How to Fix Pharma's Rep

[pharmaguy]

January 19, 2013

(Also see the Pharmaguy SM Pioneer Daily: http://bit.ly/pgSMdaily)

[Contents: How to Fix Pharma Rep]

Pharma's Reputation Continues to Suffer -- What Can Be Done To Fix It

John LaMattina - Forbes

You don’t have too look far to find unflattering articles about the pharmaceutical industry. What was previously the domain of industry critics like Marcia Angell, Ray Moynihan and the newest entrant to the field, Ben Goldacre, has now grown to include popular television programs such as The Dr. Oz Show. When Dr. Oz, who has over 4 million daily viewers, devotes the bulk of a show to “Four Secrets Drug Companies Don’t Want You To Know”, the industry has got a problem.

In fairness to pharma, it has been trying to improve in these areas. But it is time for the industry to redouble its efforts. As I have outlined in Devalued & Distrusted – Can the pharma industry restore its broken image?, here are some thoughts.

Learn LaMatinna’s suggested “fixes” here...

Read these related articles:

• Drop TV Ads, Says John LaMattina, Former Pfizer President of R&D – source: PMB
• Patients Rate Pharma – source: Pharmaguy Pick for January 14, 2013

--------------------------

A Voluntary Industry Code For Releasing Trial Data?

Pharmalot

n the latest move to pressure the pharmaceutical industry to release clinical trial data, the Health Committee at the UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has issued a report calling for drugmakers to place all information in “the public domain” and create a voluntary code for publicly releasing trial data for drugs once they have been reviewed and made available for clinical use.

“The committee believes there should be both a professional and legal obligation to ensure that all regulators, including NICE, have access to all the available research data about the efficacy and safety of pharmaceutical products,” the January 8 report states. “All information arising from drug trials should be in the public domain in an accessible and properly anonymised form, including any negative information.”

“The committee does not believe it should be either legal or considered ethical to withhold research data about pharmaceutical products. It is, therefore, concerned that this simple principle is not universally applied in practice, and also concerned by the implication of Sir Andrew Dillon’s evidence that NICE are making appraisals of drugs without having access to all relevant data,” the committee concludes. Dillon is the NICE ceo.

Read the full story here...

Read this related article:

• EU's EMA Plans to Open Up Proprietary Drug Trial Data to Outside Investigators Source: PMB
• GSK's Coverup of Avandia's Heart Risk Data: Is This How the Entire Industry Views Its Responsibility to Patients? Source: PMB

--------------------------

(Also see the Pharmaguy SM Pioneer Daily: http://bit.ly/pgSMdaily)