Abstract
A popular statin used to lower cholesterol is associated with an unusual breakdown of muscle tissue.* An analgesic prescribed for arthritic patients is linked to heart attacks. The scenarios involved in the recent cases of Baycol and Vioxx should be familiar. A novel drug passes intense regulatory scrutiny. The drug’s makers heavily promote it. Following widespread use, a previously unnoticed side effect is observed. Investigative journalists then trumpet the drug’s fall from grace, revealing a “back story” in which the warning signs of harm were ignored or suppressed. The drug’s makers defend their product and their integrity while medical reformers and social scientists condemn corporate cupidity. Members of a bewildered public wonder about drug safety while injured patients and outraged politicians call for remedial action.
Cured yesterday of my disease
I died last night of my physician
Matthew Prior (1664–1721)1
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Marks, H.M. (2013). Making Risks Visible: The Science, Politics, and Regulation of Adverse Drug Reactions. In: Gaudillière, JP., Hess, V. (eds) Ways of Regulating Drugs in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Science, Technology and Medicine in Modern History. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137291523_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137291523_5
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