Jean-Pierre Garnier of GSK - The Mass Debater - quite a play on words wouldn't you say?
It seems our French friend is not happy with scientists and the media... at least not happy with those that have a different opinion than him!
Aubrey Blumsohn has an interesting take on things over at Scientific Misconduct
..And Matt Holford at It's Quite an Experience hits the nail on the head with his hard hitting email to the Guardian's Business Section.
It contains profanity so if you are easily offended don't read on.
This world needs more Matt Holford's.
Dear Sirs,
I saw this piece, today:Glaxo chief curses media and issues profit warning
It's hilarious, isn't it? Garnier appears to think that, given time, the Avandia thing will blow over, and it will be back to business, as usual. Staggering.
Well, who knows, perhaps he knows his audience better than we do? Anyway, he's got a fucking nerve to demand that "scientists" (all scientists, or just the ones that agree with GSK (I'm thinking of the way that we're told Garnier orchestrated the slating of John Buse)?), are the only ones who are able to proclaim the truth, and the media should report on what the scientists say, provided that that casts GSK in a good light. I'm sorry: I've only to read the correspondence between McCafferty, Oakes, Keller and Laden (who were responsible for the travesty of science that was the write-up of Paxil Protocol 329), to know that, in the context of the sordid world of pharmaceuticals, the view of the experts is worth precisely dick. Besides, if scientists are the only ones who get to say what is true, then patients have no right to speak, and are merely the glad recipients of the great wisdom of the scientists - whereupon we may be fed any old shite, which I imagine would suit Garnier, just fine.
However, it's perhaps worth pointing out that it is not scientists that report on the efficacy of a drug, it is the patients ("I'm feeling better, doctor"). When this happens, the pharmaceutical industry is only too delighted to report patient views. It's only when patient feedback is negative that we don't have the right to speak, according to Garnier, whereupon the shutters come down and a sign with "sue me" written on it is affixed. All very scientific. Garnier is a charlatan, and a bully, as far as I'm concerned.
Best regards
Matthew Holford
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