comsc US Politics | AMERICAblog News: Phamaceutical industry hiding studies from consumers and government
Join Email List | About us | AMERICAblog Gay
Elections | Economic Crisis | Jobs | TSA | Limbaugh | Fun Stuff

Phamaceutical industry hiding studies from consumers and government



| Reddit | Tumblr | Digg | FARK

In their own version of cooking the books, the drug industry is avoiding publication of studies that may show the public how poorly their products performed or side effects that may have been detected. The FDA has failed to crack down on the pharmaceutical companies because they have no method of enforcement. With the election right around the corner, it's probably asking too much for politicians to demand accountability from potential fund raisers.

"An FDA analysis found that in 2002 only 48 percent of trials of cancer drugs had been registered, and a preliminary review now indicates the listing rate for drugs for some other serious diseases is in the single digits. Some companies have listed no studies; some trials are listed without identifying the sponsoring company or the drug being tested.

As of Friday, the database, ClinicalTrials.gov, listed 5,754 ongoing studies, but only 13 percent were industry sponsored. The federal government, mainly the National Institutes of Health, accounted for 55 percent. Those proportions are in stark contrast to the true picture, DeAngelis said. "Over 80 percent of trials are funded by for-profit companies, not by the government," she said.

The law required companies to register all effectiveness trials, known as Phase 2, 3 or 4 studies, for serious and life-threatening diseases. In 2002 , the FDA defined "serious" diseases broadly, including everything from AIDS and cancer to arthritis, depression and diabetes.

Companies are hesitant to register trials because they want to control data, said Kay Dickersin, a professor at Brown University who has sought such data for two decades."


blog comments powered by Disqus