still more on invisible and abandoned research

Charles Piller, writing for the medical newspaper STAT, wrote a piece on Sunday called Law Ignored, Patients at Risk.  His story has to do with something I have talked about on my site a number of times — INVISIBLE AND ABANDONED STUDIES.  Not sure what Invisible and Abandoned Studies are?  Follow along as I show you one of the numerous ways that some of the most elite medical research institutions in America are circumventing EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE, deceiving the public, and like the title says, putting patients at risk.

Piller opens his paper by saying that, “Drug companies have long been castigated by lawmakers and advocacy groups for a lack of openness on research, and the investigation shows just how far individual firms have gone to skirt the disclosure law. But while the industry generally performed poorly, major medical schools, teaching hospitals, and nonprofit groups did worse overall — many of them far worse.”   As astounding as it sounds, these facilities failed to publish their results in a timely manner at least 95% of the time. 

Although there were numerous schools and institutions mentioned, the ones that cheated the worst were Sloan Kettering, Stanford, Cal, Pitt, and the Ivy League’s Penn (oh, and KU was right up there with them as well).  I say “cheated” because that is exactly what they were doing — cheating.  “The pharma industry was hiding negative results to make treatments look better.”  I wish my high school teachers would have gotten this memo —- hide all my bad grades so that only my top grades would ever be seen or calculated toward my GPA.  I could have been valedictorian of my class with a 4.0 average! 

There was legislation passed to curb this practice clear back in 2008 — legislation that was due largely to the huge DEPRESSION MEDICATION SCAM by who else but GLAXOSMITHKLINE.  Universities and research facilitates are obligated by law to publish all findings — not just those that cast their products in a good light.  Not only has it not been getting done, but the organization within the NIH that is charged with watching over all this has not been doing their job.  Even though they could have levied 25 billion dollars worth of fines during this time, they have not fined anyone a single penny.  But then again, what can you say when when NIH scientists themselves only reported the results of 25% (54) of their 212 studies?

This situation is precisely why you cannot trust BIG PHARMA to do what is in your best interest, or trust OUR GOVERNMENT to reign them in. The universities and research facilities (that happen to be getting billions in taxpayer-funded “Research Grants”) made all sorts of excuses as to why the could not find it within themselves to actually report the findings of their studies.  Most centered around lack of manpower, lack of money, lack of time, etc.  Mark my words, if these same institutions would have come up with a miracle drug like PROGENATORIVOX; the SPIN, PRESS RELEASES, and PSA’s would be flowing like beer at a German Oktoberfest.  Do yourself a favor and READ PILLER’S ENTIRE ARTICLE.  I will warn you however, don’t try to do so without a trash can or barf bag handy.