March 17, 2009 The Pump Handle 0Comment

Alison Bass, an award-winning journalist and Pulitzer Prize nominee, will be here at George Washington University tomorrow to speak about why the system of drug research and development in the United States is seriously flawed and what reforms are needed.

Wednesday, March 18, 4:30pm
GWU-SPHHS Health Policy Department
2021 K St. NW, Ste. 800, Washington, DC
Sponsored by the EOH and Health Policy Departments

Bass is the author of Side Effects: A Prosecutor, a Whistleblower, and a Bestselling Antidepressant on Trial; copies will be available for purchase and signing at the event. The book tells the true story of two remarkable women who exposed the deception behind the marketing of bestselling antidepressant Paxil.

Also, whether or not you’re in the DC area, Bass’s blog is a great source of information on the problems associated with today’s model of pharmaceutical marketing. For instance, check out her posts on the fraud case of anesthesiologist Dr. Scott Reuben;  the DOJ lawsuit against Forest Labs over their marketing of antidepressants Celexa and Lexapro; and Emory University’s treatment of psychiatrist Dr. Charles Nemeroff, who had failed to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal payments from Paxil maker GlaxoSmith Kline.

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