Pharmaceutical Companies Developing 270 New Vaccines
The share of biologic-based drugs in the global pharmaceutical market is rising, with more and more products, especially vaccines, emerging from research and development efforts. A driving factor in biologic sector growth is drug company confidence that bigger revenue will be realized from the push to market. As of February 7, 2013, there were 907…
Merck Fraud Case Raises MMR Efficacy Questions
The measles outbreak in the United States this year has fueled fear within the public and among legislators throughout the country intent on eliminating or severely restricting the right to informed consent by people who have questions about the efficacy, safety, and scheduling of certain vaccines. Referring to the outbreak, the director of CDC’s National Center…
Does Pharma Pressure Sway FDA Drug Approvals?
For patients and physicians, the common belief is that all drugs undergo the same rigorous review, but the truth is, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which stands as the gatekeeper for the sanction of drug and device products, has flexible standards on what they approve and do not approve. Unknowingly to the public, the federal agency approves drugs based on…
Pharma-Government Conflicts of Interest Exposed
Conflicts of interest are rampant and easily made public in doctor-pharmaceutical relationships, however, they stay a little more hidden for industry and federal agencies. While it is inevitable that big pharma be present in public health agencies as individual leaders bounce from organization to organization—meanwhile maintaining past relationships, roles and…
Drugs of Abuse Targeted for Future Vaccines
More and more, vaccine strategists are targeting drugs of abuse, like cocaine, heroin and nicotine. The science behind the vaccines is to generate antibodies that bind with the drug of abuse in the bloodstream and prevent it from reaching the brain to begin psychoactivity. Many of these vaccines are already in pre-clinical testing, while others are still being dreamed…