Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Medical editors: One-sided drug reviews hard to swallow USA Today story - "Drug companies' marketing efforts may sometimes be more subtle than pens emblazoned with their product's name or full-page ads in leading medical journals. Some journal editors say they regularly receive submissions that appear to be written by the drugmakers' marketing machines, not the scientists whose names appear as authors. Such a practice would violate the guidelines of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA, the prescription drug industry's trade group, on the communication of clinical trial results..."  
  

Despite Vow, Drug Makers Still Withhold Data Front page New York Times article - " When the drug industry came under fire last summer for failing to disclose poor results from studies of antidepressants, major drug makers promised to provide more information about their research on new medicines. But nearly a year later, crucial facts about many clinical trials remain hidden, scientists independent of the companies say. Within the drug industry, companies are sharply divided about how much information to reveal, both about new studies and completed studies for drugs already being sold. The split is unusual in the industry, where companies generally take similar stands on regulatory issues." [Viewing New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].