Program’s Link to Lilly Questioned
COIs in drug monitoring plan Pioneer Press (commentary in Health Care Renewal)
Parents Warned Cough Medicines Imperil Infants
Adverse events in children under 2 NYT
Pfizer's Lipitor Patent Reissue Rejected
Patent exclusivity ends in 2010 WSJ (commentary in WSJ)
Genetic Testing Cited for Blood Thinner
Tests recommended before first warfarin dose AP (commentary in WSJ)
FDA Wants 'Black Box' on Avandia Diabetes Drug
30% increased risk of heart attacks USA Today
New Stars of TV: Brand-name Drugs
Pharmaceutical product placement Indianapolis Star
Lawmaker Calls for Registry of Drug Firms Paying Doctors
Grassley proposes Federal law USA Today
The 'Atypical' Dilemma
Antipsychotics used in children under 3 St. Petersburg Times
Drug Warnings Fall Flat
Bayer and Trasylol St. Petersburg Times
What Drug Rep Visits Cost You
Seeing patients instead nets $6,000 a year Medical Economics
Wooing the Gatekeeper: Doctor, Just a Little Something for You
Gifts and friendship sell drugs Los Angeles Times
Selling the Patient: Next Step, Create the Demand
Drugs marketed through DTC ads, patient groups Los Angeles Times
Glaxo's Avandia Should Stay on Market, Panel Advises
FDA panel recommends warning Bloomberg
More Generics Slow Rise in Drug Prices
Patients pay less, but distrust remains NYT
Pharma Pursued Safe Haven for its CME Spend Last Year
Commercial support rose 8% to $1.2 billion Medical Marketing and Media (ACCME Annual Report)
Study Renews Conflict-of-interest Debate
JAMA authors’ ties to industry undeclared USA Today
Market Forces Cited in Lymphoma Drugs' Disuse
Most effective drugs used less often NYT
Oral Diabetes Drugs Systematic review of 216 trials favors older hypoglycemics Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs Report (study in Ann Int Med)
Cancerous Data? Novartis Stats Whiz Blows The Whistle
Allegations of drug safety reporting violations Pharmalot (comments in Brandweek)
Open For Business: A NJ City Promotes Drugs
Health department paid for drug ads Pharmalot
Industry Fights Switch To Generics for Epilepsy
Epilepsy foundation lobbies for pharma WSJ (comment in Pharmalot)
Januvia, Byetta No Better Than Older Drugs
Review of 29 studies favors cheaper drugs Bloomberg (abstract in JAMA)
Business Battle Over Generic Drug Heats Up
Citizen Petitions filed to stall generics National Law Journal
U to Probe Drug Makers' Payments to Doctors
Minnesota investigates conflicts of interest Pioneer Press
FDA Delay In Cancer Therapy Is Attacked
Docs who opposed Provenge fear for safety WP
The Provenge Brawl: Two Wrongs Do Not Make a Right Health Care Renewal
Women in Government, Merck's Trojan Horse
Mandating cervical cancer vaccines PR Watch
AMA Faces Storm on Data Sales
Protests of annual meeting planned Chicago Tribune
A Dose of Influence?
Pharma education programs questioned Indianapolis Star
At Pfizer, Improper Marketing Is An Infectious Disease "Promotional mapping" encouraged Viracept scripts Pharmalot (read part 1 and part 2)
Paid to Prescribe?
Docs and drug industry Senate Committee on Aging
More Med Schools Show Pharma The Door
U Pittsburgh and Marshall U consider policies Pharmalot
Companies Run Trials of Drugs They Invest In
Contract research organizations invest, then test St. Petersburg Times
Old Drugs In, New Ones Out
Combos increase profits NYT
Suboptimal Use of FDA Advisory Committees
Lancet (see JAMA study and Public Citizen’s petition)
Senators to Push for Registry of Drug Makers’ Gifts
Gifts to docs are "lobbying" NYT
Conflict Alleged in Drug Firms' Education Role
Most CME paid for by industry WP
Psychiatrists Top List in Drug Maker Gifts
In VT, average annual payment is $45,692 NYT
Interactive Website on Drug Industry Promotion Launched
Educational modules and resources peRx
Prescribing Better Way to Inform Pa. Doctors
Academic detailers compete with reps Phila. Inquirer
Big Pharma Readies Effort To Counter Moore's 'Sicko'
Briefings criticize single-payer systems NY Sun
Pharma 20/20: The Vision
Price-Waterhouse report criticizes pharma business Model read report
Pfizer Backtracks on Lipitor’s Edge Over Rival
Claimed benefit over simvastatin erroneous WSJ Health Blog
Eli Lilly Says Lawyers' Ads Prompt Psychiatric Patients to Stop Taking Medications Reports of drug dangers may decrease compliance Yahoo Finance
Vermont Rx Bill Becomes Law Script tracking data limited, vouchers for generics compete with samples Burlington Free Press
FDA Called 'Cozy' With Drugmakers
112 meetings with industry, 5 with consumer groups USA Today
Potentially Incompatible Goals at F.D.A.
For drug reviews, speed trumps safety NYT
Cancer Drug Reps Spelled Out the Way to Profit
Oncologists made 65% of revenue from drug profits NYT
Panel Urges FDA Not to Approve Weight-Loss Drug
Rimonabant increases risk of depression, suicides WP
Why Some Statins Appear More Efficacious than Others
Statin comparisons favor sponsors' products PLoS Medicine
Doctor Says Avandia Maker Intimidated Him
After raising risks of drug, characterized as a liar WP
See Congressional hearing
Diabetes Drug Still Has Heart Risks, Doctors Warn
FDA reviewer was rebuked for advising black box warning NYT
Drugmakers Woo Med Students
Professors don't disclose conflicts Baltimore Sun
Drug's Chilling Path to Market FDA and Sanofi-Aventis ignored study fraud with Ketec St. Petersburg Times
Drug Makers Finance Nurses for U.K. Doctors
Pharma-sponsored RNs in U.S. as well WSJ and WSJ Health Blog (subscription required)
Medical Leaders Double as Corporate Directors
Conflicts afflict more than half of med schools Health Care Renewal
FDA Head Defends Working With Companies
No warning label required on Avandia Forbes.com
Death Sentence Awarded To Chinese FDA Ex-Regulator
Bribes accepted to approve untested drugs Nasdaq.com
The Rush To Test Drugs In China
Trials may cost 15% of testing drugs in West Businessweek.com
Glaxo Letter Defends Avandia
Fewer adverse events in Glaxo’s studies WSj.com
Glaxo Courts Doctor Support of Avandia
Sales reps emphasize ADOPT trial WSJ.com
Diabetes Expert Raised Issue Of Avandia Heart Risk in 2000 "Worrisome trend in cardiovascular deaths" WSJ.com
Diabetes Drug Found to Raise Heart Attack Risk
Avandia increases MI risk 43% WP
(see FDA safety alert and read NEJM study)
Volatility Becomes Symptom Of Doctors' Meetings
Embargoed data sent to 24,000 docs WSJ (subscription required)
Doctors, Legislators Resist Drugmakers' Prying Eyes
7,476 physicians opt out WP
Coming Soon: the Shopping Channel Run by Drug Firms
Interactive “Pharma TV” Guardian
Son of the "Drug Secrets" Story: Restricting Access to Clinical Research Abstracts
ASCO's abstracts affect stock prices Health Care Renewal
FDA Is Delaying Approval of Anemia Drug From Roche
Safety concerns of ESA use raised NYT
Flonase and Nasonex Subjects of DDMAC Untitled Letters
FDA says efficacy overstated FDANews (read letter)
Pharmaceuticals Conference for Attorneys General Held at Columbia Law School View briefing materials and presentations
Industry's Role in Childrens' Antipsychotics
Six-fold increase in payments, nine-fold increase in Rx NYT
Senate Acts to Revitalize Drug-safety Monitoring
Industry would fund its own surveillance Star-Ledger
Senators Who Weakened Drug Bill Got Millions from Industry
Lobbying costs exceed $100M annually USA Today
Medicare Issues Proposed Coverage Decision on ESAs
Many current uses will be affected CMS press release
Shares of Anemia Drug Makers Slide as Medicare Threatens to Cut Reimbursement Decision expected to affect private insurers NYT
Federal probe: Implant Makers Bought Doctors
5 companies control reconstructive implants market Star-Ledger
Doctors Reap Millions for Anemia Drugs
$11.8 million given to universities and nonprofits NYT
FDA Panel Questions Safety of Anemia Drug
EPO overused, shortens life WP
Stanford, Davis Fight Drug-firm Influence
U Penn, U Mich, and Yale get an A from AMSA SF Chronicle
AMSA Releases PharmFree Scorecard (see AMSA press release)
Multistate Settlement Reached With Manufacturer of OxyContin
Restrictions placed on marketing DC Attorney General press release
Cracking Down on Off-label Marketing
Profits outweigh fines Star-Ledger
Court Strikes Law Barring Sale of Drug Data
Judge rules law restricts commercial speech NYT (read decision)
Under Criticism, Drug Maker Lilly Discloses Funding
$11.8 Million given to universities and nonprofits WSJ (read disclosure)
Big Pharma Gets its Hooks into Seton Hall Law School
$9.1 million donated for pharmaceutical law center Corporate Crime Reporter
Jarvik Resists Subpoena To Pump Him for Lipitor Info
Labor unions sue Pfizer, claim overuse of drug Brandweek
Free Drug Samples? Bad Idea, Some Say
U. Michigan bans samples NYT
Senate Considers Bill to Overhaul FDA
Drug safety, PDUFA reforms debated Chicago Tribune
Posing As Pals, Drug Reps Sway Doctors' Choices
Friendship used to influence doctors Reuters (read more in PLoS Med)
Use of Educational Grants by Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
Senate Committee on Finance report released
Most Doctors Get Money, Gifts from Industry
3,167 docs surveyed USA Today (read NEJM study)
Characteristics and Impact of Drug Detailing for Gabapentin
Off-label use often discussed PLoS Medicine
The FDA and the Case of Ketek
Drug approved despite fraudulent trial NEJM
Ketek-The FDA Perspective NEJM
Dialysis Facility Type May Affect Epoetin Therapy
For-profit centers use higher doses of ESAs Reuters
U.S. Says Pfizer Unit Pleads Guilty to Kickback
Ordered to pay $19.68M Reuters
Drug Company Payments to Advocates an Issue
Tarceva donations not disclosed to FDA Newsday
Drug Ads Play Up Benefits, Downsize Risks
Deconstructing Lunesta NPR
AstraZeneca's sales practices questioned
Allegations of off-label promotion The News Journal
Open letter to OIG, allegedly from AZ “Group of Seven”
Read it at Dr. Peter Rost’s blog
No Free Lunch Launches Provider Database Directory of health care providers who refuse pharma gifts and info No Free Lunch
FDA Pregnancy Registries Updated
Drug-exposed pregnant women can sign up for observational study
Drug Makers Set Lobbying Record $155M spent in 18 months LA Times (report by the Center for Public Integrity)
Pfizer Scoop USA TODAY's"Pfizer, faced with the potential loss of billions of dollars as patients with high cholesterol switch from Lipitor to generic Zocor, has been helping doctors wage a letter-writing campaign to slow the tide..." Read the letters here and here. See Today Show video.
Pfizer Subsidiaries Reach $34.7 Million in Settlements
Pharmacia subsidiaries pay for off-label marketing of Genotropin Reuters
FDA's User-Fee Habit
PDUFA expires in September WP
FDA Okays Conflicts on Committee Considering Merck’s New Pain Pill Conflicted scientists can vote on Arcoxia CSPI
J&J's Bladder Drug Ditropan Needs Stronger Warnings, U.S. Says FDA notes hallucinations and agitation in children Bloomberg
FDA Orders End to Production of a Form of Anti-Nausea Drug
Tigan (trimethobenzamide) ineffective NYT
Celebrex Commercial Draws Criticism
Public Citizen asks for ban NYT
J&J Buys Negative Domain Names on Birth-Control Patch
Now owns OrthoEvraKills.com Bloomberg
First Quarter Rankings of the Most Effective Pharma Commercials
Highest consumer recall for Lunesta, Lamisil, and Nasonex campaigns PharmaLive
Computers Hinder Mammogram Readings, Report Finds
Heightens risk of unnecessary biopsies WP
Doctors’ Ties to Drug Makers Are Put on Close View
States require disclosure of payments NYT
FDA to Reduce Conflicts of Interest on Boards
Stricter rules mean fewer industry ties WP
Radio interview with Shahram Ahari
Health Care In Mind: Tales of a Former Drug Rep WPKN Bridgeport
In Some States, Maker Oversees Use of its Drug
For preferred drug status, Eli Lilly monitors Zyprexa use NYT
FDA Issues New Warnings on Anemia Drugs
Erythropoietin Increases mortality WP
Conflicted Kidney Doctors Dismiss FDA Anemia Drug Warning Industry-funded group opposes FDA CSPI
Many Americans Disregard Doctors' Course of Treatment
Many prescriptions go unfilled WSJ
What’s the Worst ‘Badvertisement’?
TV spots send irresponsible health messages PCRM
Abbott Escalates Thai Patent Rift
New drugs won’t be sold in Thailand WSJ
Thai Calls to Boycott US Drugmaker Over Generics Row
Abbott targeted by activists Yahoo
U.S. to Review Anemia Drugs for Safety
Epogen single largest Medicare drug expense NYT
FDA Requests Label Change for Sleep Disorder Drugs
Sleep-driving and sleep-eating are risks Food and Drug Administration
FDA Requests Safety Trials for Sleep Disorder Drugs
Feds must negotiate with companies FDANews Drug Daily Bulletin
This is Your Show on Drugs
Pharmaceutical product placement Brandweek(commentary in Health Care Renewal )
Researchers Dispute Benefits of CT Scans for Lung Cancer New study: no effect of screening on mortality NYT (Studies in JAMA and NEMJ)
Lipitor Gains Five Heart Disease Indications
Now 17 indications for cholesterol drug FDANews Drug Daily Bulletin
Actonel, P&G and Dr. Blumsohn
Company requested removal of support disclosure Health Care Renewal
Docs blast PDUFA
Fund drug evaluation without Pharma GoozNews
Great Spoof on Disease Mongering
"Motivational Deficiency Disorder" A New Epidemic
More Humor "When more is not enough..." Havidol
A Dangerous Mix Deaths from accidental drug interactions rose 68% over 5 years WP (CDC report)
Drug Gets a Cameo in a Film Backed by Its Maker
J&J documentary will be shown free NYT
Knock It Off Makers of branded drugs market "authorized generics" Economist
Diet Pill Maker Underwrites PBS Obesity Show Glaxo funds "Fat: What no one is telling you" Broadcast and Cable (commentary in Health Care Renewal)
Pfizer Risks Doctors' Ire Pitching Drug to Diabetics
Docs unenthused, so it's DTCA for Exubera Bloomberg
Pseudoevidence-based Medicine: What it is, and What to Do About it Practicing medicine based on falsehoods disseminated as truth Clinical Governance (commentary in Health Care Renewal)
Who's Funding WHO? Patient groups launder pharma contributions BMJ (commentary in Health Care Renewal)
Allegations of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Pharmaceutical Pricing
Financial Impacts on Federal Health Programs and the Federal Taxpayer Commitee on Oversight and Government Reform
Drug Safety Hurt by Rush to Approval, U.S. Panel Told
FDA staffer cites culture of approval Bloomberg
Drugmakers Haven't Begun 899 Promised Studies
71% of 1,259 Phase 4 studies never started Bloomberg
Pfizer Drafting Customers to Lobby
Preprinted mailers support price controls Boston Globe
The Doctor Won't See You Now
Pharma sales forces downsize Business Week
Young Doctors See Drug Makers' Freebies as a Bad Habit
Pharma-free concept finds favor LA Times
New Study Fuels Bone Fears Over Glaxo's Avandia
Bone formation reduced Reuters (Study in J Clin Endocrinol Metab)
Behind Antismoking Policy, Influence of Drug Industry
Nicotine products promoted for smoking cessation WSJ (Comment in Health Care Renewal)
NAACP Presses U.S. on Heart Drug Bidil promoted after 1.5 million dollar contribution WSJ (summary in Integrity in Science Watch)
Journals Fight Open-Access Movement Integrity in Science Watch
Creating Demand for Prescription Drugs
DTC ads analyzed Ann Fam Med
The Role of Litigation in Defining Drug Risks
Lawsuits, regulation, and corporate behavior JAMA
Hold the Hors d'Oeuvres
PharmedOut pharma-free CME showcased WP
Ghost Authorship in Industry-Initiated Randomised Trials
Danish study finds 75% of published papers affected PLoS Med
NIH Cancels Meeting on Herpes
CSPI exposes panel members COI WSJ
Am Society of Hypertension Reverses Decision
Allows COI panel with added industry supporters Boston Globe
NEJM publishes defanged commentary on EPO Boston Globe (comment in Health Care Renewal)
US Public Think Pharma 'Puts Profits Before Patients'
PricewaterhouseCoopers report Comm. Live
Drug Sales Grow 5% Worldwide
IMS reports $194 billion in US sales FDA News
US Drug Approvals Decline
Only 18 drugs approved in 2006 Bloomberg
Congress vs. Big Pharma: Let the Games Begin
Congress investigating drug industry in ’07? Mother Jones
Medical Group Suppresses Conflict of Interest Talk American Society of Hypertension quashes panel on pharma influence Boston Globe
J&J Sued by Texas Over Marketing
State guidelines increased Risperdal sale Bloomberg
Drug Firm's Cash Sways Debate Over Test for Pregnant Women GSK funds CME urging herpes screen for all pregnant women WSJ
NEJM Spikes Commentary on Industry Ties of Kidney Group
Journal ran less critical article instead WSJ
Disparity in Lilly Data on Zyprexa
Weight gain, diabetes risks minimized NYT
Insurer Scales Back
Branded Drugs Affected in Humana Scaleback LA Times
Cost Benefits of New Schizophrenia Drugs Doubted
Older, Cheaper Drugs Are as Safe and Effective WP
Financial Relationships between Institutional Review Board Members and Industry 36% of IRB members have COIs NEJM
Pfizer Move May Prompt More Job Cuts
Pfizer cuts sales reps by 20% AP
Drug Industry on Defensive
Drug Executives Meet to Plan Congressional Defense NYT
Commentary (return to top of news archive)
You Have Now Been SampledDrug rep statements are misleading Pharmagossip
Redefining Quality — Implications of Recent Clinical Trials
Lowering risk factors may increase death NEJM
FDA Puts Medical Test Subjects in Danger
Helsinki declaration abandoned The Nation
Prescription Tracking and Public Health
AMA’s PDRP inadequate JGIM
Countering the Drug Salesmen
Academic detailing bill NYT
Confidential Review--or Not?
Pfizer demands NEJM peer reviews Science
A Line Between Docs and Drugs
U Mass Memorial to ban gifts Boston Globe
Defining Pharmaceutical Innovation
Better or just newer? Open Medicine
Anthony Fleg on Pharm-Free
Independent Weekly
Financial Conflicts in the Medical Profession
Kassirer holds forth Open Medicine
Ghost Management
How much is medical literature shaped by pharma? PloS Medicine
Race in a Bottle
The pitfalls of "ethnic" drugs Sci Am
Cancer - Big Pharma's (and oncologists') last gold rush Oncologists favor profitable drugs PharmaGossip
Are Pharmas Addicted to Lifestyle Drugs? Treatments for weight loss, baldness, ED favored Businessweek
How to Sniff Out Bias in CME Programs
Funding, framing, selective citation Carlat Psychiatry Blog
Does a Drug Firm's Free Lunch Influence Doctors?
PhRMA speaks out Boston Globe
Diagnosis: Conflict of Interest
Don't accredit pharma-funded CME NYT
Will Pharma Pay to Prevent the Next Vioxx? Ted Kennedy Thinks So Lauded bill tightens drug forms grip on the FDA Mother Jones
Cash to Doctors Can Ruin Patients' Trust
Make drug company “rebates” illegal Miami Herald
Paying for Drug Approvals — Who's Using Whom?
PDUFA must go NEJM (Read IOM report The Future of Drug Safety)
PDUFA Reauthorization—Drug Safety's Golden Moment of Opportunity? Give FDA $ to fund drug safety studies NEJM
Drug Safety Reform at the FDA—Pendulum Swing or Systematic Improvement? Augment FDA resources NEJM
May You Whistle While You Work at FDA?
“The upside-down world that is FDA”
Taking Back the FDAUser fees must go Boston Globe
Intro to Pharmaceuticology
Med student analyzes industry influence on docs Student BMJ
What Have We Learnt From Vioxx?
Academics must put patients first BMJ
Secrets of the Drug Trials
GSK promoted Seroxat (Paxil) for teens despite failed trials Panorama
New Year's Resolutions for Big Pharma
How many drug reps does it take to change a lightbulb? Opednews.com
Attack of the Pharma Babes High heels help drug sales Time
How Great Researchers Get By-lines, Get Paid, and Get Medicine in Trouble Ghostwritten articles infest medical journals Bioethics Forum
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