Pharmaceutical industry

Recommended Books: Pharmaceutical Industry

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Many informed observers see the pharmaceutical industry as the natural successor to the tobacco industry: enormously wealthy and politically connected, ruthless, and much more concerned about profit than about the health of its customers.

Here are seven books  describing the questionable practices that are an integral part of these powerful corporations' business model.

Whistleblower accuses US medical firm of illegal marketing

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MassDevice – May 14, 2012

An unsealed whistleblower lawsuit accuses Medtronic of violating the Medicare False Claims Act through illegal marketing of its Infuse bone growth protein, alleging that the medical device maker installed a crony as editor of an influential spine journal to push positive data on the controversial compound.

A whistleblower accused Medtronic of installing a stooge, spinal surgeon Dr. Thomas Zdeblick, as editor of an influential spine journal to push positive – and possibly premature – data on its Infuse bone growth stimulant.

Canada’s integrity commissioner: in full pursuit of the inconsequential

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David Hutton – April 23, 2012

This is the story of how Canadian authorities suck up to a powerful industry that has a track record of bad behaviour, how public servants who get in the way are punished, and how the watchdog that’s supposed to investigate suspected wrongdoing is turning a blind eye.

Canada’s Integrity Commissioner Mario Dion, who is responsible for protecting government whistleblowers and investigating their allegations of wrongdoing, recently referred his third case to the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal created to examine alleged reprisals against whistleblowers.

Bum Steer: How Big Pharma Dominates Meat Science

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Tom Philpott – April 19, 2012

It isn't just ourselves or our pets that have been getting bigger over the past couple of decades. Turns out, our beef cows have become gigantic too. How big? According to an excellent article by Melody Petersen in the Chronicle of Higher Education, "the average weight of a fattened steer sold to a packing plant is now roughly 1,300 pounds—up from 1,000 pounds in 1975."

That's a hefty 30 percent gain. What gives? According to Peterson, the main reason is pharmaceutical: heavy use of antibiotics, hormones, and other growth-enhancing drugs. Peterson untangles the web that connects pharmaceutical giants like Merck to professors at big public land-grant universities, who not only act as paid researchers to develop new products but also as shills who appeal directly to cattle feedlot operators.

Johnson & Johnson tried to squeeze whistle blower

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David Sell – March 27, 2012

A Texas judge Tuesday approved the $158 million settlement between Johnson & Johnson and the state of Texas over allegations that J&J's Janssen subsidiary illegally promoted the antipsychotic drug Risperdal through the Medicaid program.

Before Travis County District Judge John Dietz banged the gavel in Austin for the last time in this eight-year case, lawyers for the company, state and whistle blower Allen Jones argued over how the money should be divided.

Special Report: A prescription for corruption

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Dr. Nenad Borojevic

Aleksandar Vasovic and Ben Hirschler – February 28, 2012

According to a signal from the electronic tag around his ankle, Nenad Borojevic last left his apartment building at 6.25 p.m. on January 10. It was the festive season in Serbia; the capital was enjoying the lull between Orthodox Christmas and New Year.

Police said Borojevic, a doctor, headed to Kosutnjak park, a popular wooded area in Belgrade dotted with restaurants and criss-crossed by jogging paths.

Investigations of bribery by big pharma in emerging markets

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Dr. Nenad Borojevic

Aleksandar Vasovic and Ben Hirschler – March 1, 2012

According to a signal from the electronic tag around his ankle, Nenad Borojevic last left his apartment building at 6:25 p.m. Jan. 10. It was the festive season in Serbia; the capital was enjoying the lull between Orthodox Christmas and New Year.

Police said Borojevic, a doctor, headed to Kosutnjak park, a popular wooded area in Belgrade dotted with restaurants and crisscrossed by jogging paths.

US Combating Crime in the Workplace

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Heide B. Malhotra – January 17, 2012

In August 2011, the revised U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whistleblower program came into effect, a program for which final rules were issued on May 24, 2011. The SEC was granted authority under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Act to provide financial rewards to whistleblowers when provided with new and relevant information regarding security laws violations.

“Eligible whistleblowers are entitled to an award equal to 10 to 30 percent of the money recovered when they voluntarily provide us with original information that leads to a monetary sanction greater than $1 million in a Commission enforcement action,” according to the SEC Whistleblower Provisions of Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, published on the SEC website.

Big pharma fraud lawsuit settled for $158 million

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January 19, 2012

Texas and a subsidiary of health care giant Johnson & Johnson reached a $158 million settlement in a Medicaid fraud lawsuit Thursday, allowing the drugmaker to pay a fraction of the potential $1 billion in penalties and fines that state officials had initially sought.

The lawsuit was one of dozens of state and federal cases alleging that the company committed fraud by making false or misleading statements about the safety, cost and effectiveness of the expensive anti-psychotic medication Risperdal, and improperly influencing officials and doctors to push the drug.

Tamiflu effectiveness questioned: Roche withholds trial data

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Petra Rattue – January 18, 2012

Two years ago, pharmaceutical giant, Roche, promised the BMJ to release key Tamiflu trial data for an independent investigation. However, Roche refuses to provide full access to all its data. According to a new report by the Cochrane Collaboration, Roche's refusal to provide access leaves critical concerns about how the drug works unresolved.

A BMJ investigation, published at the same time as the report, also voices serious concerns regarding drug data access, the drug approval process and the use of ghostwriters in drug trials.

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