Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Market share

In medicine there's a mysterious villain called "Big Pharma." This is a secret conglomeration of drug companies working to deprive you of both money and health as part of the New World Order. Depending on how far you buy into this bullshit, doctors are a part of this Medical-Pharma complex, along with (depending on your Haldol dose) any religion you hate, the United Nations, space aliens, homosexuals, and the Dead Milkmen.

Now, obviously, I don't believe this. The one grain of truth in the "Big Pharma" idea is that obviously companies that manufacture something want to sell it. This applies to medicines, car manufacturers, potato peelers, whatever.

Drug companies are required to do research to prove safety and efficacy of their stuff. But they also do smaller studies to try and prove they're at least better than a competitor. These studies, I must admit, tend to favor whoever sponsored them- but keep in mind they're trying to knock down competitors- NOT work with them.

A drug company sponsors a study that showed their drug worked. THE NERVE! Because, after all, no other industry would dare act like this...

So let's look at this article.

Basically (for those of you too lazy to click the link), it's a study that found "stone fruits" (those with large, singular, pits, like peaches) help with obesity and diabetes.

Some out there will claim this shows that Big Pharma is keeping "natural" secrets from them (because you'll otherwise NEVER hear that fruits & vegetables are better for you than a Big Mac). But let's read the disclaimer at the bottom of the article:

"The studies on the health benefits of stone fruit are funded by the California Tree Fruit Agreement, The California Plum Board, the California Grape and Tree Fruit League and the Texas Department of Agriculture."

Here's the bottom line: Everyone will pay for research to sell you their product. Whether it's Big Pharma or Big Farm.


Thank you, SMOD!

21 comments:

Julie said...

Yep! Basic rule when reading "studies" - follow the money ...

Anonymous said...

Even worse: From the list of sponsors, this was paid for by government subsidies.

Officer Cynical said...

Next career objective: Member of the Plum Board.

Moose said...

It's ALL on the gay martians! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE QUEERS ARE DOING TO THE SOIL??

Anonymous said...

Not The Dead Milkmen! They would never be in league with BigPharma, say it ain't sooooooooo.

Packer said...

I know nothing about Dead Milkman, someone please explain. But I do know that June is Nectarine prime sason, I ate two yesterday, their smooth round, soft curving bodies with that beautiful blush of color beckoned me. I knew I had to have them , and feeling their fresh firmness in my hands sent chills down my spine to the unchilled regions of my body. I was not to be denied and as I ravenously attacked their flesh gave way to release of their delicious juices, I was in ecstacy and moments later I was sated.

I think I am going to the poduce aisle again for lunch. I don't need no stinking study.

thethingspatientssay said...

All I see in this article is more evidence of a cover-up. Clever distraction techniques and "logic" are a hallmark of Big Pharma's underhanded schemes.

Anonymous said...

To be fair, anyone familiar with California's ballot initiative process will know that the "California Tree Fruit Agreement" and the "California Plum Board" could actually be ad hoc groups whose real purpose is to get the voters to approve legislation legalizing the sale of cigarettes to kindergarten students.

stacey said...

I'm just plum wore out!

stacey said...

Ya gotta have big stones to get away with that kind of research...

Anonymous said...

I worked in Big Pharma for years...and yes it is a shark tank...and yes some docs buy into it...and yes if you scratch my back I'll scratch yours...and yes, yes, yes, yes it will consume you alive and spit you out in shreds if it will bring cash to the bulging pockets of those who operate the shark tank

Anonymous said...

eliminating direct to consumer advertising would help a whole lot!!

brent said...

What-wait!! Fresh fruits and veggies are better for you than big macs? When was this discovered? I don't believe it. Next thing you know, "they" will be saying exercise is good for you!

Anonymous said...

They WOULD say that, wouldn't they?! Stone fruits should come with a warning that if you eat a lot of them, they will give you the squits, but they never mention that, do they??!!!

Anonymous said...

with respect, grumpy- in addition to distorting or withholding research results, pig pharma actively seeks confidential patient databases, and happily pays massive fines for illegally promoting off label product uses because the profits from off label use are so huge. a very cynical profit driven industry.

Mad Jack said...

Depending on how far you buy into this bullshit...

I know you're being forced to say this, and that isn't a problem. The real problem is that the people forcing you to say this know that you're making these statements under duress and that you don't really have a reserved seat on the Big Pharma float in the Thanksgiving Day parade.

No sweat.

I've got a little place in Mexico where we can stash your family for as long as you need to. Then you can go public with the real truth.

Don't email me at my usual email address. Use the alternative I sent you last week.

Remember: Code Double-Negative.

Anonymous said...

On my soap box now. Big pharma does a lot of good, but they can be greedy and sleazy vermin as well. Yo, baby and so are some neurologists (and cardiologists, ad infinitum). Cogs in the It's ALL about profit, patient care be damned wheel.

I find more info about drugs in the business section than will EVER be discovered in the health or medical sections. But you know, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck......

Please google Rebif scandal and then ask the AGs office in your respective state, how much money they were awarded in the settlement.

Ooooooo, love to love that money. No names released and not even a slap on the wrist for anyone. I'll go with big FARMA, at least they will give me some dang fruit, rich with flavor, fiber and antioxidants.

Grapes have seeds not pits. Big farma grape growers are exonerated.

Anonymous said...

As long as people are aware of the process and the funding / vested interest is honestly disclosed (not hidden behind a marketing company or deliberately obscured) then it shouldn't be an issue.

Journalists in particular need to lift their game and stop blindly parroting conclusions without any thought to the biases behind them.

I would think that the portion of the population given to reading the original studies or their subsequent report would have enough critical thinking skills to do this for themselves, but the general populus reading the headlines - mmm not so much.

Desert Doc said...

Well you may not agree with the idea that pharmaceutical companies routinely or deliberately manipulate study outcomes for their products but the recent NY Times article below seems to raise some serious questions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/25/health/in-documents-on-pain-drug-celebrex-signs-of-doubt-and-deception.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Anonymous said...

Go DR Grumpy :)

I don't understand why people have to buy cospirancies theories. Don't they have something productive to do with their time?

On another note, might be a Darwinian adaptment of the species. The one who buy this idiocy don't cure themselves and don't vax their kids, so they die and the genetic pool get a bit of clorine.


T.

Anonymous said...

Please don't lump the Dead Milkmen in with Big Pharma. They were my fave band in HS, my sister and I wrote them a fan letter and they responded with a long letter in kind, complete with hand-drawn pictures.

I long for the days when all of one's woes could be solved by turning "Bitchin' Camaro" up at full volume. :-)

 
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