BIG MEDICINE: WHOSE HEALTH ARE THEY PROTECTING? 333
is known to be "overly positive and prescribing habits are less ap-
propriate as a result."17,21, 22
- Research and academic medicine merely carry out the pharmaceu-
tical industry'S bidding. This can happen because: the drug com-
panies, and not researchers, may design the research, which allows
the company to "rig" the study 23 , 24; the researchers may have a
direct financial stake in the drug company whose product they are
studyingI5, 25 ; the drug company may be responsible for collecting
and collating the raw data, and then only selectively allowing re-
searchers to view the data^2 ),26; the drug company may retain veto
power over whether the findings are published, and may retain
editorial rights over any scientific publications resulting from the
research^2 ), 25, 2 7; the drug company may hire a communications firm
to write the scientific article, and then find researchers willing to
attach their names as authors of the paper after it has already been
written.^26
- The major scientific journals have turned into little more than mar-
keting vehicles for drug companies. The leading medical journals
derive their primary income from drug advertising. This advertis-
ing is not adequately reviewed by the journal, and companies often
present misleading claims about drugs. Perhaps more disconcert-
ing, the majority of clinical trial research reported in the journals is
funded by drug company money, and the financial interests of the
researchers involved are not fully acknowledged.^24
In the past couple of years there have been well-publicized scandals
at major medical centers that confirm these charges. In one instance,
a scientist's integrity was maligned in a variety of ways by both a drug
company and her university administration after she found that a drug
under study had strong side effects and it lost its effectiveness.^27 In an-
other case, a scientist speaking out about the possible side effects of
antidepressants lost a job opportunity at the University of Toronto.^26
The examples go on and on.
Dr. Marcia Angell, an ex-editor of the New England Journal oj Medicine,
wrote a scathing editorial called "Is Academic Medicine for Sale?"15:
The ties between clinical researchers and industry include not
only grant support, but also a host of other financial arrangements.
Researchers serve as consultants to companies whose products
they are studying, join adviSOry boards and speakers' bureaus,
