The illusion of evidence-based medicine : exposing the crisis of credibility in clinical research

Jureidini, Jon (author.). McHenry, Leemon B., 1950- (author.).

Summary: "An exposé of the corruption of medicine by the pharmaceutical industry at every level, from exploiting the vulnerable destitute for drug testing, through manipulation of research data, to disease mongering and promoting drugs that do more harm than good. Authors, Professor Jon Jureidini and Dr Leemon McHenry, made critical contributions to exposing the scientific misconduct in two infamous trials of antidepressants. Ghostwritten publications of these trials were highly influential in prescriptions of paroxetine (Paxil) and citalopram (Celexa) in paediatric and adolescent depression, yet both trials (Glaxo Smith Kline's paroxetine study 329 and Forest Laboratories' citalopram study CIT-MD-18) seriously misrepresented the efficacy and safety data. The Illusion of Evidence-Based Medicine provides a detailed account of these studies and argues that medicine desperately needs to re-evaluate its relationship with the pharmaceutical industry. Without a basis for independent evaluation of the results of randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trials, there can be no confidence in evidence-based medicine. Science demands rigorous, critical examination and especially severe testing of hypotheses to function properly, but this is exactly what is lacking in academic medicine." -- amazon.com

Record details

ISBN: 1743057245
ISBN: 9781743057247 (softcover)
Physical Description: 318 pages ; 24 cm
print
Publisher: Mile End, South Australia : Wakefield Press, 2020.
Copyright: ©2020

Content descriptions

Formatted Contents Note:

Chapter 1 -- The Crisis of Credibility in Clinical Research -- Case Studies in Industry Malfeasance -- The Privatization of Knowledge and Conflicts of Interest -- Chapter 2 -- The Corruption of Clinical Research: Study 329 and Study CIT-MD-18 -- Misreporting of Industry-Corrupted Psychiatric Trials -- Ghostwriting of the Manuscripts -- The Marketing Strategy -- Concerns in the Public Domain -- Role of the Journals Successful Efforts to Block Publication of Critical Evaluations -- Conclusion -- Chapter 3 -- A Rigorous Conception of Science in Medicine -- Popper's Critical Rationalism -- Industry Science -- Limitations of Popper's Approach -- The Science of Clinical Trials -- Evidence-Based Medicine -- Conclusion -- Chapter 4 -- Communication of Scientific Findings -- Medical Communications and Public Relations -- Publication Planning -- Ghost and Honorary Authors -- The Harms of Ghostwriting to Academe and Patients -- Industry Response: Poisoning the Well Continuing Medical Education and Medical Conferences -- Clinical Practice Guidelines -- Conclusion -- Chapter 5 -- Academics and the Corporate University -- Commercialization of the Academy -- Key Opinion Leaders as Product Champions -- Academic Medical Centers' Policies -- Academic Freedom in Medicine -- Conclusion -- Chapter 6 -- Distorted Research Priorities -- Ignoring Essential Medicines -- Exploiting Psychiatry's Dubious Nosology for Disease Mongering -- Mental Health Screening and its Contribution to Disease Mongering -- Conclusion -- Chapter 7 -- Regulators and Governance Failures of Regulation -- Drug Companies as Clients of Regulators -- Betrayal of Research Participants -- Conclusion -- Chapter 8 -- Solutions -- Minimally Effective Responses -- A Radical Proposal -- Popper versus Social Constructivism -- Conclusion