Devalued and Distrusted. Can the Pharmaceutical Industry Restore Its Broken Image?

Description

An expert's view on solving the challenges confronting today's pharmaceutical industry

Author John LaMattina, a thirty-year veteran of the pharmaceutical industry and former president of Pfizer's Global R&D Division, is internationally recognized as an expert on the pharmaceutical industry. His first book, Drug Truths: Dispelling the Myths About Pharma R&D, was critically acclaimed for clearing up misconceptions about the pharmaceutical industry and providing an honest account of the contributions of pharmaceutical research and development to human health and well-being.

As he toured the country discussing Drug Truths, Dr. LaMattina regularly came across people who were filled with anger, accusing the pharmaceutical industry of making up diseases, hiding dangerous side effects, and more. This book was written in response to that experience, critically examining public perceptions and industry realities.

Starting with "4 Secrets that Drug Companies Don't Want You to Know," Devalued and Distrusted provides a fact-based account of how the pharmaceutical industry works and the challenges it faces. It addresses such critical issues as:

• Why pharmaceutical R&D productivity has declined
• Where pharmaceutical companies need to invest their resources
• What can be done to solve core health challenges, including cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases
• How the pharmaceutical industry can regain public trust and resuscitate its image

Our understanding of human health and disease grows daily; however, converting science into medicine is increasingly challenging. Reading Devalued and Distrusted, you'll not only gain a greater appreciation of those challenges, but also the role that the pharmaceutical industry currently plays and can play in solving those challenges.

Table of contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix

INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER 1 THE FOUR SECRETS THE DRUG COMPANIES DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW 4

• Drug Companies Underestimate Dangerous Side Effects 5
• Drug Companies Control Much of the Information Your Doctor Gets 10
• You’re Often Prescribed Drugs That You Don’t Need 14
• Drugs Target the Symptoms, Not the Cause 19
• Conclusion 22
• References 23

CHAPTER 2 WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO R&D PRODUCTIVITY? 25

• Impact of Mergers on R&D Productivity 26
• Heightened FDA Requirements for NDAs 34
• Higher Hurdles Set by Payers 41
• Conclusion 46
• References 48

CHAPTER 3 KEY THERAPEUTIC AREAS FOR IMPROVING HEALTH 49

• Cancer 51
• Diseases of the Brain 54
• Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) 60
• Diabetes 63
• Bacterial Infections 65
• Conclusion 68
• References 69

CHAPTER 4 IMPROVING R&D OUTPUT 71

• The Views of Others 72
• Pharma’s Blockbuster Mentality Needs to Change 72
• Can “Predictive Innovation” Lead to Greater Success Rates? 76
• Would Royalties Make Scientists More Productive? 78
• Will Drug Repositioning Help Fill the R&D Pipeline? 80
• Consultants Don’t Always Have the Facts 82
• Personal Views 84
• Discovery Must Focus on Productivity 85
• Does Size Help or Hinder R&D Productivity? 87
• To Outsource or Not to Outsource? That’s the Pharma R&D Question 89
• Big Pharma Early Research Collaborations 92
• Conclusion 93
• References 95

CHAPTER 5 RESTORING PHARMA’S IMAGE 96

• Illegal Detailing of Drugs 97
• Pharmaceutical Companies Should Drop TV Ads 98
• The Need for Greater Transparency 100
• How Committed Is Big Pharma to Rare Diseases? 102
• Pharmaceutical Companies and Philanthropy 104
• Pharma Needs to Have Its Scientists Tell Their Stories 105
• Conclusion 106
• References 107
• CHAPTER 6 FINAL THOUGHTS 109
• References 114

INDEX 115