posted
Wowza! I think lack of integrity is rampant everywhere (and a lot more lately).
Posts: 554 | From Naples, Italy | Registered: Jun 2006
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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Pigwit,
Thanks for that link from the Wall Street Journal.
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This author also discusses pharmacy companies' fabrication of data:
Still, while there is much lack of integrity all over the place - in both some pharmaceutical and some natural meds, remember that in both worlds - pharmaceutical and naturopathic medicine - and in places in between - that there are still some very good people and very good treatments.
However, the unfortunate effect of all this is that a patient has to become nearly a Ph.D. in research to be able to get to the truth. As a rule, the media has been no friend of truth, although there are a few shining moments.
The Peterson interview is a huge eye-opener. Seems that we also need our ears - and all our senses to help us out here, too.
posted
copying pig's blog post here and breaking up as necessary; at this time 44 comments to this article!!
* March 11, 2009, 9:04 AM ET
A New Low in Drug Research: 21 Fabricated Studies
* Article * Comments (44)
By Sarah Rubenstein
We've followed plenty of controversies around drug trials, from ghostwriting to keeping quiet about unflattering results.
But the latest news is particularly eye-popping:
A prominent Massachusetts anesthesiologist allegedly fabricated 21 medical studies involving major drugs. Yikes.
Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., has asked several anesthesiology journals to retract the studies, which appeared between 1996 and 2008, the WSJ reports.
The hospital says its former chief of acute pain, Scott S. Reuben, faked data used in the studies. **********************************************
Some of the studies reported favorable results from use of Pfizer's Bextra and Merck's Vioxx, both painkillers that have since been pulled from the market.
Others offered good news about Pfizer's pain drugs Lyrica and Celebrex and Wyeth's antidepressant Effexor XR.
Doctors said Reuben's work was particularly influential in pain treatment and that they were shocked by the news.
``We are left with a large hole in our understanding of this field,'' Steven Shafer, editor-in-chief of Anesthesia and Analgesia, told Anesthesiology News, which first reported on the retractions.
``There are substantial tendrils from this body of work that reach throughout the discipline of postoperative pain management.''
Pfizer had funded some of Reuben's research and had also paid him to speak on behalf of its medicines.
``It is very disappointing to learn about Dr. Scott Reuben's alleged actions,'' Pfizer said in a statement to WSJ.
``When we decided to support Dr. Reuben's research, he worked for a credible academic medical center and appeared to be a reputable investigator.''
Wyeth said it wasn't aware of any financial relationship between the company and Reuben. Merck had no immediate comment.
As for Baystate, it said a routine audit last spring was what flagged issues with Reuben's work.
Reuben, who is on indefinite leave, didn't respond to the WSJ's requests for comment.
But his attorney said Reuben ``deeply regrets that this happened.'' The attorney also referred to ``extenuating circumstances,'' but didn't elaborate on what they were. ***************************
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I think lack of integrity is rampant everywhere (and a lot more lately).
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