If this is true…I haven’t been this angry in a while…Damn drug companies anyway.
More here and here.
links from metafilter.
Fascinating that the story only seems to be getting attention in the UK.
However, the ACS is deemed to be the legal guardian for many HIV-positive children. According to a BBC2 documentary, Guinea Pig Kids, to be shown on Tuesday, the ACS has forced children to be involved in these trials, removing them from foster homes if the foster parent did not comply and even physically making the children take the drugs.
It added that the US regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, encouraged the studies. “Clinical trials involving children and orphans are therefore legal and not unusual,” GSK said in a statement.
If you truly believe what you say, then don’t take any drugs of any kind to avoid supporting drug companies.
luckily…i am only 30 and in no need of drugs of any kind at this point (i’ve never even spent a night at the hospital).
most certainly though, they will not be getting my investment capitol.
The drug companies are terrible compnaies that spend billions to develop and produce drugs that cure our diseases, extend the length and improve the quaility of our lives and relieve our pain.
What bastards.
“extend the length and improve the quality”…sounds like a few certain male related drugs to me.
why spend the money on sex instead of other stuff?? oh yeah…it make them more money than cancer and aids research.
i’m sure there are some good companies out there…but they are few and far between.
The drug companies are terrible compnaies that spend billions to develop and produce drugs that cure our diseases, extend the length and improve the quaility of our lives and relieve our pain.
What bastards.
Oh please.
Does the end justify the means? In all cases?
If you truly believe what you say, then don’t take any drugs of any kind to avoid supporting drug companies.
… or you, in this country, can voice your opinion about something you feel is wrong and raise the consciousness towards it and get it corrected if it is indeed wrong (or illegal).
Rosa Parks’ alterantive was not “just don’t ride the bus then”.
Wrongs need to be corrected. I don’t think anyone would argue that having drug companies be the legal guardians of orphans so they siggn the waiver for drug trials is in any way right.
"Does the end justify the means? In all cases? "
**
Yes. You ever wonder how many people died of an Asprin overdose before we made mistakes with dosages before we got it all figured out? If we always judge the mistakes of people who have others best interests in mind we will never get anywhere. I am sure that if we look at medicine ten years ago somethings were not known or seen by doctors that are easily detected today - should patients who had heart disease and died 10 years ago have their families sue because Stents were not invented soon enough, or perfected soon enough, or tried on SOMEONE soon enough. Someone has to take a risk…and IMO, you have AIDS - #1 you DESERVE IT. YES, IF YOU HAVE AIDS YOU DESERVE IT. People with AIDS are going to die sooner rather than later…may as well toss caution to the wind and try new things for the sake of others who will follow.
On a personal basis I dont get what all the AIDS fuss is about. No longer is it possible (due to strict testing and protocols) to get AIDS from a blood transfusion or any other medical manner. The incidence of AIDS or HIV in an “accidental” way (needle sticks and what not) is so low you can not even measure it (I am not aware of a single case). That being said, the ONLY way to get AIDS is via deviant behavior that is easily prevented. You get it, you had to stick something in you (needle, penis or what ever) and make an effort. I feel less pitty for them than I do for smokers who are shocked that they get lung cancer.
Damn I am cold hearted.
“The drug companies are terrible compnaies that spend billions to develop and produce drugs that cure our diseases, extend the length and improve the quaility of our lives and relieve our pain.”
C’mon Art? And profits at any cost have nothing to do with it. Not to mention there are a lot of health alternatives to popping pills. Unfortunately we live in a perscription drug society so anything else is normally downplayed.
Sure there have been some truly amazing drugs that have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, but the drug industry has been far from saintly in some of their practices.
Come on bitwiz, get with the program. Experiments on children are ok, because these drug companies can do their research on unwitting participants. No law suits or costly medical care, see? Clear profit! cough I mean benefit to mankind, sorry…
Who said anything about saintly? No me. It just seems really funny to paint such organizations with such a broad brush when they have saved millions of lives and improved all of our lives.
When you see some behavior that annoys you, at least include those facts in your reaction.
“Hope, triumph, and the miracle of medicine” won Lance six TdF, or gave him that opportunity to be more fair.
This thing reminds me of how Bayer was painted as such an evil company when they wouldn’t give away Cipro in the middle of the anthrax scare. How dare they sell that product and not give away their intellectual property. What was their crime? Spending hundreds of millions to develop a breakthrough antibiotic that saved lives? String those bastards up, they are German after all.
you didn’t even read the article did you 10t?
these are kids in orphanages getting the drugs pushed on them by the state of NY. These kids did nothing to get AIDS except get born.
if you still think they deserve it, then you are worse than cold hearted.
Is there ANY filter between your knee jerk response and your fingers at all?
“IF YOU HAVE AIDS YOU DESERVE IT.”
You are a class act. I’m sure those foetuses were crying out for more crack as they lay there developing. They only got what they were asking for, right?
Berk.
I am just asking for a little balance. I am guessing the original article is BS, though I don’t know that for a fact. Regardless, I think you should look at the whole picture before you castigate a group of organizations.
Why can’t you just condemn the actions described in the article without doing your best Rove impression and pretend to paraphrase what other people HAVEN’T said? Why does it have to be black and white?
Excuse me, I didn’t read the whole article, but wasn’t this work research to treat AIDS?
Lose the good guy/bad guy mentality. Life and death issues are often complicated. These companies are doing the best they can to solve complex problems under difficult circumstances. They get it right a lot. When they do, millions are saved. They get it wrong sometimes too.
Before you blast them for doing things wrong, look at the whole picture.
If you want outrage, save it for the Netherlands hospital that has admitted to euthanizing four “defective” children and is looking for blessing for a policy that allows them to do it to children up to age 12 even without the approval of their parents. Talk about a slippery slope. This looks more like a greased chute.
I don’t know if the article is accurate or if anyone involved did anything wrong or not. Assuming they did, fine, criticize them.
I was responding to the the original post that said “damn drug companies.” That reaction seems a bit excessive. From my brief review of the article, there aren’t even any drug companies mentioned.
I am not making it black and white. My reaction is very broad taking into account the historical achievements of the drug companies. It is the “damn drug companies” comment that is black and white.
I can’t quite tell from the article, but it doesn’t look like there are actually any drug companies involved. This looks like a government operation, but I really don’t trust the article, so I will suspend judgment.