Files say Lilly 'ghostwrote' journal articles

[Myrina]

Source: Indianapolis Star

Eli Lilly and Co. officials wrote medical journal studies about the antipsychotic Zyprexa, then asked doctors to put their names on the articles, a practice called "ghostwriting," according to unsealed company files.

Lilly employees also compiled a guide to hiring scientists to write favorable articles, complained to journal editors when publication was delayed and submitted rejected articles to other outlets, according to documents filed in drug overpricing suits against the company. Indianapolis-based Lilly is the largest manufacturer of psychiatric medicines.

Drugmaker use of ghostwriters has created "a huge body of medical literature that society can't trust," said Carl Elliott, a University of Minnesota bioethicist who has written about the practice. Lilly sought to make Zyprexa "the number one-selling psychotropic in history," according to a 2000 plan distributed to its product team.

The memo was among more than 10,000 pages of internal documents unsealed last month in lawsuits by insurers and pension funds seeking to recoup monies spent on the drug. They allege Lilly exaggerated Zyprexa's effectiveness.


Read more: http://www.indystar.com/article/20090612/BUSINESS03/906120332/1003/BUSINESS/Files+say+Lilly++ghostwrote++journal+articles

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... wonder what else they and other big Pharma have had 'ghostwritten' over the years, and how many people have suffered for their corner-cutting and greed ... :(

[zbdent]

1. These doctors are guilty of fraud ...

[JerseygirlCT]

4. I think that's the place to stop it

severe repercussions - license being taken away, for example - for any doctor found doing this.

That would require some integrity and fight from governing bodies, though...

[ThomCat]

10. The states would have to step in and prosecute the doctors for fraud.

What medical governing body would do it? :shrug:

But, yes, I agree that any doctor that participating in selling biased research to pharmaceutical companies should lose their credentials over this. They can't be trusted to represent the public good as a Medical Doctor. :(

[drmeow]

11. Doctors who are publishing

journal articles are often at teaching hospitals and/or have grant funding. While a medical governing body may not prosecute them, funding agencies can and do and universities can sanction them up to and including firing them (tenure or not). Doesn't stop them from practicing medicine but does stop them from teaching and getting grant money/support. Also makes them essentially start their career all over again from scratch. And destroys their reputation. MDs at that level have pretty big egos - it would be pretty psychologically damaging.

[redqueen]

2. So those journal studies weren't peer-reviewed?

Or were the fake doctors rubber-stamping the review process?

I wish I could say I was surprised by this.

[OneGrassRoot]

3. It's really hard to trust much of anything you read about a product...

nowadays.

Ghostwriting is HUGE. Not just for medical articles, but many blogs, reviews, etc. are done by ghostwriters. You think you're reading a review about a product or service, and they fail to disclose someone was paid to offer their "opinion."

Seems I read recently that they're looking into cracking down on this practice.

[gratuitous]

5. And now we pass into the realm of "everybody knew"

And so Eli Lilly doesn't have to be held responsible for its fraud on the public or the injuries inflicted thereby because "everybody knows" that Zyprexa isn't all that and a bag of chips, and for anyone who took it and suffered adverse side effects including death, well, it's their own stupid fault for listening to their doctors and not conducting their own clinical trials ahead of time.

The Tobacco Defense®, brought to you courtesy of R.J. Reynolds, Philip Morris, the Tobacco Institute and Center for Tobacco Research.

[Auggie]

6. Just because someone has a medical degree doesn't make them trustworthy

or instill them with professional integrity. There are "doctors" out there who will do or support most anything just for the money. I imagine you could support yourself without practicing medicine.

[FailureToCommunicate]

7. Remember the plot of "The Fugitive"? (Harrison Ford one): false drug claims by

big company doctor...

[Sadie5]

8. Things that make you go Hmmmm

I wonder...could it be connected to the suicide of a top Lilly Psychiatrist, not to mention the big lawsuit being brought against Lilly for discrimination against Black workers???

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200990611015

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009906100329 (discrimination suit)

[Myrina]

9. Wantanabe committed suicide?

I must admit, I'd not read anything about his death.

Hmmmmm indeed! :tinfoilhat: