Leak reveals possibly unethical Pfizer behavior
After the trial involving 200 children, 11 were dead. Dozens more were disabled. And Pfizer was accused of unethical behavior.
They spent more than ten years trying to deny responsibility and to prove they acted in the best interest of the children involved. Unfortunately for them, nobody really agreed.
A year and a half ago, I wrote about the pending settlement between Pfizer and Nigeria's Kano state. Pfizer had been accused of using the children as guinea pigs for testing of the unapproved antibiotic Trovan. Trovan had the potential to make billions.
But there was one problem. After dangerous risks had been associated with the drug, it became clear that no trial on children would ever fly in the United States. So Pfizer turned to the Kano state of Nigeria, where an outbreak of meningitis had recently killed over 12,000 people in six months.
(For more details of the story, read "Pfizer finally to answer for controversial drug testing," 5/20/2009, and "Pfizer tested unapproved drug on Nigerian children," 5/21/2009.)
They can't hide forever
After last year's tentative settlement of $75 million (which was carried out despite Pfizer's insistence that they did nothing wrong), they probably hoped any memory of the drug trial it would go away. Of course, like any company that puts profits ahead of people, they also might have wanted to get out of paying.
Evidence has emerged in the form of a leaked U.S. Embassy cable reporting a meeting between Pfizer Nigeria Country Director Enrico Liggeri and U.S. officials in April 2009. It suggests that Pfizer may have hired investigators to dig up dirt on the Nigerian Attorney General in an effort to strong-arm him into dropping federal legal action against the drug giant.
The plan, it seems, was to inform the media of any juicy info the investigators could find.
Pfizer's reps are, of course, claiming the allegations are false, calling the contents of the cable "preposterous."
Whatever the truth may be, one thing is certain. People are getting wiser and wiser to the bad behavior of Big Pharma. The days of doing whatever they could to rake in their billions are, hopefully, coming to a close. As the public takes more interest in what's being done in the name of "health," these companies can no longer claim to be serving the greater good. Accountability may be a novel concept to them, but it's one they'd better get comfortable with fast.
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Christine O'Brien writes the e-letter Health eTips for Dr. Wright's Nutrition and Healing.
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Comments
Anonymous
In my experience over the last 25 years the culture that prevades throughout the entire professional health business - with some most noteable exceptions- is one of 'this is the way to make money with little effort or risk'. My dear departed brother, a doctor, discribed the local maternity hospital as the 'shelling women shop' which still upsets me some 70 years later,
I have often wondered if this attitude origonates from the way people are taught to be doctors and then the ensuing 'mayhem' is easily further 'assisted' by big buisness.
I know that things will never change in my lifetime which is sad since my researches have proved ad nausiam that all antibiotics shoud be replaced by a far better therapy and the way some ENT guys treat people for allergies is frankley awful by my standards. I cannot beleive that I am the only person to have this knowledge most of which which have been verified by clinical trials to prove the efficacy and safety of my ideas. Under normal circumstances this sort of information from a professional source would make headline news across the world. No hospital managers, editors, professionals, professors et al that I have spoken to will take the slightest notice - but then I have no medical qualifications or alegencies.
MaggieRose
Really makes me wonder if any drug or drug company, even allopathic doctors can be trusted.
Helen
I am truly greatful for all who watch over the health of our countrys people and those of other countrys also.
I am greatful we have watchmen on the aleart for dangers
in medicin, food additives, evin in our animals and the products they provide. THANK YOU ALL OUT THERE WHO PROVIDE THESE WARNINGS ON BOTH THE GOOD AND THE BAD.
Lori
I don't know how these people sleep at night. But the "walls are crumbling" and their greed is about to come full circle and bite them in the a@#!
vikingstork
MaggieRose -- don't throw away baby with the bath water, there are allopathic drugs and treatments that work. Of course, it's a jungle, and a keen BS detector is needed to survive.
Like Dr Mercola, the forefront warrior in the battle of Big Pharma, says: "if you get run over by a car, you WANT to go modern ER, or else you perish. The modern medicine is almost miraculous in fields like surgery, micro-surgery etc., anything driven by technology. But when it comes to chronic diseases, they are a tragic failure.
Everybody blames Big Pharma for their criminal activity, but they do what EVERYBODY ELSE is doing in industry, service and all other sectors. They take advantage of every profit opportunity they can find. After all, our system is based on self-interest, isn't it?
We have constitutional right to it.
It's the corrupt government that is to blame, namely FDA and whoever is supposed to overlook them.
Anyway, drugs like anti-biotics are getting a bad rap, but picture yourself on death bed dying of pneumonia, you will be screaming "all right allready give me some of that penicilin". My grandpa died of 8th pneumonia, after doctors told him he will, if catches the 8th one. My sister had 7, and they told my mom if she gets the 8th one she is done for.
So without antibiotics, my sister would have been long gone (she never got the last one)
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