[Sponsoring of research by the industry is not good for science].
The pharmaceutical industry is not basically interested in knowledge about diseases and their treatment--its main interest is selling drugs. Hence, its research may even be aimed at shifting the border between health and disease in order to produce more indications for which drugs can be prescribed. In contrast, non-industry sponsored research can be aimed at solving medical problems that really matter and problems for which other forms of treatment are indicated than medication. Therefore, industry-sponsored research is bad for medical science.
Vermeulen
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Academisch Medisch Centrum/Universiteit van Amsterdam, afd. Neurologie, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam.
D016265:Conflict of Interest; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000191:economics*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D012106:Research / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards