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Re: Just be Dianosed Today - Do not like doc's Treatment planFrom: anonymous (anonymous@obgyn.net)Thu Jan 16 09:15:01 2003
>>At Thu, 16 Jan 2003, Anonymo wrote: TAP is a sponsor of the Endometriosis Association?? If this is so, it would be VERY VERY VERY disturbing. Can you please tell me where I can verify this? It's not that I think you're making this up, but this would be such shocking and upsetting news that I need some proof before believing it. I don't see it mentioned on the EA website. I know TAP is NOT NOT NOT a sponsor of the Endometriosis Research Center, though. The ERC has actually been very critical of the use of Lupron, and regularly posts articles on their website that TAP would not like to see there.>> This is a GOOD discussion - and a tough one, which will probably be shut down by the politically correct censors here. But women need to know where their beloved organizations are getting their money from. TAP is most certainly one of the EA's strongest sources of income (aside from their members, who have to pay to get even so much as a sheet of info from them, practically). While many supporters of the EA claim that this is a "good thing," because "at least their money is going to Endo," it is downright unethical in the eyes of many others, especially those women who have been negatively effected by Lupron. How does an organization claiming to help women take money from the one of very sources of harm in those women's lives?? The answer is very simple - they shouldn't. Taking the money and then saying in the next breath, "we don't endorse Lupron" is also absurd. If you don't believe in a product or a company or what that company or product is doing to your members, you don't take their money. Period. Taking their "donations" and "gifts" simply sends the message that it's ok to take TAP's money, despite how many women out there in the Endo community are suffering from negative effects of Lupron, just because it's going to educational or research or media programs. The EA is sponsored by many other pharmaceutical companies also, but none as controversial or with as much community impact as TAP/Lupron. Interestingly enough, most (if not all?) of the EA's "scientific advisors" are or have been funded by TAP as well, and many are on the "panel of experts" someone else spoke of, that was recently lauding the use of Lupron as a diagnostic measure at a recent conference. What kind of message does this send??? [[[Of course, we are talking about the same organization which proclaims their non-animal testing position, yet proudly tells the world about their dioxin research (in which primates were used); and the same organization which has very, very close ties to a certain set of brothers who were found to be guilty of publishing fraudulent study data in a high ranking journal. Talk about speaking out of both sides of one's mouth!]]] I have personally contacted the EA repeatedly to comment on their position regarding TAP/Lupron, but have never even received the courtesy of an acknowledgement, let alone an answer. I know their supporters will jump into the fray here, screaming about how it's important to conduct their work, so why should it matter where the money comes from - but it really isn't that simple. We're talking about ethics and morality here. Naturally, I posed these same questions to the ERC, another non profit organization vigorously supported by many women. I did get a response from them (finally) when I asked for their position, and they told me that the ERC "has not, does not, and will never take donations from TAP Pharmaceuticals," based on their own and their member's "strong feelings about the company's practices" and the "lack of efficacy combined with long term negative effects the drug holds for many women and teens." At least they have some concern for the women they serve. However, they did take a large grant from Amgen Praecis Corporation 2 yrs. ago and receive funding (aka "gifts") from other companies. When I asked them to comment about the claims written on the NLVN's page about them, they again vehemently denied any involvement with TAP. The "study" talked about by the NLVN was a clinical trial advertisement, of which they have many posted on their site as a courtesy to the readers. They did not get paid for it. I can accept that. As for one of their staff being paid by AstraZeneca, another GnRH maker, they again denied the claim, stating that the staff member was in fact employed right here by OBGYN.net. However, the position she held at OBGYN.net was funded by AstraZeneca, so you do the math. Some examples of direct sponsorship from TAP to the EA: "Through a grant from TAP, the Endometriosis Association (EA) established Endometriosis Screening Month in October 2001." http://www.tap.com/patients "Group Leaders Meeting: EASe President, Lee Shu Lay, was one of 45 group leaders from the USA, Canada, Brazil and Germany to meet in Milwaukee, USA from February 17th to 18th. This was made possible through a generous grant from TAP Pharmaceuticals." [2002] http://sg.geocities.com/easespore/endosource/newsjuly2001.html "This year's competition was made possible by an unrestricted educational grant from TAP Pharmaceutical Products." http://www.endometriosisassn.org/media.html The NLVN released the following information on their site: "The following statements appeared in Endometriosis Association newsletters: The Endo Association in their 1998 newsletter Volume 19 #1-2 stated, "We also are immensely appreciative of our corporate donors: TAP Pharmaceutical (makers of Lupron) [a GnRH-a], for $30,000, unrestricted grant. An Endo Association newsletter, (1998, Vol. 19, #1-2), revealed that the Endo Association received over $114,000 from the 3 manufacturers of GnRH analogs during that year. During the year 1997-1998 (1999, Vol. 19, #5-6), "membership" was $220,285. The amount of money the Endo Association received from the 3 manufacturers of GnRH analogs was significant. The Endo Association in their 1997 newsletter Volume 18 #1 stated, "We also greatly appreciate the following companies which provided contributions to the Association. Thank you so much to: TAP Pharmaceutical (makers of Lupron) [a GnRH-a], for $20,000. The Endo Association in their 1995 newsletter Volume 16 #1 stated, "We also want to express our great appreciation to our corporate donors. Your support is very important to us! Thank you so much to: TAP PHARMACEUTICALS (makers of Lupron) [a GnRH-a], for $23,000 in support of all the printing for the 15th Anniversary Conference and for meals for the speakers. The Endo Association in their 1996 newsletter Volume 17 #5-6 stated, "In the fall of 1995, the winners were announced for the EA Journalism Awards for outstanding reporting on endo. Winners were awarded $1000 each for stories on endo written from July 1994 to July 1995. Sponsored by the EA and funded by TAP Pharmaceuticals [makers of the GnRH-a Lupron] the contest was designed to encourage accurate reporting on endo." The Endo Association in their 1996 newsletter Volume 17 #1 stated, "Journalism Award Winners. We're happy to announce the winners of the Endometriosis Association Journalism Awards for outstanding reporting on the disease." "Each of the winners received $1000. Thank you to all those who entered and to all the journalists who have worked to get accurate information about endometriosis into the public eye. We especially appreciate TAP Pharmaceuticals,whose support made the award program possible." The Endo Association in their 1995 newsletter Volume 16 #2 stated, "Thank you to our judges for the Endometriosis Association Journalism Awards contest (sponsored by TAP Pharmaceuticals [makers of the GnRH-a Lupron])..." The Endo Association in their 1996 newsletter Volume 17 #1 stated, "Central New York Support Group leaders [x] and [x] thank Tap Pharmaceuticals [makers of the GnRH-a Lupron] and local rep [x], [x], for their 1995 donation earmarked for the group's mailings and newletter." The Endo Association in their 1995 newsletter Volume 16 #2 stated, "Congratulations to our Munich, Germany Support Group for its very successful first conference in September!" "Conference organizers [x] and [x] would like to especially thank representatives from Zeneca Gmbh, Organon GmbH, and Takeda Pharma [TAP is a joint venture between Takeda Pharma and Abbott Pharmaceuticals] GmbH for their help and sponsorship." The Endo Association in their 1995 newsletter Volume 16 #1 stated, "The Honolulu Support Group held their fist day-long conference during Endometriosis Awareness Week in March. The group leaders, [x] and [x], worked hard to arrange sponsorship from local pharmaceutical reps around Oahu (including TAP)..." The Endo Association in their 1999 newsletter Volume 20 #1 stated, "Thanks to Takeda Pharma GmbH, Germany for sponsoring the printing and distribution of the EA's revised German brochure, and Schering AG, Germany, whose donation enabled us to be represented at the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) meeting in France." "The Endo Association in their 1999 newsletter Volume 19 #5-6 stated, "Thanks to Takeda Pharma GmbH, Germany, and Laboratoires Takeda, France, for making it possible for the Association to be represented at the 'Fifth International Symposium on GnRH Analogs' in Geneva." TV Infomercial In 1998 there was a 15 minute infomercial on national cable television promoting GnRH analogs. For approximately 15 minutes the infomercial "plugged" GnRH analogs even for unapproved uses. The only statement made regarding side-effects was "If side effects should occur we can treat that as well." The infomercial was made possible through an educational grant from TAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the manufacturer of Lupron) [a GnRh-a]. At the end of the ad there was a full screen showing the 800# for the Endometriosis Association." There was a post right on this forum at http://forums.obgyn.net/endo/ENDO.9807/0711.html, in which a conversation between 2 people reads: "<<I want you to know that this forum endo@obgyn.net, The Endometriosis Quilt and the Endometriosis Pavilion at OBGYN.net are all paid for by OBGYN.net. OBGYN.net's sponsors are all medical device and pharmaceutical companies. >> Let us also not forget that the Endometriosis Association itself accepted a grant from TAP Pharmaceutical, the makers of Lupron. Without that grant, chances are valuable research the EA conducted with the proceeds would have been pushed to the wayside - or worse, put on the backburner permanently for lack of funding. True enough, there are indeed many evils in the world, but it's unfair to assume that because someone wears the hat of Pharmaceutical rep (or any other profession for that matter!) that they are in the same class as the ones who deserve a bad rap. Don't let one bad apple spoil the bunch!" Again, you will note one person's anger at the fact that her sources for support are funded by the sources of her angst; you will also note the standard, politically correct party line reply to her. Until the organizations start validating the concerns of the women they serve over the companies which fund them, all of their work is tainted, no matter how you look at it. There is such a thing as ethics, which many jaded professionals and organizations seem to have forgotten. I make no apologies for participating in this discussion and posting the above PUBLIC information - it's high time all the "dirty little secrets" came out.
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