Senator Grassley Calls Dr. Frederick K. Goodwin: Big Pharma And Media Bias
A REPUBLICAN devoted to outing and opposing corruption in the way big pharma does business seems a little unlikely, but Senator Charles E. Grassley has been doing it for some years now.
Having demonstrated that allegedly independent and impartial researchers at prestigious universities and hospitals are taking money by the sackful in undeclared income from big pharma he has now turned his attention to the media.
Step forward psychiatrist Dr. Frederick K. Goodwin, who earned at least $1.3 million between 2000 and 2007 giving marketing lectures for drug makers, but failed to mention it either to the producer or listeners of the popular public radio program he hosted.
Unsurprisingly, really, since claiming on air, “As you will hear today, there is no credible scientific evidence linking antidepressants to violence or to suicide.” That claim have been a lot less credible if he had admitted that he had just been paid $20,000 from Glaxo, which for years suppressed studies showing that its antidepressant, Paxil, increased suicidal behaviors.
The radio show has been cancelled and Senator Grassley marches onwards:
“We know the drug companies are throwing huge amounts of money at medical researchers, and there’s no clear-cut way to know how much and exactly where. Now it looks like the same thing is happening in journalism.”
And I wish him the best of luck…
– Chenier
Posted: 21st, November 2008 | In: Money Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
