Dr. Doug Bremner, Emory University FOX news interview, COI --Conflict of Interest income: corruption in medical research

Dr. Doug Bremner Dr.Doug Bremner is an Emory University physician, researcher, Professor of Psychiatry and Radiology at Emory University School of Medicine and the Atlanta VAMC in Atlanta GA.

He is also the author of the book "Before You Take That Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for your health", who has also finished a book about his life story, where exposing a pharmaceutical company and finding his mother's ashes, and giving her a proper funeral-- all come together in a personal memoir.

Bremner says, in a post from July 2009, "My work in the area of medication safety started with the issue of the acne drug Accutane causing depression (taken off the market last week thanks in part to my efforts btw)...



"In his February 2010 article Bremner says:



"..an appellate court in New Jersey reversed the decision to let me testify in the case of Palazzolo v Hoffman La Roche, although they upheld the decision to not permit the results of our brain imaging study showing that Accutane affected function of the orbitofrontal cortex. In doing so they correctly noted that the results of the imaging study were just one part of the body of evidence needed to conclude that Accutane can cause depression, not the linchpin of the argument, as the prior judge had noted.This announcement caused an outpouring of hate (e.g. calling my study “faked” and “junk science”), first from lawyers working on behalf of pharma and device makers, writing in the Drug and Device Law blog, then from an MD who works as writer and marketer for pharma and pharma-sponsored CME. I felt I need to set the record straight on a number of points that were made."--Dr. Doug Bremner

Continue reading Bremner's article HERE.

Bremner had to battle it out last year with Emory University on the topic of freedom of speech, and academic freedom and using the name of the University on his blog---click on the 'Emory University' label below to read all about that, and how he took on the Grady Clinic for dumping dialyses patients to the streets. Interesting reading.
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February 2010 FOX news, Atlanta, "Dollars for Docs"



FOX news Atlanta Special: Dollars for Docs:

"Some of Georgia's highest paid physicians on the list are Emory urologist Dr. Muta Issa, who earned $ 91,000 from GlaxoSmithKline. Atlanta endocrinologist Dr. David Robertson cashed in over $78,000 from Eli Lilly and Roswell psychiatrist Dr. Michael Banov banked over $68,000 from Eli Lilly.

Some healthcare providers are earning much more by working for several companies at the same time.

"It's common, that people who are very active, can make several hundred thousand dollars or more," said Emory psychiatrist, Dr. Doug Bremner."

AND

"Emory's Dr. Bremner said he thought paying doctors to speak for drug makers was a bad idea. Bremner said he used to do it, until he got a wakeup call about six years ago.

"I was going out to give a talk and the sales, the marketing guy like, slapped me on the back and said, 'Go on out there and sell some,' I'm not going to say the name of the drug. 'Sell some of that drug,'" said Dr. Bremner.

Dr. Bremner said he worried that even the most independent doctor can get hooked on all that extra cash coming in. "Doctors are human, and once you get into this routine of making outside income, you become dependent on it."

AND

"I think it's gotten to the point where the public is looking at it for what it is and they're saying, 'What's going on here?'" said Dr. Bremner."