GSK pays 3 BILLION $$$ fine for lying about drugs

[liveonearth]

And you thought you could trust a pharmaceutical company? LOL, probably not, you're smarter than that. GSK promoted off-label uses for two drugs, and didn't reveal safety information on another. (They make lots of vaccines, in case you don't know.) Scientific research done by corporations with a profit motive is guaranteed to be reported in a biased way. This will be the biggest fine ever paid by a drug company, and it might even big enough to serve as a disincentive to standard pharmaceutical policies of disinformation. Too bad that these drugs are what insurance will pay for, and not preventative care. And too bad that nobody goes to jail; the decisionmakers of GSK get to hide behind the corporation. Maybe their bonuses will get cut. I can only hope. I know there are humans behind these decisions. Humans with greed and pride where their love and compassion ought to be.

NEWS
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_20990296/glaxosmithkline-pay-largest-health-care-fraud-fine-history?source=rss
http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/02/12525279-glaxosmithkline-settles-fraud-case-for-3-billion?lite
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/07/02/health-glaxosmithkline-fraud-settlement.html

Comments

[madman101.livejournal.com]

no one was sent to jail...

"'personal responsibility' need not apply"

[aughraseye.livejournal.com]

My kids aren't vaccinated (as I think you know). As much as I am a scientist, I just don't trust pharmaceutical companies. As a scientist I know that publication bias overestimates effect sizes across all science, and I'm sure profit motivations compounds the problem. So when I saw that article in the news today, I'm not gonna lie--I felt a bit validated instead of my usual guilt. :)

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

What's to trust about a faceless entity that sells chemicals for profit? Might as well be Monsanto. Glad you had a moment of validation over this. I sure did.

About vaccines: If you ever do start feeling guilty enough to vaccinate your kiddos, I hope you'll come to me for a consult about it first. There are right and wrong ways and times to do it, and smart and dumb choices to make. I have landed squarely in the middle of the debate: some vaccines make sense for some people, some vaccines make sense for all or no people. Good vaccines can be harmful. Bad vaccines can be harmless. It's tricky.

In psych news: did you read about the HIV positive Portland man who was recently arrested for trying to stick, stab and strangle a boy in a fast food bathroom? He'd served 11/16 years for trying to sexually innoculate children with HIV, then been a very bad boy as soon as they let him out. Some kind of torture made him into a monster.

When do you finish your degree? And where are you going when you finish? I miss you!!!