Healthy Skepticism Library item: 8635

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: news

Brueser E.
[I have bribed people]
Taz ( Die Tageszeitung) 2007 Jan 12
http://www.taz.de/pt/.archiv/suche?dos=1&mode=erw&demo=1&tx=john+rengen&ti=&au=&sdd=01&smm=01&syy=2007&edd=&emm=&eyy=&art=&len=&se=&rev=1&ListLen=10&qu=&re=

Notes:

Translation from German

Full text:

John Rengen has worked for more than thirty years for the “Global Player” in the pharmaceutical industry. Now he is opening up and offering an insight into the box of dirty tricks of the pharma industry. Corruption, Bribery and making “unwanted results” of studies disappear are all part of the business.

An interview with Elke Brueser

taz: Did you have bad dreams in the past too?

John Rengen: No, I lived quite well,

Where do the nightmares come from now?

I was corrupt for more than 30 years; I bribed people and covered up the manipulation of data.

You’re not the only one there?

Clearly, but this is about sick people, or about people who become really sick from these medications, or who kill themselves or endanger others.

What do you mean?

It is no secret that studies of medications, which have bad outcomes, are often not published. They are also not presented to those authorities who decide about the licensing of these medications.

Fluoxetin can not only cause anxiety, nervousness and sleeplessness, there is also a risk of aggressive behaviour and concrete thoughts of suicide, while depressive patients become activated by the selective serotonin-absorption-blocker. Did you know that at the time?

Yes, such negative effects were known.

And the alarming data were suppressed?

Yes, in any case they were not pursued any further, so as not to endanger the licensing.

Recently, the medical information service “arznei-telegramm”, wrote that a pharmaceutical company has to put into motion 8 studies so as to yield two positive ones. These are needed to convince the licensing authorities of the effectiveness of a new medication. Is that correct?

Principally yes! Only every country cooks its own broth. Even inside the EU there are different criteria demanded by different countries-despite the existence of a European Licensing Authority for Medications. And even then each licensing authority peeks over the shoulders of the other ones.

What does that mean?

I was the business head for Eli Lilly in Sweden for eight years and it was my business to see that Fluoxetin would make it to the market. That was important for the company, because at that time that medication was licensed only in Belgium. Because of the Nobel prize Sweden enjoyed a high reputation and its Psychiatry was held in high esteem. In Germany the pertinent authority, namely the Bundesgesundheitsamt [equiv. of Health Canada] was skeptical and had objections to the approval of Fluoxetin. Not at all good for the company.

What was your job?

My concern was that there were positive results from studies. In Sweden it was not enough that those studies were performed somewhere in the world; the national licensing protocol demanded local studies. Studies conducted from Sweden.

And that doesn’t let you sleep today?

It was the methods which I used. They were new in Sweden at the time. It was simple bribery. I made friends with so called opinion makers or those who wanted to be; and I manipulated them into suppressing the side effects in their contributions and to submit positive votes.

An easy job?

Not necessarily. I studied pharmacology and medicine. In my younger years I was a pop-singer and my apprentice years at Lilly turned me into an appreciator. I profiled the experts that we needed: Hobbies, children, the preferences of the wives. All of this could be catered to. I arranged gourmet meals in noble restaurants, where the Swedish Queen was dining at the next table, exquisite wine tastings, and symposia in the tropics. The Swedes like that. Their winter is long and dark. I found the right Jazz Cellars, sang myself on occasion, and paid for the prostitutes.

Did money change hands as well?

Yes, that too. But the taxes on wealth are extremely high in Sweden. One has to find other ways. One study with good results cost us $ 10,000. That was a lot of money 20 years ago. But it was pocket money because the Herr Professor also received approval for a long-term-study grant. That sort of thing brings money into the clinic and benefits reputations.

Do you know the outcome of the study?

No, I am under the impression that there were no results.

Was Fluoxetin licensed in Sweden?

Never.

So, you were unsuccessful?

No, because I negotiated a good price. That set the standards for other countries. It works like this: the pharmaceutical company negotiates the future price of the medication with the industrial authority way before it obtains the final license. With a price of US $ 1.20 per daily dose of 20 milligrams in the 80’s that was quite a respectable result. And for the corporation that was a good basis for negotiations on the world market.

It took a long time before your guilty conscience registered with you.

A pity I say today. However, I did try some things in the past.

Or do you want to take revenge because LILLY fired you?

No, that is not the reason despite the fact that they linked (?) me. I was transferred to Puerto Rico and one month later I was fired without notice. That would not have been possible in Sweden. It would have cost the company a lot of money.

Why are you exposing the Pharmaceutical Industry only now? After all you knew much earlier that laws were by-passed or broken, all at the cost of patients.

I spent half my life in this outfit. I also worked for Novo Nordisk and represented the European pharmaceutical companies from Florida. I was without scruples and egocentric. Everything was about my success.

And now you are unloading.

I have begun.

Why?

I have a small son. As I see him grow I see the world through different eyes.

So, belated regrets? Through the innocence of a child? Or a confession at the end of life? You have a heart pace-maker, you have Diabetes and your son could be your grandson.

Listen it is no longer about the past. I am also not one to sully my nest. I am interested in the present and the future.

How so?

Recently I came across an ad in Eltern (Parents) magazine. LILLY markets a so-called ADHD-medication. This is for children who are hyperactive and have attention difficulties. But the way LILLY advertises this it puts the initial idea into the parents’ heads that their child is restless in school, not as successful as expected, with the child’s thoughts often elsewhere that he has ADHD. With a sort of questionnaire regarding behavioral issues LILLY moves into the realm of an illness; an illness for which the company has a pill of course; an illness which I consider an invention. The firm is not allowed to advertise its product directly to the public in Germany, luckily that is forbidden in Germany since that medication requires a prescription.

Where are you going with this?

Since I am familiar with the way studies for psycho pharmaceuticals come into being I can only say “be careful”. Go play soccer with your kids, or go skating. Turn off the TV and don’t be only their taxi service, like dropping them off at school in the morning.

Are there studies that demonstrate that ADHD-children will then do better?

That would be wonderful. But who will pay for them? The Pharmaceutical companies?

Taz. No.8173 12.1.2007, page 18,253 Interview ELKE BRUESER.