A story coming out of Australian Federal Court is highlighting questionable practices, not only by drug companies, but also by STM publishing giant Elsevier, in the promotion of the now-withdrawn anti-arthritis drug Vioxx. It’s reported that drug companies ghostwrite articles favorable to their products, then shop around for a “lead author.” Excerpta Medica, a division of Elsevier, also created a reprint-type publication, giving it the appearance of a peer-reviewed journal titled “Australasian Journal of Bone and Joint Medicine,” featuring favorable articles.
Merck’s Ghostwriters, Haunted Papers and Fake Elsevier Journals , in Laika’s MedLibLog, details the issues raised by these troubling practices.
Eagle Dawg Blog comments as well: Elsevier*: An ethically responsible call to action. (Print out your own copy of the “Cod of Ethics”)
Filed under: Copyright & Legal Issues, Scholarly publication | Tagged: Elsevier, Medical ghostwriters, Merck, Vioxx
