Someone shared a link with me today to a New York Times story about how the drug company Wyeth paid ghostwriters to produce medical journal articles favorable to its hormone replacement therapy Prempro.
The practice, which apparently dates back nearly a decade, is now under Congressional Review.
Wanted to share this part of the article ... that riled me a bit.
"Documents show company executives came up with ideas for medical journal articles, titled them, drafted outlines, paid writers to draft the manuscripts, recruited academic authors and identified publications to run the articles — all without disclosing the companies’ roles to journal editors or readers."
On the other side, one of the doctors involved said Congress shouldn't be so worried about it.
"Dr. Lila E. Nachtigall, a New York University professor and director of its Women’s Wellness Center, was recruited by Wyeth as author of a 1999 journal article extolling hormone treatment after the manuscript had already been drafted.
Dr. Nachtigall, reached by telephone Friday afternoon, said she had written all of the approximately 1,000 articles and three books she has had published. Asked about the Wyeth documents, she said, “If they came up with the idea or gave me an outline or something, I don’t remember that at all.” Dr. Nachtigall added: “It kind of makes me laugh that with what goes on in the Senate, the senator’s worried that something’s ghostwritten. I mean, give me a break.”
Wyeth isn't the only drug company accused of hiring ghostwriters. Want to find out more? Read the story from New York Times.
How do you feel about it?
All user-generated information on this site is the opinion of its author only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Members and guests are responsible for their own posts and the potential consequences of those posts detailed in our Terms of Service.
Add a Comment1 Comments
But of course! Hormone Replacement Therapy is a BIG business especially in the anti-aging area. I am not surprised Wyeth marketing strategy includes ghost writters to create "demand".
Women have to get smarter about our bodies and what we believe, what we read and what doctors tell us. One thing I am sure of, keeping our bodies functioning optimally does not require fancy, manufactured products and procedures all the time. There are in some cases a necessary evil, but beyond this, mother nature has given us is the best natural remedies to stay healthy, live long, happy lives.
It is hard to accept the aging process graceously but as long as we eat a balance diet, exercise, reduce stress, sleep enough, we should be able to slow down "aging". Our bodies are equipped with a marvelous organization of molecular and energy programmed for self-healing. We need to tap into those resources more.
December 23, 2008 - 11:58pmThis Comment