2004-12-22
DRUG WARS | DRUG WHORES
Researchers in bed with Big Pharma ~ big time! | Now, I can't say I'm terribly surprised | Corruption just seems to be a natural layer of skin to some folks |
What I'm alluding to here is the findings that staff writer David Willman exposed today in the L.A. Times | First, some definitions:
Researchers in bed with Big Pharma ~ big time! | Now, I can't say I'm terribly surprised | Corruption just seems to be a natural layer of skin to some folks |
What I'm alluding to here is the findings that staff writer David Willman exposed today in the L.A. Times | First, some definitions:
Next, some of the detail of the sordid acts uncovered:• whore: corrupt by lewd intercourse
• intercourse: communication between individuals
• prostitute: one engaged in the sale of services for money or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons... or corporations [legally deemed to be "individuals" thanks to an absurdly bad Supreme Court ruling over a century ago]
• lewd: suggestive of or tending to moral looseness
I just don't know how much of this kind of economic obscenity will continue to be condoned by politicians and the public | Do we never tire of repeatedly being robbed at the check-out counter? Or shall there one day be an uprising against this kind of blatent exploitation of those inpositions of public trust? |• Dr. H. Bryan Brewer Jr: a leader at NIH, part of a team that wrote new cholesterol guidelines | He also has written favorably of a controversial cholesterol medication | For years while making recommendations in the name of the NIH, Brewer was working for the companies that sell the drugs | From 2001 to 2003, he accepted about $114,000 in consulting fees from four companies including $31,000 from the maker of Crestor [be sure to loudly and personally thank this man for his part in the controlling the drug industry's influence if you ever see him in public]
• Dr. Lance A. Liotta: a laboratory director at the National Cancer Institute, while working in his official capacity, assisted a company trying to develop an ovarian cancer test | He took $70,000 as a consultant to the company's rival | Development of the cancer test stalled |
• Dr. Harvey G. Klein: the NIH's top blood transfusion expert, accepted $240,200 in fees and 76,000 stock options over the last five years from companies developing blood-related products | At the same time, he wrote or spoke out about the usefulness of such products without publicly declaring his company ties |
ABOUT THOMAS NAST: From 1858 to 1887 American political cartoonist Thomas Nast drew cartoons for Harper’s magazine, one of the early illustrated periodicals in the United States | Nast created many now-commonplace caricatures, including the Democratic donkey, the Republican elephant, and Santa Claus. Nast’s barbed satires were extremely influential and helped to discredit several corrupt politicians and organizations | Thanks to Sam Smith for bringing this to my attention at his weblog, UnderNews
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