Ignorance is bliss !

If you have been around diabetes forums and blogs for a while you can pick up some great information, you can also pick up a huge amount of misinformation. We all have much to learn, and if you are half awake, one thing you pick up on pretty quickly is the massive corruption and criminal activity perpetrated by big pharma. The internet is awash with articles documenting the massive fines being levied against many of the largest pharma companies in the world. I mentioned this on a diabetes forum yesterday, to be challenged with this comment amongst others.

“At some point you have to just accept that big pharma is out to make money and push its products. Yes it does occasionally screw up with things like thalidomide but normally the strict scientific method that is used to test out drugs is pretty successful in my mind.”

Now, from a person very new to the diabetes scene that would be understandable, before my diabetes diagnosis I had close to zero interest in medication and big pharma drugs and the skulduggery which I now know to be endemic. Unfortunately this comment was made by a diabetes forum owner and moderator. The debate went from the ridiculous to the surreal, when he asked me. If I was taken to hospital with a broken leg, and needed antibiotics would I refuse them. Now, at this stage I realised I was arguing with someone who was not interested in fair or intelligent debate, and appears to be extremely naive. I was tempted to reply to the broken leg question with, no way would I go to hospital, I always carry some splints, 30lb of plaster of paris and some dock leaves in my back pack, but I answered in the positive. Of course I would accept and use antibiotics. As stated at length, drugs have saved countless millions, but have also killed or maimed millions. 

The argument went from the surreal to barking mad when the mod asked  “Don't you think governments around the world might start to notice if millions of their people were being killed?” I replied. Don't you agree millions around the world including the UK are being given terrible dietary advice which leads to an early death for diabetics ? What is the Government doing about it, nothing ! Governments are brought and paid for by big pharma and giant international food companies. Big money dictates how it is, not our local MPs many of which are putting their money into private healthcare as fast as they can. Which leads me to the item below. Even our MPs, many who are propagandists and lobbyists for  big pharma and junk food companies, or are Directors and share holders in the same, realise an inquiry needs to be held. My money is on a white wash job and nothing will change. I hope I am proved to be wrong, and much needed changes takes place. One thing is for sure, unless the forum makes some drastic changes, it is heading for Palookaville as we have seen with other forums, that wanted to run a cakes and commiserations outfit, and stifle real debate and intelligent argument, and perpetuate misinformation.

Eddie

Clinical trials in the UK are regulated by the Clinical Trials Directive which was transposed into UK law by the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004. In December 2011, the Health Research Authority was created to protect and promote the interests of patients and the public in health research. In July 2012, the European Commission produced proposals to revise the Clinical Trials Directive.

Transparency and disclosure of clinical trial data have been topical recently, in part due to the recently published book Bad Pharma, by Dr Ben Goldacre. It highlighted that pharmaceutical companies are entitled to conduct numerous clinical trials on a new drug but publish selectively, thus skewing the evidence base available for doctors and patients seeking to make informed decisions. 

Terms of Reference

The Committee seeks written submissions on the following matters:
1. Do the European Commission’s proposed revisions to the Clinical Trials Directive address the main barriers to conducting clinical trials in the UK and EU?
2. What is the role of the Health Research Authority (HRA) in relation to clinical trials and how effective has it been to date?
3. What evidence is there that pharmaceutical companies withhold clinical trial data and what impact does this have on public health?
4. How could the occurrence and results of clinical trials be made more open to scrutiny? Who should be responsible?
5. Can lessons about transparency and disclosure of clinical data be learned from other countries? 

More here.