Scientist faked research for drug companies. Murder?

My first clone thread.... kinda...

link

So this guy actually did fake his research.

A prominent Massachusetts anesthesiologist allegedly fabricated 21 medical studies that claimed to show benefits from painkillers like Vioxx and Celebrex, according to the hospital where he worked.


Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Mass., said that its former chief of acute pain, Scott S. Reuben, had faked data used in the studies, which were published in several anesthesiology journals between 1996 and 2008.


"Dr. Reuben deeply regrets that this happened," said the doctor's attorney, Ingrid Martin.

And people (more than 20,000) actually did die because of it.

Merck pulled Vioxx, a popular pain reliever [COLOR=red][/COLOR]widely used by arthritis patients, off the market in September, saying it was "putting patient safety first" but the Wall Street Journal reported earlier that company officials had fought for years to protect the highly profitable drug and to keep news of the health risks quiet.



Vioxx was a big moneymaker for Merck, generating about $2.5 billion in yearly sales.

I think if not murder, something equivalent to corporate manslaughter wold be appropriate.

He's one of my mother's doctors.

Yep. I'd say murder. Faking medical research ought to be a federal crime.

"Dr. Reuben deeply regrets that this happened,"

I love the use of the passive voice.

Clodfobble;552834 wrote:

Yep. I'd say murder. Faking medical research ought to be a federal crime.

I agree. But are we going to pretend that this was some rogue scientist just fucking with people for his own amusement...

Dr. Reuben had been a paid speaker on behalf of Pfizer's medicines, and it paid for some of his research. "It is very disappointing to learn about Dr. Scott Reuben's alleged actions," Pfizer said in a statement. "When we decided to support Dr. Reuben's research, he worked for a credible academic medical center and appeared to be a reputable investigator."

Dr. Reubin did research on Bextra and Celebrex for Pfizer.

I know somebody that died after taking Vioxx for a sprained ankle.

Surely the FDA will prosecute. Either that or some smart lawyer will put together a class action which will do just as much damage, possibly more.

Yep, he's a murderer. To burke his scientific research for personal gain -- what could be clearer?

the real criminals are the pharma companies, though, surely?

this fucker is an unconscionable sell out and will be a scape goat, for sure, but.....he was employed for a purpose.

one wonders what else has gone down in this manner?

I think it's kind of screwed up that pharmaceutical companies are allowed to sponsor research at all. But I admit I can't think of a better system that still keeps enough money flowing into investigative research.

Aliantha;553132 wrote:

Surely the FDA will prosecute. Either that or some smart lawyer will put together a class action which will do just as much damage, possibly more.

Either way his reputation is screwed and he will never work in that part of the field again. His life is pretty much over. Maybe he can work at Starbucks.