Guinea Pigs in a Giant Marketing Experiment Posted by Rob at 03/24/06 07:01 PM

On February 9, an advisory committee of the FDA recommended a black box warning for on stimulants used to treat attention deficit disorder, citing heart dangers particularly for adults. Now, there's more news with some conflicting recommendations from an FDA panel.

comments (1)

More doctors rejecting drug company swag Posted by Rob at 03/15/06 11:41 AM

It seems like some doctors are taking notice of the growing concern about the influence of drug company marketing efforts -- and the swag they leave behind. A story in the Chicago Tribune profiles a "Pharm-free" physician's attempt to remove the bias from the information he gets by refusing to see drug company sales reps and take the "free" stuff they bring.

comments (4)

New Drug Makes People Love Drug Companies, The Onion reports Posted by Rob at 03/09/06 10:03 AM

In a brilliant satire, The Onion does a send up of drug development by big drug companies:

Although many psychotropic drugs impart a generalized feeling of well-being, PharmAmorin is the first to induce and focus intense feelings of affection externally, toward for-profit drug makers. Pfizer representatives say that, if taken regularly, PharmAmorin can increase affection for and trust in its developers by as much as 96.5 percent.

comments (0)

A promise made. . . . Posted by Rob at 03/04/06 06:54 PM

A promise made is a debt unpaid. But apparently not for the drug industry. Drug companies promise to conduct further studies on safety and effectiveness in exchange for FDA approval. But often these studies are never completed.

comments (0)