News tagged with 'Pharmaceutical Industry'

While much of the health care debate has been very public, details of the very private negotiations between the White House and the pharmaceutical industry are becoming public.    

An AP investigation found U.S. manufacturers, including drug-makers, have legally dumped 271 million pounds of pharmaceuticals into waterways that often provide drinking water.

A Colorado company caught in a congressional sting involving oversight of patient safety during clinical trials will voluntarily halt many of its review operations at the request of the FDA.

Radio producer, Bill Lichtenstein wants to clear the air. He says he knew nothing about the conflicting interests between the host of "The Infinite Mind" Dr. Fred Goodwin, and GlaxoSmithKline who paid Goodwin more $1 million in speaking fees. NPR has apologized to Lichtenstein for its reporting. 

Pfizer plans to become the first drugmaker to disclose on its web site the lucrative payments it makes to doctors who promote and research its drugs. The move is intended to promote transparency and regain the trust of the public after revelations that some academics on the take were not disclosing the relationship.

Even before the economy went south, journalism has been suffering from a dwindling advertising base and audience that's gone online. The latest casualty is the Web site, Pharmalot, which covered the pharmaceutical industry extensively with insider comments and insights, delivered by journalist Ed Silverman.

Dr. Joseph Biederman, the father of child psychiatry, is suspended from participating in clinical trials while Harvard University and its teaching hospital, Massachusetts General, probe his conflicting interests with the pharmaceutical industry. At issue - why he failed to report $1.6 million from Big Pharma while his work with children promoted drug use. 

A national trade association representing 1,300 member companies such as WellPoint Inc., United Health Group Inc., Humana Inc. and Aetna Inc., has spent more than $1.6 million on lobbying efforts in the third-quarter. Meanwhile Big Insurance and Pharma as well as AMA doctors are expected to show up at meet and greet gatherings with the incoming president.

FDA Commissioner, Dr. Andrew Eschenbach will resign his post January 20 to make way for a new FDA head, yet unnamed. On the short list are a vocal critics of child cold medications and a critic of the pharmaceutical industry.  Eschanbach had made some progress in beefing up the agency in his last year there.

Outsourcing clinical drug trials to India is investigated in this St. Petersburg Times special report.  Thousands of trials are underway with little or no FDA oversight. Deaths have resulted, and unlike U.S. trials, participants often don't even speak English yet must sign waivers they don't understand.

The producer of the science radio program, "The Infinite Mind," says he had no idea his host had a consulting arrangement with the pharmaceutical industry he occasionally reported on. That is a violation of his contract, which the producer has posted for everyone to see.

Pfizer pulled ads featuring Robert Jarvik six months ago after a Congressional investigation began into false and misleading advertising by the drug industry. Now actual patients will be used and expect to see more direct-to-customer ads for symptoms that don't have to spend precious ad time on the side effects of specific drugs. 

The Center for Public Integrity is reporting on the big bucks spent by Washington’s largest lobby – the pharmaceutical industry.  In 2007- an all time new record was spent to lobby Congress - $168 million, a 32 percent jump over the previous year.