Monday, November 19, 2007

Who Do Pharmaceutical Companies Support to Run Clinical Trials?

On the Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry blog, this post discusses an amazing case of a psychiatrist who had his license suspended for giving genital herpes to two patients. Why is that amazing, or relevant to Health Care Renewal?

The psychiatrist also is known for enrolling patients in clinical trials sponsored by no less than 11 well-known pharmaceutical companies (AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, McNeil, Pfizer, and Shire) and working with no less than six well-known contract research organizations (I 3 Research, INC Research, Parexel, PPD Development, Quintiles, Rho Inc).

Apparently an FDA investigation of the (not so) good doctor also found he had "imprisoned" one patient, enrolled at least two patients in trials without informed consent, hospitalized patients in unlicensed facilities, and failed to record drug dosages in trials.

Yet, the psychiatrist seems to be regarded as something of a "thought leader," as he claims to be on the speakers bureaus of "Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Bristol Myers Squibb and others."

But of course, some have argued (e.g., see this post) that the physicians and researchers the pharmaceutical industry recruits as consultants, study investigators, and speakers are nothing but the "best and the brightest." Maybe not always...

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