Big Pharma Funding Harvard Education

A Harvard medical student had a hunch something was wrong when the Professor continuously highlighted the benefits of certain cholesterol drugs even belittling a student when he asked about its side effects. The Student, Mathew Zerden went on-line and quickly found the Professor was not only a full-time professor at Harvard, but a consultant to ten drug companies, including five makers of cholesterol treatment. Surprise surprise.

Zerden felt violated that the independence of Harvard was not as pure as it should be. This is another story in the growing corporatization of every industry. We need to question everything emanating from these institutions including studies that are so-called "independent." It is disheartening to say the least that our greatest medical institution is bought and sold just like our politicians. "First Do No Harm" may no longer be the motto to be replaced with: "First, look out for yourself and make profit before you do no harm."

The students formed a group of more than 200 Harvard medical students and professors concerned with the influence of drug companies on the classroom, laboratories and teaching hospitals. The group says Harvard should be embarrassed by the recent F grade it received from the American Medical Student Association, a national group that rates how well medical schools monitor and control drug industry money. Yale received a C, Columbia and Stanford a B and UPenn received an A.

Drug companies, held responsible for destroying health care 15 years ago will go on the attack soon. Most likely, they have begun the attack, but what are we to do? If we allow this influence into our classrooms and into teaching hospitals at our most prestigious universities and for the care of patients what is to stop them for their undue influence in Washington? This a huge problem. I do not believe capitalism goes hand and hand with public health, not without some regulations, it is that simple. But, of course when we continue to seek to describe capitalism as synonymous with democracy that is our first mistake. Shame on Harvard.

Read the rest of the article here.

Shooting Up in America (without a syringe) and with Doctor Approval

The amount of five major painkillers sold at retail establishments rose 90 percent between 1997 and 2005, according to an Associated Press analysis of statistics from the Drug Enforcement Administration. More than 200,000 pounds of codeine, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone and meperidine were purchased at retail stores during the most recent year represented in the data. That total is enough to give more than 300 milligrams of painkillers to every person in the country.

Oxycodone is most responsible for the increase. It is the compound used in Oxycontin. It became known in the 90's as "hillbilly heroine" for its profound use in Appalachia, but is now as common in St. Louis and Florida as Appalachia.

The DEA figures analyzed by the AP include nationwide sales and distribution of drugs by hospitals, retail pharmacies, doctors and teaching institutions.

One of the reasons for the explosion in legal drug sales is: "The population is getting older. As age increases, so does the need for pain medications. In 2000, there were 35 million people older than 65. By 2020, the Census Bureau estimates the number of elderly in the U.S. will reach 54 million." In my mind this is not a reason, but a rationalization.

Two other reasons cited seem to paint the real picture: Drug makers have embarked on unprecedented marketing campaigns. Spending on drug marketing has gone from $11 billion in 1997 to nearly $30 billion in 2005, congressional investigators found. Profit margins among the leading companies routinely have been three and four times higher than in other Fortune 500 industries.

Thirdly, A major change in pain management philosophy is now in its third decade. Doctors who once advised patients that pain is part of the healing process began reversing course in the early 1980s; most now see pain management as an important ingredient in overcoming illness. See above reason number two. The marketing campaign by drug makers is not just us, but doctors insisting on them pimping their drugs to us.

The number of emergency room visits from painkiller abuse has increased more than 160 percent since 1995, according to the government. An example given in the article is the sprawling area of Myrtle Beach and represents a microcosm of what is occurring all over America. Oxycodone distribution in Myrtle Beach over an eight year period increased 800 percent partly due to a campaign by Purdue Pharmaceuticals of Stamford, Conn. The company plead guilty to lying to patients, physicians and federal regulators about the addictive nature of the drug. Use of other drugs soared in the area, too: Hydrocodone use increased 217 percent; morphine distribution went up 180 percent; even meperidine, most commonly sold as Demerol, jumped 20 percent.

The U.S. attorney for South Carolina secured a 58-count indictment in June 2002 against seven physicians and one employee of the Comprehensive Care and Pain Management Center, in downtown Myrtle Beach.

This is an epidemic in my mind. I visit the local doctor and if I sit there for a half an hour and any number of cheer leading/football frat boy types walk-in with their slick clothes and brief cases pimping drugs to doctors who in turn pimp them to us. Recently my PCP (no, not drugs) Primary Care Physician told me that the definition of addiction has been changed. I said really? Yes, he said no longer do you have to be addicted to drugs, but you have to steal or commit a crime to obtain the drugs. So, as long as you are being pumped full of drugs by a pharmacy, a doctor or a drug company that is ok. But, god forbid you are on the street and steal for it, then you are behind bars. I wonder who had a hand in changing the legal definition.

No wonder Rush continues to soar in the ratings. He is not addicted according to the new and improved text book definition of addiction, he is merely embarking upon "pain management." Although his trip down to the Dominican Republican made him "violate the law" and be legally addicted.

We are truly living in Alice in Wonderland.

Profit Over People: Pfizer is Charged With Killing African Children Over a Decade Ago.

I saw this article about Nigerian children given an untested drug, Trovan by an American drug company on Common Dreams (and the Independent in the U.K.) and thought to myself how is this not being covered by our media. I will summarize, but you should go read the article.

Pfizer will be answering to criminal charges in Nigeria (the first of their kind against a multinational drug company) over a clinical trial in Kano, Nigeria over a bacterial meningitis outbreak ten years ago. The scenario goes like this: a meningitis outbreak in Nigeria occurs, Pfizer enters an outbreak camp and selects 200 children and infants for test trials of the drug Trovan, an untested antibiotic. Trovan has never been approved for U.S. children and in 1997 was restricted for adults because of reports of liver damage and death. The Nigerian lawsuit further alleges that Pfizer did not receive consent from the children's families though it was known to have life threatening side effects and according to their own research was "unfit for human use."

The lawsuit further contends: "Pfizer agreed to do an illegal act...in a manner so rash and negligent as to endanger human life." The lawsuit continues that Pfizer destroyed all evidence of the drug trials and the medical records and left the area. In addition to not informing the children's parents of the clinical trial Pfizer is also accused of not providing information as to safe alternative treatments, the drug chloramphenicol, "a relatively cheap antibiotic recommended for bacterial meningitis."

The Nigerian government report found 11 children died and an unknown amount suffered, blindness, deafness, paralysis and other disabilities. Pfizer is charged with eight counts of criminal conspiracy and voluntarily causing grievous harm. Nigeria also filed a civil suit seeking more than 2.7 billion dollars.

Pfizer contends after a US government audit of the records on Trovan they produced a letter from a hospital in Kano, Nigeria that approved the study by the hospital's ethics committee. Nigeria claims, however the letter was forged; the hospital has no ethics committee.

Public anger in Kano is extremely high as well as assurances by any pharmaceutical company. The people of Kano will not trust the Nigerian government to immunize their children against polio. Can we blame them? Could American Pharmaceutical companies be so brazen and have such a disrespect for poor African lives to do such a thing? I will be following up on this story.