Drug firms 'hype up diseases to boost sales'

Drug firms 'hype up diseases to boost sales'
By RICHARD SHEARS, Daily Mail

08:35am 11th April 2006

Drug companies are inventing diseases to sell more of their products, it has been claimed. Scientists have accused major pharmaceutical firms of "medicalising" problems like high cholesterol or the symptoms of the menopause in a bid to increase profits.
Experts from around the world will meet in Australia today to discuss what they have labelled "disease-mongering".

The group, which includes experts from Britain, will gather in Newcastle, New South Wales, where researchers have been examining the issue. David Henry and Ray Moynihan, of Newcastle University, claim the industry is exaggerating conditions and turning them into something more serious.

Join the debate » Female sexual dysfunction, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and "restless legs" syndrome have all been promoted by the pharmaceutical industry in the hope of selling more drugs, they say.

High cholesterol and osteoporosis-are being described as diseases in their own right, the researchers claim, turning healthy people into patients. In turn, this wastes precious resources and can cause medically-induced harm.

Drugs prescribed for 'shyness'

Even shyness is routinely presented as a "social anxiety disorder" resulting in the person being prescribed anti-depressants.

More @ http://tinyurl.com/mmqpt dailymail.co.uk

GOSH I"M SHOCKED! Drug companies 'hyping drugs' to treat problems that either don't exist or don't need treatment in the 1st place. Once again 'money' must be made no matter the cost to people or nations. Why do you think the 'bird flu business' is constantly being thrust to the forefront when in reality there is scant danger to humans. Yes you're right, its about money!

Worst case scenario if 'bird flu' should cross over to humans in large numbers is 140,000,000 dead world wide. That is such a small % of the total human population it can barely be figured. So far 100 or so people are dead worldwide from 'bird flu' or so were told. For my money I don't believe anything government tells us or that's touted by the drug industry.