Can Drug Research be Trusted?

By TIANAREEVES • Jan 9th, 2010 • Category: LEAD STORY, NEWS

In the US, Canada and most industrial countries, the largest funders of medical research on new drugs are the manufacturers themselves. These tests determine which drugs the government will approve for sale. A favorable outcome on a drug trial can mean millions, even billions in profits for the drug companies. We should all be skeptical about results that involve such large scale financial conflicts of interest.

Industry backed research often compares a new drug to a placebo or to an inappropriate drug of second choice in order to report a more positive result. Independent research favors comparing the best currently available drug to the new drug. This comparison is a more reliable indicator of whether a new drug is a true innovation rather than just marketing hype.

Comparisons of research funded by drug manufacturers vs independent sources consistently reveal an alarming pattern. Research funded by a drug manufacturer is far more likely than independent research to produce results that favor the manufacturer’s product. How much more likely?

In one example, researchers at the University of California in San Francisco examined 192 PUBMED studies comparing various statin drugs. When the results of the statin being tested were favorable, the manufacturer was 20 times more likely to have paid for the trial. According to lead researcher Lisa Bero the bottom line is that most of these 192 trials didn’t need to be done, they were performed purely for marketing purposes. The link between study funding and study outcomes was disturbingly consistent. She also pointed out that 8 of the 9 members on the US National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) had financial ties to the statin manufacturers.

In another example, researchers analyzed 30 previous studies done on different drugs between 1966 & 2002 and found manufacturer funded trials were four times more likely to report a favorable result vs independent studies. According to study leader Joel Lexchin, “What we found was that in almost all cases there was a bias -a rather heavy bias- in favor of a drug when the study was industry funded. It does have implications in terms of whether or not we can believe the results of research they are funding.”

Our patent based, monopolistic, profit driven system places the financial health of shareholders ahead of the health of average citizens who may be sick or vulnerable. How can any of us make informed health decisions when research results cannot be trusted?