Fwd: RED FLAGS, NOVEMBER 2, 2003

[Guest guest]

Mon, 3 Nov 2003 19:17:53 -0800

RED FLAGS, NOVEMBER 2, 2003

" Nicholas Regush "

 

 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2003

 

REDFLAGSDAILY.COM

 

* The online AUTISM conference at RFD, sponsored by VACCINATIONNEWS.COM has been

launched

 

RED FLAGS

 

MEDICAL JOURNALS AND DRUG COMPANIES

 

By RFD Editor, Nicholas Regush

 

One of the more intriguing opening paragraphs in health news in the past week

had to do with the medical journal, The Lancet.

 

Here is how a reporter from the Times (of London) began her report:

 

“The world’s oldest medical journal is accusing AstraZeneca, Europe’s second

biggest drugs company, of marketing a cholesterol-lowering treatment in the

absence of reliable proof that it is safe and effective.”

 

That’s quite an opening.

 

To add to the whack, “The Lancet will also claim that AstraZeneca has used

unprincipled sales tactics to push the drug, Crestor.

 

Given that Richard Horton is the editor of the medical journal, it wasn’t too

surprising to some that such a tone had been taken with one of the very large

pharmas.

 

Horton is known to some of us as somewhat of an iconoclast. On the other hand,

some scientists and reporters consider him to be basically mainstream with an

eccentric edge – and one never really knows for certain which way the wind will

blow for him.

 

Whatever…His comments on AstraZeneca were extremely blunt.

 

LANCET ACCUSES UNPRINCIPLED ASTRAZENECA

 

Ah yes, but then the fun really began.

 

Here is the Times once again:

 

“Pharmaceutical experts are suspicious about the timing of The Lancet’s

ferocious attack on AstraZeneca and Crestor…It comes only two weeks after the

journal ran a lucrative promotion for Pfizer’s Lipitor, the world’s

biggest-selling drug and a direct rival to Crestor.”

 

Well, what did we expect? Editing a journal that relies on drug company money

can lead to very unpredictable publishing strategy (is that mild enough?).

 

LANCET HIT IN DRUGS ROW

 

The fact is, Crestor should never been allowed on the market, but not because we

have learned anything important about it from Horton and The Lancet.

 

DO NOT USE CRESTOR

 

Given that medical journals are still very much linked to the drug industry (how

else can we say it gently?), there is little point in getting excited about

editorials from the likes of Horton on anything to do with drugs. Why on earth

would we want to trust anyone commenting on, or, for that matter, prescribing,

medications or potions, if their livelihood is tied to the medications industry?

 

We might want to think that issue through a little more carefully and broadly

and see where else the finger points.

 

 

 

 

NEW WEB MESSAGE BOARDS - JOIN HERE.

Alternative Medicine Message Boards.Info

http://alternative-medicine-message-boards.info

 

 

 

Protect your identity with Mail AddressGuard