Healthy Skepticism Library item: 18043

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

Spurgeon D
GlaxoSmithKline staff told not to publicise ineffectiveness of its drug
BMJ 2004 Feb 21; 328:(7437):422
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/328/7437/422

Abstract:

Gates announces $83m for research into TB vaccine: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced an $82.9m (£43.9m; €64.9m) grant to the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation, based in Bethesda, Maryland, to support development of new vaccines to prevent tuberculosis, which kills nearly two million people a year.

Maggots on prescription: A decision by the Prescription Pricing Authority means that GPs will be able to prescribe sterile maggots of the common greenbottle Lucilia sericata for the treatment of all types of infected and necrotic wounds for patients in the community. The maggots, marketed under the tradename LarvE, are produced by the Biosurgical Research Unit in Bridgend, south Wales, which is part of the Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust.

Both life expectancy and infant mortality rise in the United States: Overall life expectancy in the United States reached a new high of 77.4 years in 2002, up from 77.2 in 2001, . . .