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UK: Drugs Industry Is Accused Of Putting Wealth Before Health By Celia Hall, Medical Editor (Filed: 15/12/2003) The drugs industry is accused today of neglecting groups of patients including children, older people and women in the development of medicines. A report from the King's Fund also says that the industry and the Government have put too much focus on developing medicinal drugs to the detriment of other treatments, including alternative remedies. Last week it was reported that Dr Allen Roses, vice-president of genetics at GlaxoSmithKline told a scientific meeting in London that less than half of patients taking some prescribed medicines derived benefit from them. Anthony Harrison, the author of the report, Getting the Right Medicines? said the relationship between the industry and government should focus more "on the promotion of health not just the promotion of wealth". He said yesterday: "For too long the pharmaceutical industry has been in the driving seat of this relationship with the Government acting as a passive purchaser of drugs. "While this partnership has undoubtedly been an economic success, the interest of patients and the public clearly do not always coincide with what will be most profitable for the pharmaceutical industry." The report argues that involving the public more in decisions about the direction of future treatments could lead to a change in priorities and may enourage more research into low-risk drugs, self-administered treatments, non-invasive interventions and measures that avoid the need for treatment altogether. The report calls for a health research and development task force to identify neglected areas. Rabbi Julia Neuberger, the chief executive of the King's Fund, said: "We need a relationship that promotes health rather than simply providing drug treatments." However, the pharmaceutical industry defended its position. "The report says we do not produce enough medicines for women, children and older people," said a spokesman from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. "We could point to the development of vaccines that have virtually eradicated many childhood diseases and eliminated polio in this country. For breast cancer there are new drugs, such as taxanes, and many new treatments for osteoporosis and many more in development. "Older people benefit from the drugs for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease which affects many older people." The spokesman added: "To the charge that we have created wealth for this country, we plead guilty." SOURCE: Telegraph.co.uk, UK http://tinyurl.com/zb8m * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn