Glaxo used ghostwriting program to promote Paxil

[Guest guest]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iUKEK0btRTAsKW5IDK5GtDQz_DWQD9A669802

Glaxo used ghostwriting program to promote Paxil

By MATTHEW PERRONE (AP) – 19

hours ago

WASHINGTON — Drugmaker GlaxoKline used a sophisticated

ghostwriting program to promote its antidepressant Paxil, allowing

doctors to take credit for medical journal articles mainly written by

company consultants, according to court documents obtained by The

Associated Press.

An internal company memo instructs salespeople to approach

physicians and offer to help them write and publish articles about

their positive experiences prescribing the drug.

Known as the CASPPER program, the paper explains how the company can

help physicians with everything from "developing a topic," to

"submitting the manuscript for publication."

The document was uncovered by the Baum Hedlund PC law firm of Los

Angeles, which is representing hundreds of former Paxil users in

personal injury and wrongful death suits against GlaxoKline. The

firm alleges the company downplayed several risks connected with its

drug, including increased suicidal behavior and birth defects.

A spokeswoman for London-based Glaxo said the published articles

noted any assistance to the main authors.

"The program was not heavily used and was discontinued a number of

years ago," said Anne Rhyne.

According to the memo, which dates from April 2000, the CASPPER

program was designed to "strengthen the product positioning and

overcome competitive issues."

At the time, Paxil was competing with rival antidepressant

blockbusters like Eli Lilly's Prozac and Pfizer's Zoloft. Paxil has

since lost its patent protection and competes against cheaper generic

versions. Sales of Paxil last year totaled $849 million.

Drug companies frequently hire outside firms to draft a manuscript

touting a company's drug, retain a physician to sign off as the author

and then find a publisher to unwittingly publish the work.

But the use of ghostwriting by drug companies has come under

increased scrutiny by members of Congress, including Sen.

Grassley, R-Iowa, a longtime critic of the industry's influence over

physicians. Grassley and Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., are pushing a bill

that would require companies to disclose all payments to physicians

over $100.

According to ghostwriting expert Dr. Leemon McHenry, Glaxo's program

was unusually intertwined with its internal sales and marketing

department.

"We know that GSK has engaged in ghostwriting for many years," said

McHenry, who works as a research consultant for Baum Hedlund. "But to

create an internal ghostwriting program and have the gall to name it

after a cartoon ghost demonstrates their juvenile attitude and careless

disregard for patients."

McHenry acknowledged that ghostwriting is legal in principal, but

said it could contribute to illegal activity if the information is

misleading and causes harm.

"If these ghostwritten publications are contributing to the harm of

patients because they're making false claims, then that's illegal,"

McHenry said.

Articles from the company's program appeared in five journals

between 2000 and 2002, including the American Journal of Psychiatry and

the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Drug company salespeople often present medical journal articles to

physicians as independent proof that their drugs are safe and effective.

Publication in a medical journal also is a point of prestige for

physicians, a fact Glaxo's memo seems to acknowledge: "Physicians will

be eager to participate in CASPPER regardless of their professional

stature," the brief notes.

(This version CORRECTS spelling of 'Baum' in graf 4.)

Copyright © 2009 The Associated

Press. All rights reserved.