Brains, claims, and the pharmaceutical industry

doi:10.1136/bmjusa.02050002

BMJ, doi: 10.1136/bmjusa.02050002, (Published 23 August 2002)

Editorials

Brains, claims, and the pharmaceutical industry

Conflict of interest in perspective

Education and debate BMJ USA p 283

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

This article originally appeared in BMJ USA

In this issue the journalist Jeanne Lenzer draws attention to the uneasy alliance between industry, science, and policy (BMJUSA p 283). She explores the relationship between Genentech, themanufacturer of alteplase (tPA), and the decision of the AmericanHeart Association (AHA) to give that drug a class I recommendationas thrombolytic therapy for stroke. She accuses the AHA and Genentechof overstating the trial evidence for tPA, creating the "strokeattack" ad campaign to promote the drug, denying the existenceof a guideline panel member because he disagreed with its recommendation,barring access to trial data, and delaying release of informationfrom anothertrial.

Whether these assertions are true is not the focus of this editorial. Saver and colleagues (BMJ USA p 291) suggest that hercharacterization of the evidence may not be entirely accurate.Since the publication of the National Institutes of Neurologic. . . [Full text of this article]