Health Glance
Big drug companies have been accused of putting profits above patients, spinning false PR campaigns and more. Here are some of the most shocking facts about the pharmaceutical industry.
Shocking Facts About the Pharmaceutical Industry
Merck Wrote Drug Studies For Doctors
The drug maker Merck drafted dozens of research studies for a best-selling drug, then lined up prestigious doctors to put their names on the reports before publication, according to an article to be published Wednesday in a leading medical journal.
The article, based on documents unearthed in lawsuits over the pain drug Vioxx, provides a rare, detailed look in the industry practice of ghostwriting medical research studies that are then published in academic journals.
Artificial hormones in U.S. beef linked to breast cancer, prostate cancer
British Veterinary Products Committee (VPC) member and chemical expert John Verall was appointed to the government's VPC to represent consumer interests. He recently defied a government gag order, revealing evidence from the study which showed a rise in the rates of breast and prostate cancer in the United States, where two-thirds of all cattle are pumped full of hormones.
Seriously ill? Need costly drugs? Go broke or die
Overall, the entire health industry spent early $445 million on lobbying in 2007.
Since 1990, Big Pharma has made about $152 million in campaign contributions to candidates for federal office. (Health services and HMOs have given nearly $54 million since 1990.)
Big Insurance (which obviously covers more than health-related insurance) spent about $138 million on lobbying in 2007 and more than $1 billion since 1998. Since 1990, Big Insurance has made more than $287 million in campaign contributions.
What a frickin’ mess. Industries have carved out new social policy. So we ought to be asking some basic questions:
What is the priority of Big Pharma? How does that priority fit into social policy as articulated by the legislative and executive branches of government?
What is the priority of Big Insurance? How does that priority fit into social policy as articulated by the legislative and executive branches of government?
TVNL Comment: America the beautiful; the "greatest nation in the world". "God bless America". If there is a god would he bless this vile nation that plces money above all?
Additives DO harm children - and a ban could cut child hyperactivity by a third, say scientists
The number of hyperactive children could be cut by a third by banning suspect food additives, it is claimed today.
The finding by British scientists will put pressure on the Food Standards Agency to force manufacturers to stop using the "E-number" chemicals.
CNN Helps Autism Debacle Blow Up in Government's Face; Vaccine-Autism Link No Longer in Question
On April 2, 2008 CNN spent the day bringing awareness to the problem of autism. Larry King's segment, which included Jenny McCarthy along with a panel of guests, was particularly enlightening. My hat is off to Jenny, a celebrity mother who is making it quite uncomfortable for the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to ignore parents of autistic children seeking answers. Why does a mom have to do the work of the CDC? The answer is rather simple: our government's zeal to insist on too many vaccines while ignoring the actual risks is the driving force behind the autism tragedy. Sure there are many related factors – but the bottom line is that our government is causing disease at an alarming and devastating pace.
Food additives 'could be as damaging as lead in petrol'
Artificial food colours are set to be removed from hundreds of products after a team of university researchers warned they were doing as much damage to children's brains as lead in petrol.
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