As new guidance on the standards required for communicating company-sponsored medical research is published, today on bmj.com two experts debate whether drug firms carrying out clinical trials on their own medicines creates an unacceptable conflict of interest.
Vincent Lawton, a healthcare consultant and non-executive director at the UK Medicines and Healthcare [...]
As new guidance on the standards required for communicating company-sponsored medical research is published, today on bmj.com two experts debate whether drug firms carrying out clinical trials on their own medicines creates an unacceptable conflict of interest.
Vincent Lawton, a healthcare consultant and non-executive director at the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), argues that having invested billions of pounds in medicine development, it is unrealistic to expect the drug industry to “surrender its intellectual property.” He adds that taking away research from pharmaceutical companies will lead to delays, inefficiency and a lack of innovation.
Doctor and writer Ben Goldacre disagrees, arguing that “it is hard to see any justification” for allowing the current situation to continue. Increasing evidence points to a conflict of interest for the drug industry which “results in bad evidence, which distorts medical decision-making and harms patients,” says Dr Goldacre. One of the problems is that the industry can choose which data to publish and which to leave unavailable, he adds, pointing to the difficulties in getting clear information about the number of suicide attempts in industry trials of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants or the number of heart attacks in individuals taking Merck’s anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx (rofecoxib)
A senior United Nations (UN) official said here Monday that more needs to be done to ensure that women and girls across sub-Saharan Africa access comprehensive HIV prevention, care and support.
UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on AIDS in Africa, Elizabeth Mataka said in her message ahead of the World AIDS Day which falls on [...]
A senior United Nations (UN) official said here Monday that more needs to be done to ensure that women and girls across sub-Saharan Africa access comprehensive HIV prevention, care and support.
UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on AIDS in Africa, Elizabeth Mataka said in her message ahead of the World AIDS Day which falls on December 1 that though the African continent accounted for three quarters of women living with the HIV virus, only a small percentage of them were accessing treatment.
“In 2008, sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 91 percent (of the 1.4 million) pregnant women living with HIV worldwide; and a further 61 percent of people living with HIV on the continent. Yet, only 44 percent of the people living with HIV in Africa are able to access antiretroviral treatment, and less than half of HIV positive pregnant women in Africa are receiving medicines to prevent their children from becoming HIV infected,” Mataka said.
A survey conducted by SEND-Ghana, an international NGO, had revealed a long delay in the issuing of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards, which is affecting health care delivery in the country, especially the poor.
Mr Mahamud Mohammed, Programme Officer of SEND-Ghana said most people who registered with the NHIS have had their cards [...]
A survey conducted by SEND-Ghana, an international NGO, had revealed a long delay in the issuing of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards, which is affecting health care delivery in the country, especially the poor.
Mr Mahamud Mohammed, Programme Officer of SEND-Ghana said most people who registered with the NHIS have had their cards delayed for about six months and even sometimes a year, which he said prevents such people from accessing health care during the period, even though they have registered.
Mr Mohammed was delivering a research finding in Tamale conducted in the three northern regions and twelve districts in the Greater Accra Region.
GlaxoSmithKline is to cut significantly the prices of its medicine in emerging economies next spring.
GSK’s global pharmaceutical market share and sales“My preference is not a high price and 100 units of profit for 100 patients, but to drop the price and make 100 of profit from 500 patients,” Abbas Hussain, head of emerging [...]
GlaxoSmithKline is to cut significantly the prices of its medicine in emerging economies next spring.
GSK’s global pharmaceutical market share and sales“My preference is not a high price and 100 units of profit for 100 patients, but to drop the price and make 100 of profit from 500 patients,” Abbas Hussain, head of emerging markets at the UK pharmaceuticals company, said. “We fundamentally believe access for more of the masses is the way to go.”
The reductions – expected to reduce prices in most developing countries to below two-thirds of western prices – reflect intensifying efforts by drug companies to tap demand from the faster-growing economies as western markets stagnate.
The World Medical Association (WMA) defines self-medication as ‘the use of a registered or monographed medicine legally available without a physician’s prescription, either on an individual’s own initiative or following advice of a healthcare professional’. João Carapinha has prepared the following discussion paper on this topic.
Carapinha, J. (2003) Rational Self-Medication within a South African Context. The Journal of Modern Pharmacy, February 2003.
The World Medical Association (WMA) defines self-medication as the use of a registered or monographed medicine legally available without a physician’s prescription, either on an individual’s own initiative or following advice of a healthcare professional. Joao Carapinha has prepared the following discussion paper on this topic.
Carapinha, J. (2003) Rational Self-Medication within a South African Context. The Journal of Modern Pharmacy, February 2003.
US drugmakers have reacted with fury to two separate calls by Members of Congress for official inquiries into allegations of industry “price gouging” in anticipation of health care reform.
Leaders of two powerful House committees have asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for “an expedited report on recent trends in prescription drug pricing” and a [...]
US drugmakers have reacted with fury to two separate calls by Members of Congress for official inquiries into allegations of industry “price gouging” in anticipation of health care reform.
Leaders of two powerful House committees have asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for “an expedited report on recent trends in prescription drug pricing” and a proposal for monitoring pricing practices, after recent studies and a report in the New York Times suggested that drugmakers may be artificially raising prices ahead of the health reform legislation now going through both houses of Congress and which could adversely affect drug price growth.
New analyses suggest that brand-name drug prices rose more than 9% last year and over 35% since 2006, say Democratic Representatives Charles Ranger, Henry Waxman, Pete Stark and John Lewis, in their letter to the GAO. “These price increases cannot be explained by increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which fell last year. Pharmaceutical manufacturers used the same tactic before the start of Medicare Part D, raising drug prices dramatically in anticipation of gaining millions of new insured customers,” add the legislators, who lead the House Committees on Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce.
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