Evidence shows that pharmaceutical companies hide the dangerous side effects of their new drugs in order to make as much profit as possible before their patents run out, Martha Rosenberg reports for Alternet. Companies like Merck, Johnson & Johnson, and Purdue Pharma rush their drugs to market in as little as six months so the industry can start making money while safety is still being determined. Dangerous side effects only surface after the drug is no longer marketed. Big Pharma misleads medical journals, the FDA, doctors, and patients hoping to make profits before the true risks surface. Companies using the “forgiveness is cheaper than permission” business plan bury risks, exaggerate benefits, and illegally advertise in order to make millions every year, despite patients across the country being diagnosed with serious, irreversible, and even fatal side effects.
Sources:
Martha Rosenberg, “7 Drugs Whose Dangerous Risks Emerged Only After Big Pharma Made Its Money,” Alternet, January 2, 2014, http://www.alternet.org/personal-health/7-drugs-whose-dangerous-risks-emerged-only-after-big-pharma-made-its-money/.
Martha Rosenberg, “6 Drugs Whose Dangerous Risks Were Buried So Big Pharma Could Make Money,” Alternet, January 15, 2014, http://www.alternet.org/personal-health/6-drugs-whose-dangerous-risks-were-buried-so-big-pharma-could-make-money/.
Student Researcher: Victoria Sladek (Sonoma State University)
Faculty Researcher: Peter Phillips (Sonoma State University)