The book The Illusion of Evidence-Based Medicine by Professor Jon Jureidini and Dr Leemon McHenry delves into the pharmaceutical industry’s corrupt influence on medicine, highlighting unethical drug testing on the vulnerable, data manipulation, and the promotion of harmful drugs.
The authors have previously exposed scientific misconduct in two key antidepressant trials, which led to misleading prescriptions for paroxetine (Paxil) and citalopram (Celexa) in young patients.
They argue that the integrity of evidence-based medicine is compromised by corporate interests and flawed regulation. They claim that the pharmaceutical industry, which conducts most clinical trials, often presents unreliable or misrepresented data. This, they say, undermines the scientific foundation that evidence-based medicine aims to provide. They also point out that the release of previously confidential industry documents has shed light on the extent of this misrepresentation.
The authors express concern over the influence of large pharmaceutical companies on scientific progress. (Consider the deadly Covid™ vaccine rollout.)
They assert that these companies often suppress negative trial results and adverse events, leading to severe long-term consequences, including patient deaths. They also discuss how universities, once guardians of truth, have become compromised by adopting a market approach and seeking pharmaceutical funding, eroding public trust in academic institutions.
Furthermore, they highlight the concept of academic leadership, showing that those who succeed in academia often become key opinion leaders (KOLs). These KOLs – Anthony Fauci, for example – are more focused on promoting the interests of the pharmaceutical industry than on maintaining scientific integrity.
Dr McHenry, who is a bioethicist and Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at California State University, joined me for a conversation.
