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Tuesday, September 22nd, 2015

When Crime Pays: J&J’s Drug Risperdal

Author:    
Source:     Psych Pedia/New York Times
Publication Date:     21 September 2015 (used)
 Link: When Crime Pays: J&J’s Drug Risperdal
Stephan:   The growing greed of the pharmaceutical industry is amply illustrated in this report. Healthcare cannot be modulated only by profit. People are not widgets, and societies operate better, cheaper and more efficiently when wellness is the first priority. Compare any social outcome you like between say Norway and the U.S., and the U.S. outcome is inferior, sometimes notably so.
Risperdal

Risperdal

Risperdal is a billion-dollar antipsychotic medicine with real benefits — and a few unfortunate side effects. It can cause strokes among the elderly. And it can cause boys to grow large, pendulous breasts; one boy developed a 46DD bust.

Yet Johnson & Johnson marketed Risperdal aggressively to the elderly and to boys while allegedly manipulating and hiding the data about breast development. J&J got caught, pleaded guilty to a crime and has paid more than $2 billion in penalties and settlements. But that pales next to some $30 billion in sales of Risperdal around the world.

In short, crime pays, if you’re a major corporation.

Oh, and the person who was in charge of marketing the drug in these ways? He is Alex Gorsky, who was rewarded by being elevated to C.E.O. of J&J. He earned $25 million last year.

This tale is told in a devastating 58,000-word epic by Steven Brill that is being serialized on The Huffington Post. Some has already been covered in The Times […]

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