Tag: Big Pharma

“In a Tight Race, Pharma’s Favorite Senator gets a Little help...

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STAT reports that Senator Richard Burr, who has consistently protected the pharmaceutical and biotech industries from regulation, is getting a boost in funding from...

“Readying for Pricing Fight, Drug Lobby to add $100 Million to...

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STAT reports that the drug industry’s top lobbying group is attempting to boost its funds in anticipation of a show down with regulators. Clinton...

“Sanders Seeks Ariad Data on Cancer Drug Price Hikes”

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For STAT, Ed Silverman reports on the former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders' ongoing fight against pharmaceutical companies. Sanders sent Ariad Pharmaceuticals  a letter  asking for...

“Driven to Suicide by an ‘Inhuman and Unnatural’ Pressure to Sell”

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Today’s New York Times features a story of a drug salesman, Ashish Awasthi, who committed suicide when he felt he couldn’t keep up with...

“Selling Side Effects: Big Pharma’s Marketing Machine?”

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Drug Watch releases an in-depth investigation into the marketing practices of pharmaceutical companies in the United States. “Companies spend billions advertising to doctors to...

Mental Health Treatments Top List of US Healthcare Spending

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According to new research, the United States spends over 200 billion annually on treatment and hospitalization for mental health issues, exceeding spending on heart...

“How Big Pharma Uses Charity Programs to Cover for Drug Price...

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Bloomberg Businessweek reports that “U.S. taxpayers support a billion-dollar system in which charitable giving is, in effect, a very profitable form of investing for...

“Harvard Affiliates Protest at Tufts for ‘Pharma Fools Day’”

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Students from Harvard Medical School joined students from Tufts University to protest Joseph DiMasi, who recently published a study that the students claim is...

“Pfizer Abandons $160bn Allergan Deal”

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After the US announced plans to crack down on “inversion deals,” where a US company merges with a foreign company to escape taxes, Pfizer...

“Big Pharma Settlements Highlight the Need for Tougher Enforcement”

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“Stronger enforcement is needed to deter pharmaceutical manufacturers from continuing to break the law and defraud federal and state health programs, according to a...

“Look Beyond Martin Shkreli for Pharma Reform”

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Martin Shkreli, the former hedge fund manager who became infamous for buying a life-saving drug and then raising the price significantly, was led away in handcuffs by the FBI last week. Unfortunately, the Boston Globe editorial board reminds us, “viewing his much-publicized takedown as anything like a tipping point in the push for pharmaceutical industry reform would be a mistake.”

“The Rise and Fall of the Blockbuster Antipsychotic Seroquel”

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Martha Rosenberg highlights how the popular antipsychotic Seroquel is a perfect example of how direct-to-consumer advertising made billion dollar blockbuster drugs possible before side-effects...

“Bernie Sanders Blasts FDA Commish Nominee Califf”

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Democratic Presidential nominee, Bernie Sanders, questioned the nominee for FDA commissioner, Robert Califf, during yesterday’s Senate hearing. Sanders remarked that we need a commissioner who will stand up to the pharmaceutical companies and protect American consumers. Of Califf, he added, “with regret, I think that you are not that person.”

Study 329: Big Risk

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Study 329 seems to fit the classic picture: It has Big Pharma ghostwriting articles, hiding data, corrupting the scientific process and leaving a trail of death, disability and grieving relatives in its wake. But is it at fault alone? Both Big Pharma and Big Risk (the insurance industry) were once our allies in keeping our hopes alive – in keeping our children alive and well. They are now a threat. And of the two – Big Risk is the bigger threat.

“Psychotic Shooters on the Open Frontier of Profit”

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At CounterPunch, Joseph Natoli connects Big Pharma, mass shootings, and rampant inequality. He writes: “The Brave New World soma strategy to deal with a population that, were they not doped up, might violently disrupt that brave new world, is useful if a society is ‘creatively destroying’ a growing number of its population each day. While the poor have daily evidence of their poverty, a collapsing middle class live in the illusion that they are middle class and just a short distance, not from ruin, but from fame and fortune. They are, in short, heading for a catastrophic break-down. Big Pharma is already set to give us all a ‘soft landing.’”

Massive Number of Antidepressant Meta-Analyses Biased By Industry

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A massive number of meta-analyses of antidepressant clinical trials have financial conflicts of interest and are unduly influenced by pharmaceutical companies, according to a review to be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. Researchers also found that meta-analyses with industry ties almost never report any negative findings in their abstracts.

Bernie Sanders Opposes Califf for FDA Post Cites Industry Ties

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Bernie Sanders joins numerous public health groups and opposes Robert Califf's nomination to lead the FDA over industry ties.

“Holding Big Pharma Accountable: Why Suing the Pharmaceutical Industry Isn’t Working”

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Writing for the Huffington Post, Caroline Beaton looks into how drugs continue to make billions in sales even after they lose lawsuits for fraud and misconduct. “The persistence of Big Pharma's fraud despite ubiquitous legal action suggests that our present efforts to hold the industry accountable are ineffective,” Beaton writes. “New polices in motion will make potentially unsafe drugs even easier to bring to market and promote.”

Can Its New Board President Turn NAMI Around?

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“The word is out!” That was Dr. Keris Myrick’s reaction when she was elected earlier this month as the new president of NAMI’s Board...