Summary of John Abramson's Sickening
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Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.
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#1
The author was sent a heartbreaking note from a woman who had seen her on television discussing safety issues associated with Vioxx and Celebrex, two widely used pain relievers. She asked if she could review her daughter’s medical records.
#2
As the Palmer family struggled with their loss, one of the world’s largest drug companies was dealing with a crisis of its own. On September 30, 2004, Merck pulled its blockbuster Vioxx off the market.
#3
The two articles that defended Vioxx were published in the world’s most prestigious medical journal, the NEJM. But when I read the fine print, I was shocked to discover that both authors had financial ties to Merck.
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4 I realized that the information in the NEJM could not be trusted. I searched for the data behind an article I’d read in the Washington Post, which reported that a JAMA article claiming to show that Celebrex caused fewer serious GI complications than older overthecounter antiinflammatory drugs was also based on a misrepresentation.
