AR-News: Only 6% of drug advertising material is supported by evidence

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BMJ
2004;328:485 (28 February),
News roundup

Only 6% of drug advertising material is supported by evidence Heidelberg Annette Tuffs

A new study of the advertising material and marketing brochures sent out by 
drug companies to GPs in Germany has shown that about 94% of the information 
in them has no basis in scientific evidence.

The study, carried out by the Institute for Evidence-Based Medicine, a 
private independent research institute in Cologne, evaluated 175 brochures 
containing information on 520 drugs, which were either sent by post or 
handed out to 43 GPs since last June. The study was published in this 
month’s issue of the drugs bulletin Arznei Telegramm (2004;35:21-3; 
www.di-em.de/data/at_2004_35_21.pdf).

About 15% of the brochures did not contain any citations, while the 
citations listed in another 22% could not be found. In the remaining 63% the 
information was mostly correctly connected with the relevant research 
articles but did not reflect their results. Only 6% of the brochures 
contained statements that were scientifically supported by identifiable 
literature.

The evaluation was done by two specially trained and independently acting 
reviewers. In cases of doubt a third reviewer was involved.

"This is the first study in Germany evaluating the quality of drug 
advertising material," says Thomas Kaiser, a scientist at the institute who 
published the study together with Peter Sawicki and other colleagues.

He points out that the advertising material presents distorted images of the 
drugs’ profiles. The article lists several examples of misrepresentation: 
medical guidelines from scientific societies are misquoted or changed, the 
side effects of drugs are minimised, groups of patient are wrongly defined, 
study results are suppressed, treatment effects are exaggerated, risks are 
manipulated, and effects of drugs were drawn from animal studies.

The authors warn that such a high amount of misinformation puts patients’ 
health at risk. Studies from other countries have shown that doctors tend to 
base their decisions on the information and advertising material sent out by 
drug companies. Therefore, the authors conclude, an independent institution 
should be established to monitor the content of such material.

Ÿ The German drug industry has decided to tighten the rules in its self 
regulatory code on relations between the industry and the medical profession 
with regard to cooperation in clinical studies and attendance at conferences 
that are funded by drug companies.

The German Association of Research Based Pharmaceutical Companies in Berlin 
announced that its members have set up an independent tribunal in Berlin. 
Members of the tribunal will be chosen by drug companies and doctors’ and 
patients’ groups but will not be elected representatives of those bodies. 
Like a court, the tribunal will be able to punish companies that break the 
rules, imposing fines of up to €50 000 (£34 000; $63 000) or, in the case of 
a second offence, up to €250 000. Anyone will be allowed to notify the 
tribunal of possible offences.

The initiative was the industry’s reaction to the German government’s threat 
to install an executive against corruption. Doctors’ associations have also 
tightened their rules on corruption.

More information about the Institute for Evidence-Based Medicine can be 
found on its website, www.di-em.de/z_index.htm





Animal experiments have:
a 63% failure rate when detecting human carcinogens
a 75-95% failure rate for detecting drug side effects
a 70% failure rate for detecting drugs which cause birth defects
Success rates lower than those achieved by uneducated guesswork.

This is not science!!



Recommended website: The Absurdity of vivisection
http://vivisection-absurd.org.uk/

Information on animal research available free by EMail from 
vivisectionkills at hotmail.com

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