Pharma Sector Bad, Journalists Good.

"If you can't get a drug on the market with that kind of data, we should stop developing drugs."

So says a Duke University Cardiologist about Eli Lilly's TRITON trial. He is quoted in a guest editorial in the WSJ from Eli Lilly CEO Sidney Taurel. I have suggested that people who choose to invest in or directly try to the improve human life through technology face opposition from politicians, trial lawyers, luddites, and a burdensome government approvals process.

Taurel adds journalists to that list. When Lilly stopped a trial to ensure patient safety, the press smelled blood in the water:

When it comes to describing the benefits and risks of prescription drugs, the hyper-competitive, around-the-clock media is rarely at its best. Call the following a case study in the challenge of doing right by doctors and patients -- in spite of the need to feed the media beast with copy.

It's a sad story that follows. Six billion in market capitalization (That equals six million little plastic bracelets, folks).and loss of investor confidence in a promising new compound.

Pharmaceuticals Posted by jk at November 27, 2007 7:12 PM