March 07, 2008

We don't know jack

Journalists Jeanne Lenzer and Shannon Brownlee have a column in this week’s BMJ, “Do we really know the truth about antidepressants?” But the question could be applied to any drug on the market.

They explain that not all drug trials have to be registered and access to full data is constrained by trade secrecy laws that permit companies to withhold all information about drugs that do not win approval for a new indication, even when the drug is already on the market for other indications.

Trade secrecy protection?

Where does consumer protection enter in?

Why aren’t these failed trials made public?

It’s a very thoughtful piece by two of this country’s best health journalists.

Posted by schwitz at March 7, 2008 07:49 AM | TrackBack
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