Healthy Skepticism Library item: 569

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

Deyo RA, Psaty BM, Simon G, Wagner EH, Omenn GS.
The messenger under attack -- intimidation of researchers by special-interest groups.
N Engl J Med 1997 Apr 17; 336:(16):1176-80

Abstract:

*analysis
United States
calcium channel blockers
editorial freedom
disinformation
academic freedom
intimidation
PROMOTION BY THIRD PARTIES: RESEARCHERS
PROMOTION DISGUISED: DISINFORMATION AND HARASSMENT

Notes:

(Limited to parts of article dealing with promotion.) Within weeks after the presentation of a paper at a conference assessing the association between myocardial infarction and the use of short-acting calcium channel blockers the author received requests for several companies for documents, tables, manuscripts and new analyses. Academic consultants to companies manufacturing these products issued blistering critiques and publicly questioned the investigators’ integrity. At least one mass mailing to physicians by an opinion leader gave no indication that its distribution was supported by pharmaceutical companies. While the manuscript describing the study was under editorial review, pharmaceutical manufacturers tried to discover the identity of the journal to which it had been submitted, and it appeared to the investigators that opponents were trying to interfere with the publication of the study. Numerous channels were used, including pressure exerted through the principal investigator’s dean.