In attempting to assess the risks of any potentially defective drugs, diligent doctors rely not only on the drug companies or the FDA to communicate risks, but perform independent research, looking through scientific literature in their off hours to discover whether the drugs they prescribe are more helpful or harmful to their patients. Of course, some doctors don't research potentially dangerous drugs, but even when doctors research the drugs they prescribe, drug companies strive to flood the literature with reports favorable to their drugs.

 

If you were injured by a defective drug, it is possible that drug companies promoted that drug's effectiveness and concealed its potential dangers. When this occurs, you may be eligible to receive additional compensation for your injuries caused by defective drugs. To learn whether you may be able to receive compensation, schedule a defective drug injury consultation with the drug injury attorneys at Schlichter, Bogard & Denton today.

 

Funding Affects Results of Dangerous Drug Studies

 

The preferred view of science is that it objectively evaluates drugs during rigorous trials to prove whether a drug is truly safe and effective or is defective and dangerous. The truth is, though, that scientists work in a context where their work is often anything but objective. Studies on literature have shown that scientists' conclusions often depend on who is funding the study. It is not quite a pay-for-play system, but if a company funds a study, it is more likely that the company's product will be reported in a favorable light. Since pharmaceutical companies pay for the majority of studies conducted on their drugs, these studies may tend to show drugs, even defective drugs, in a more favorable light.

 

Favorable Drug Studies More Likely to Be Published

 

Over half of all studies conducted during the FDA approval process are never published. Analysis shows that three main factors determine which studies are published and which are not:

• Studies designated as "pivotal" by FDA are more likely to be published
• Studies with larger sample sizes are more likely to be published
• Studies with statistically significant results are more likely to be published

 

This means that numerous studies showing a potentially dangerous drug has little to no value over existing treatments or placebo may sit unpublished and unknown, so that when a doctor looks at the medical journals, all that will show up are studies showing that it is valuable, making the doctor more likely to prescribe a new, potentially defective drug.

 

Pharmaceutical Companies Ghost Write Articles

 

Even when no research is available to support positive results or squelch dangers of a defective drug, pharmaceutical companies get articles published in support of their products by using ghost writers. In one such scheme, Wyeth, soon to be a subsidiary of Pfizer (manufacturer of Dilantin) promoted its drugs by:

• Inventing a title for an article and deciding a medical journal where they wanted it published
• Drafting an outline for the article to be written by a ghostwriter
• Recruiting an academic author to put his name on the article
• Submitting the article to the medical journal, which published it

 

Since the identity of the actual author was concealed, and the article's connection to drug manufacturers was not revealed, the article was read by doctors and scientists as genuine scholarly research.

 

Experienced Lawyers Can Expose Slanted Drug Research

 

If you are seeking compensation for a defective drug injury, whether you receive compensation or not may depend on showing a jury the type of manipulation performed to make a drug seem safe and effective. To do this, you need a lawyer who knows the legal, medical, and scientific issues at stake. You need a lawyer with experience and recognized leadership in pharmaceutical litigation.

 

The pharmaceutical litigation lawyers at Schlichter, Bogard & Denton have obtained millions for clients who suffered defective drug injuries. And our leadership in this field has been recognized by our peers, who have nominated our lawyers to membership in the small, elite Plaintiffs' Steering Committees (PSC's) that are responsible for managing the conduct of complex, multidistrict litigation.

 

If you want an experienced and nationally-recognized leader in the field of pharmaceutical litigation to take your case, contact us to schedule a free, no-obligation defective drug injury consultation with a lawyer at Schlichter, Bogard & Denton today.