Mercoal; Medical Research Primarily Controlled by Private Industry

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http://www.mercola.com/2002/dec/18/medical_research.htm

 

Medical Research Primarily Controlled by Private Industry

 

 

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The exorbitant costs of medical research are largely funded by private industry.

Along with the monetary donation, some fear that private interests are

contributing a great deal of control to the studies as well. Because of the

clash between commercial and scientific goals, some believe that control of

academic research should belong to the academy.

 

 

 

Although the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors released ethical

guidelines for the publication of research results, a survey of over 100 U.S.

medical schools found that most medical research contracts do not offer enough

protection to ensure researcher independence from corporate sponsors.

 

Of the schools surveyed, only one percent of researchers had access to all trial

data, and only 40 percent controlled publication of study findings. The scores

suggest that ethical behavior in research needs to be better monitored and

promoted.

 

Canadian Medical Journal, November 26 2002; 167 (11)

 

 

 

 

 

 

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:

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One of the most important complications as a result of this massive drug

industry funding of research is a shift of priorities in academic research from

the public good to private commercial gain. Not a week goes by when we don’t see

evidence of this. Last week’s cervical cancer vaccine is an excellent example.

 

Americans are spending $200 billion on our meds this year. That's more than the

federal government paid last year for education, agriculture, transportation,

and the environment combined.

 

As you all know, the drug industry is one of the largest and most powerful

industries on the planet. They will use everything in their power to maintain

and expand their control and economic prominence; this includes continuing to

deceive you by creating the illusion of “fixing” your health so they can extract

even more of your money.

 

Don’t be fooled by their illusions: what they typically provide you is just a

symptomatic Band-Aid that will only further accelerate your path toward

degeneration, allowing them to sell you even more Band-Aids down the line. What

you should be addressing -- and what they won’t address because it is not

profitable -- are the underlying causes of your health issues.

 

One of the primary purposes of this newsletter and Mercola.com is to provide you

with the insight to protect and defend yourself from these major corporate

interests (as well as the government they’ve purchased) with practical and

straightforward advice and suggestions on how to optimize your body to find and

prevent disease, reach your optimal weight, and live longer in the first place.

 

You will find that many of these approaches are, relative to the costs of

endless prescriptions, surgeries, and doctor and hospital visits, quite

inexpensive. You will also find that most are based on common-sense approaches

using natural products and methods. If the relative low-cost and simplicity of

these approaches versus endless drugs and surgeries makes you suspect, remember

this: the drug companies and all the other corporations who benefit from the

Band-Aid mentality need you to believe that only they can “save you,” in order

to keep profiting from you.

 

If you discover that, with proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, you can

largely avoid their drugs and surgeries, they have forever lost control of your

wallet and life. So who do you want controlling your wallet and your life?

 

If you want to regain control of your health, if you believe the above is true

-- even in part -- you can help change the medical paradigm by passing this

message, or any Mercola.com article of interest, on to your family and friends.

Just use the simple “E-mail a Friend” feature in the upper-right corner of the

articles. Including a personal letter of encouragement is often more effective

than simply passing it along, but that’s up to you.

 

That may be one of the best gifts you can give someone this year. A practical

resource to help them recapture their health.

 

Finally, if you want to further understand how corporations and government

manipulate science and the media by preying upon the public trust -- and how to

protect yourself -- I highly recommend the book " Trust Us, We're Experts. " It is

truly one of those books that all Americans should read, and would make an

important gift for any young adult who wants to maintain control over him or

herself as they enter “the real world.”

 

Related Articles:

 

Collaborating with The Drug Industry (NEJM Full Text Article)

 

Conflicts of Interest and the Public Trust

 

Medical Journals Aim to Curtail Drug Companies' Influence

 

Drug Company Lies About Celebrex in JAMA

 

The Pharmaceutical Industry -- To Whom Is It Accountable?

 

 

Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc.

 

To , e-mail to: Gettingwell-

Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell

 

 

 

 

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