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David 
I dare you to try
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: Andromeda
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| Post subject: Medicine and marketing |  |
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We all know how crazy the anti-vaccination lobby is, and, like most 'pro-science' types, I have little time for most so-called 'alternative' medicines and therapies. But is it possible that we're not critical enough about the role in our healthcare system played by big pharmaceutical corporations?
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/07/millions-of-australians-given-flu-drugs-with-little-or-no-benefit-study-finds
| Quote: | Millions of patients may have taken influenza drugs that have little or no benefit to them, according to an Australian-led study.
The study found that researchers paid by pharmaceutical companies were more likely to recommend antiviral drugs for flu and produced different recommendations to independent researchers conducting the reviews. |
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All watched over by machines of loving grace |
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Mugwump
Joined: 28 Jul 2007
Location: Between London and Melbourne
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| Post subject: Re: Medicine and marketing | |
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| David wrote: | We all know how crazy the anti-vaccination lobby is, and, like most 'pro-science' types, I have little time for most so-called 'alternative' medicines and therapies. But is it possible that we're not critical enough about the role in our healthcare system played by big pharmaceutical corporations?
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/07/millions-of-australians-given-flu-drugs-with-little-or-no-benefit-study-finds
| Quote: | Millions of patients may have taken influenza drugs that have little or no benefit to them, according to an Australian-led study.
The study found that researchers paid by pharmaceutical companies were more likely to recommend antiviral drugs for flu and produced different recommendations to independent researchers conducting the reviews. |
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Probably similar to the way that research funded by Greenpeace doesn't tend to recommend things contrary to its agenda. Who pays the piper calls the tune. Governments should certainly be sceptical of any research funded by a commercial interest or pressure group unless and until it is independently reviewed.
On the whole, however, the development and growth of pharmacology in the twentieth century has been one of the most benign things in the history of humanity. I often give a silent prayer for the fact that I was born in the pharmaceutical age, amd the large and small pharma companies have done much to advance the quality and duration of life. We should not take their research at face value, of course, and i think there is a larger role for government in supporting research into rare, and thus less commercially promising, illness. But the big PharmaCos get a lot of stick for not solving problems that they're not designed to solve, while being good at something of value to us all.
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Two more flags before I die!
Last edited by Mugwump on Wed Oct 08, 2014 9:27 am; edited 3 times in total |
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think positive
Side By Side
Joined: 30 Jun 2005
Location: somewhere
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Yeah I would have thought it was obvious. The bit about self funding research! Interesting article. I remember when that tamaflu came out and asking my doctor about it. He said apparently it reduces the flu by one day, but the side effects can far out way that day. He said nothing works, you just have to let your body fight it, give your body time to do it's job. All you can do is try and mask some of the symptoms.
The anti obeseity drug involved in the bombers case had a simular history. Their own research said it worked. In small animals. For humans the dose had to be massive and the effect wasn't brilliant in reality. When the real research was done their shares crashed and burned. I know, I sold mine just before they cost me!
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You cant fix stupid, turns out you cant quarantine it either!
Last edited by think positive on Wed Oct 08, 2014 12:55 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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David
I dare you to try
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: Andromeda
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You had shares in AOD9604? 
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All watched over by machines of loving grace |
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think positive
Side By Side
Joined: 30 Jun 2005
Location: somewhere
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| David wrote: | | You had shares in AOD9604? |
Yup made a killing got out about 5 min too late to retire on, but before the arse dropped right out!
Only a couple of thousand, just learning for a bit of fun at the time but takes too much time
Metabolic pharmaceuticals
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You cant fix stupid, turns out you cant quarantine it either! |
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