calatt

Chantix Side-Effects May Halt Rare Pfizer Success Story

www.usatoday.com/news/...

I just read the above article on Chantix. This quote is interesting:


"..posted online by the non-profit Institute for Safe Medication Practices. Co-author Curt Furberg, a Wake Forest University medical epidemiologist, said he and his coauthors felt "this was too important" to submit first to a medical journal, which could take six months or more to publish."

Wake Forest University (WFU) is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, which also happens to be the home of the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company. In fact, WFU sits on land donated to it by Mary Reynolds (then owner of RJ Reynolds) and Reynolds Trusts and the company have always been generous supporters WFU.

Why, of all universities, did WFU conduct this research? The conflict of interest on the part of WFU is palpable. Mr. Furberg thought this was of "too important" to submit to medical journals (who would examine sources) but perhaps the media would not be so picky. To important to who? In my opinion to RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. and the tobacco interests who are trying very hard to trash Chantix.

FAA Bans Chantix: Will Pfizer Be Smoked Out of the Stop-Smoking Market?

Chantix research or bashing by Wake Forest?

In a USA TODAY article about the recent Chantix "study" is the following:

"The Study was posted online by the non-profit Institute for Safe Medication Practices. Co-author Curt Furberg, a Wake Forest University medical epidemiologist, said he and his coauthors felt "this was too important" to submit first to a medical journal, which could take six months or more to publish."

Wake Forest University (WFU) is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, which also happens to be the home of the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company. In fact, WFU sits on land donated to it by Mary Reynolds (then owner of RJ Reynolds) and Reynolds Trusts and the company have always been generous supporters WFU.

Why, of all universities, did WFU conduct this research? The potential conflict of interest on the part of WFU is palpable. Mr. Furberg thought this was of "too important" to submit to medical journals--who would examine sources--perhaps he thought the media would not be so picky. Too important to who? RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. and tobacco interests who want Chantix to go away?

The media and everyone should check into this latest "study" on Chantix some more. In my opinion it is typical of thinly veiled trashing that passes for research and the knee jerk acceptance by analysts, media and government agencies--people who should know better.

www.usatoday.com/news/......