A new study has revealed that almost all US patient advocacy groups are funded and led by the drug industry Patient advocacy groups are supposed to be unbiased and independent authorities championing the public interest with regard to drug and medical issues before the FDA. They claim to represent the true voice of constituents, untainted by special interest bias. RT reports: It turns out that at least 39 of 42 patient advocacy groups – or 93 percent – received funds from pharmaceutical companies, while at least 15 have drug company reps on their governing boards, according to research by David Hilzenrath at the Project on Government Oversight (POGO). Patient advocacy groups add a lot to drug-related legislation in the Congress. A study from 2014 showed that 43 percent of public comments on the House version of a bill came from patient advocacy groups. However, as the latest report by POGO suggests, their comments are far from being independent. For example, a group called ‘The United Patient Voice’ has two major pharmaceutical company leaders on its board, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), as well as representatives from key drug companies – Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson, and [...]
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