Ajai R. Singh

In this final section, we shall see what are the ground realities that both industry and academia-biomedicine have to acknowledge; what are the major propellants of the pharma industry; what is the difference between marketing a pharma and any other product; how tactics of the short term industry player, although attractive, are unsuited for the […]

In this section, we look at how the biological paradigm shift in psychiatry has been aided and abetted by industry for serving its own needs; which stymies other promising approaches; but which, nonetheless, can serve to advance biomedicine if checks and balances are in place. Go to: Industry, Biological Psychiatry And Non-pharmacological Advance The larger

In this section we look into the difference between useful and marketable entities, how industry funds new and not traditional therapies and what impact this has on biomedical advance and patient care. Go to: Useful And Marketable Focus on the marketability rather than usefulness of products is an area of concern. There is an inevitable

Chapter V on Foundations and Task Forces discussed issues related to research obligations towards human research subjects. This chapter takes the discussion further and is concerned with the ethical obligations of investigators. The remedy suggested is looking into the contract process for clinical research and following Best Practices Guidelines and Good Publication Practice Guidelines. Go

This section will detail some important initiatives taken by journal editors in writing about industry influence on academia in particular and medicine in general. It will also look into the Revised Guidelines of the ICMJE vis-á-vis issues related to industry-sponsored research. Go to: Journals And Editors In the last chapter, we saw how conflict of

This chapter looks into how Foundations are influenced by Industry in the light of the case of the American Heart Foundation, Genentech and the drug Altepase. It also discusses important ramifications of the reports of two Task Forces of the AAMC, which discuss individual and institutional conflict of interest. Go to: American Heart Foundation And

This section reports the findings and recommendations of an important Conference on Guidelines Standardisation (COGS). It also looks into why there is a discrepancy between, for example, CPG and CDR recommendations while discussing the recent case of a new long acting insulin (insulin gargline). It also considers cost-benefit calculations for CPGs, should or should not

In this section we shall see what Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) should be and what they are, the recent case of Xigris and a thriller-like manipulation by the concerned company to enter a performance ‘bundle’, CPG effectiveness/cost effectiveness and other considerations, how they serve Industry needs, and what methods can possibly assist them actualise their

In this section, we shall look into issues like code of conduct for industry, voluntary moratorium on spending, why pharma image stinks, the recent goof up about Trasylol (Aprotinin) and what AMCs and medical and research institutes can do to salvage their image vis-à-vis industry collaboration. Go to: Voluntary Moratorium And Code Of Conduct It

Academia-Industry Connect: Value, But With Significant Costs Value As private investment in biomedical research has increased over the last few decades, both industry capital (venture or otherwise) and academia have been quick on the uptake. Huge inflows from the former, and technology transfer offices set up by the latter, have resulted in major academia-industry tie-ups.