Healthy Skepticism Library item: 17984

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

Sharma R
WHO calls for closer monitoring of commercial interests
BMJ 2002 Jan 5; 324:(7328):8
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/324/7328/8/b

Abstract:

Commercial interests are posing such an increasing threat to the integrity of clinical trials necessary for developing new drugs that new regulations are needed to safeguard them from corruption, according to Dr Jonathan Quick, director of essential drugs and medical policy at the World Health Organization.

In an editorial in the current Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Dr Quick says “researchers who publish or communicate results unfriendly to the sponsors have faced intimidation, attempts to discredit them professionally, and legal threats to recover `lost sales.’”

“If clinical trials become a commercial venture, self-interest overrules public interest and desire overrules science, then the social contract which allows research on human subjects in return for medical advances is broken,” said Dr Quick.

Dr Quick suggested drawing up a declaration on the rights and obligations of clinical investigators and on how to manage the entire clinical trials evidence base, along the lines . . .