After thinking about that last post, I tried to sit in Neal Parker’s of AbbVie’s shoes and feel his perspective. AbbVie sued when a rival petitioned for their clinical trial data. One of the tools of empathy is to try to think of a situation in your own life that matches the position of the person you can’t understand. I thought of one. After I left home, my father rose in his company to a high management position in a huge textile mill. I once came home for a visit, and he was in something of a state, the phone ringing off the hook. It seemed that a large group of Japanese Textile people were visiting his plant the next week. My Dad and his colleagues were carefully mapping out a tour through this huge facility that avoided any contact with any newer or mission critical processes. He explained that these visits were a ruse, and they went back to Japan and reproduced what they had seen so as to compete in the market. I had no reason to doubt what he said, but returned to medical school with an even stronger resolve to avoid the world of business at all costs – a lesson already well learned. I think that’s the mind set of Mr. Parker as he speaks in that meeting. My conclusion from this empathic connection? Mr. Parker should be in the Textile Industry, not a Pharmaceutical Company. What he says is outrageous, and perhaps a window into a major aspect of our current problems [even if he’s right about his rivals].
Neal Parker’s (AbbVie) statement contrasts strikingly with James Shannon’s (CMO, GSK): ‘Unlocking Access to Clinical Trial Data – What Are We Afraid of?’ http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/james-shannon/clinical-trial-data_b_3859734.html which says: ‘So what could we possibly be afraid of? Concerns have been raised about greater transparency introducing a competitive disadvantage. We don’t see it. People have asked me, “what if a new side effect comes to light for one of your medicines? Or what if a scientist discovers that you made a mistake in your research?” My answer back is “why wouldn’t we want that to happen? Isn’t it better that we know? There is always the potential for us to find a better way to do things.”‘ Alas, I think the AbbVie statement is much more honest than the GSK claim.
I think I can make the same rationalization.
The japanense really did do that back then, it’s how they built up japan’s industry. The started by compying, then started developing. In the 80’s people commenly joked japanese products were mass produced trash. By the 2000’s companies had to turn to japan for the highest quality lenses.
China is doing this same thing now, but they are even going so far as to use cyber espionage to steal trade secrets as a state sponsored program.
If the chinese get their hands on information the details how pharma companies in other countries circumvent regulation and strategize getting these trash products on the markets, you can bet the market will be flooded with chinese drugs derived by the same process.
I’m on the fence if ALL-Trials will protect us from that.. but it’s time for pharma to go away anyway. We have ways to engineer cures now, and those technologies are rapidly advancing. The only thing holding back Gene therapy is the delivery vessel currently. The age of ‘pharmaceuticals’ derived from brute force is long over, and these companies are simply engaged in to many felonys to justify their continued presence.
This may be of interest
http://pharmagossip.blogspot.com/2013/08/physicians-under-influence-social.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FDlJuM+%28PharmaGossip%29
Steve Lucas