Healthy Skepticism Library item: 676

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Horton R.
Spinning the risks and benefits of calcium antagonists.
Lancet 1995 Sep 2; 346:(8975):586-7

Keywords:
*analysis disinformation Bayer European Society of Cardiology calcium channel blockers conflict of interest press conferences and releases ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: LINKS BETWEEN HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND INDUSTRY INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: CONFERENCE SPEAKERS PROMOTION DISGUISED: APPOINTMENTS AND RETAINERS PROMOTION DISGUISED: DISINFORMATION AND HARASSMENT

Notes:

At the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology meeting Furberg was asked to speak about his data which suggested that patients with high blood pressure who were receiving calcium channel blockers may have a higher risk of heart attack. His presentation was followed by three others on calcium channel blockers. After these sessions organization for a press conference began to discuss these issues. Bayer, the maker of one of the drugs, asking that other physicians be added to the panel to “balance” the “debatable” findings of Furberg. The person suggested by Bayer for his balanced position stated that Furberg’s data were “less than convincing” but presented no new data. After his statement there was loud applause and cheering from one section of the audience creating the impression that the weight of evidence was against Furberg. The pandering of the European Society of Cardiology to the pressure exerted by a pharmaceutical company-coincidentally, one of the conference’s major sponsors-is troubling.