Drugs firm puts on the pressure to stop research

The drug manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb has been taken to task by The Lancet, the medical journal, for attempting to stop an independent trial into one of its drugs.

The company claims that the evidence is overwhelming that its drug, Taxol, can help women with ovarian cancer, and so it is "unethical" to continue a trial where two thirds of patients are denied treatment.

One national newspaper has been swept along by the company's campaign and has already run a story that claims Taxol works.

Researchers from the International Collaboration on Ovarian Neoplasm study, ICON3, believe it is important for the trial to continue as previous evidence had been based on small groups (Lancet, 1997; 349: 1635).

Related WDDTY Content

Drug Payouts: Pharma giant caught paying doctors

Drug giant Bristol-Myers Squibb (annual sales: $17.9bn) is “proud of its commitment to conduct business with the highest standards of integrity in its...

Ovarian cancer

Women who have their first child later in life greatly reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer, researchers believe. The risk falls by 10 per cen...

Ovarian cancer: newest hrt risk

Women who stay on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for more than 10 years increase their risks of developing fatal ovarian cancer by 70 per cent, a m...

Ovarian cancer: tests inaccurate

Although ovarian cancer is the major killer among the gynecological malignancies and nearly 14,000 women died from it last year in the US, screening t...

Screening for ovarian cancer "may be harmful"

Screening for ovarian cancer has dubious benefits and may even be harmful to women, so should not be considered without further research. ...

Yoghurt risky for ovarian cancer?

Q:While reading the special report on alternatives to hysterectomy (vol 7 no 1), I came cross the paragraph that says that women should eliminate dair...