From the Associated Press:
Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline used a sophisticated ghostwriting program to promote its antidepressant Paxil, allowing doctors to take credit for medical journal articles mainly written by company consultants, according to court documents obtained by The Associated Press.
… Known as the CASPPER program, the paper explains how the company can help physicians with everything from “developing a topic,” to “submitting the manuscript for publication.”
The document was uncovered by the Baum Hedlund PC law firm of Los Angeles, which is representing hundreds of former Paxil users in personal injury and wrongful death suits against GlaxoSmithKline. The firm alleges the company downplayed several risks connected with its drug, including increased suicidal behavior and birth defects.
… According to ghostwriting expert Dr. Leemon McHenry, Glaxo’s program was unusually intertwined with its internal sales and marketing department.
“We know that GSK has engaged in ghostwriting for many years,” said McHenry, who works as a research consultant for Baum Hedlund. “But to create an internal ghostwriting program and have the gall to name it after a cartoon ghost demonstrates their juvenile attitude and careless disregard for patients.”…
What an irritable, judgmental remark on the part of McHenry. The man has no sense of humor.
August 19th, 2009 at 9:53PM
Who ya gonna call?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekPHOXGNz6E
(Ghostbusters!)
August 19th, 2009 at 10:05PM
Please, someone tell me I’ve been asleep for several months and its really April 1. Please?!
August 19th, 2009 at 11:31PM
Lost sense of humor? A common side effect that occurs when one researches Paxil instead of taking it.
August 20th, 2009 at 7:33AM
UD, did you see that your favorite presidential plagiarist, the Hon. Poshard, has been renewed for another five years at SIU?
August 20th, 2009 at 7:45AM
Yes, tp, I saw that.
August 21st, 2009 at 5:31PM
[…] The latest version was reported by the Associated Press (with a hat tip to Prof Margaret Soltan on the University Diaries blog). To quickly summarize, Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline used a sophisticated ghostwriting program to […]