Another Example of Spin in Published Results of Industry-Sponsored Clinical Trials
Long-time readers of this blog may want to skip this post; but starry-eyed optimist that I am, I continue to believe that a new reader or two may show up once in a while, and so it may be worth adding further examples of how carefully you have to read published reports of clinical trials in medical journals to detect marketing spin in industry-sponsored research. I was alerted to the present study thanks to the good offices of "Primary Care Medical Abstracts," aka Drs. Rick Bukata and Jerry Hoffman.Tapentadol (Nucynta) is one of the newest analgesics to be discovered and tested. The article by Kleinert and colleagues claims that it is special in having two mechanisms of action-

Yet More on Concealing Negative Antidepressant Data--from Germany
If any more evidence were needed that concealing negative data about (at least) antidepressants is a standard business plan among pharmaceutical companies, we can turn to: http://www.iqwig.de/index.981.en.html?random=6f6241The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care set out to decide whether three newer antidepressants, reboxetine (Edronax), bupropion XL (an extended release form of Wellbutrin), and mirtazapine (Remeron) actually work and show any advantages over other antidepressants. I'll let them tell the story:"In its preliminary report published at the beginning of J

Follow the Money: Who's Screaming Loudest about Mammogram Guidelines?
Thanks again to Marilyn Mann's tip, I am pleased to recommend a post by our PharmedOut friends, Adriane Fugh-Berman and Alice Bell:http://www.thehastingscenter.org/Bioethicsforum/Post.aspx?id=4194This well-crafted post starts out by analyzing the recent mammogram recommendations from the US Preventive Services Task Force, making a number of key points:The USPSTF is a very prestigious group, working in a generally highly evidence-based manner, and squeaky-clean with regard to conflict of interestThe recommendation that women consider waiting till 50 to start mammogra

Inside the Belly of the Medical Communications Beast
Here is another paper I should have been all over earlier this year--again apologies for my tardiness.Sergio Sismondo is a philosopher and science-and-technology-studies (STS) guy at Queen's University, Canada. The paper here reviewed is primarily a report of his experience in attending the annual meeting (apparently in 2007) of the International Society of Medical Planning Professionals, one of two large organizations representing medical communications firms. These are the firms that sell their services to pharmceutical and other companies as being able efficiently to "manage" the publication and placement of scientific research papers for maximal marketing impact. When scient

Kids, Antidepressants, and Suicide Risk: A Review of Commercial Bias
Here's a somewhat old paper that I should have posted about some time ago-- thanks to "Primary Care Medical Abstracts," aka Rick Bukata and Jerry Hoffman, for their audio review that brought it to my attention.Jon Jureidini, Australian psychiatrist and chair of Healthy Skepticism, and Leemon McHenry wrote an editorial reviewing the debate over prescribing serotonin-reuptake-inhibiting (SSRI) antidepressants (Prozac and its cousins) in children and adolescents. Basically they were asking--how did it come to be, when the data now show that these drugs very likely produce virtually no benefit in those age groups and run a small but definite risk of producing suicidal behavior, that