“One of the reasons I have long supported the U.S. biotechnology industry is that it is a homegrown success story that has been an engine of job creation in this country.” This written statement by Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina on the health care bill was identical to one by Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer and used language suggested by lobbyists. (Luke Sharrett/The New York Times)

by Robert Pear
November 14, 2009

WASHINGTON — In the official record of the historic House debate on overhauling health care, the speeches of many lawmakers echo with similarities. Often, that was no accident.

Statements by more than a dozen lawmakers were ghostwritten, in whole or in part, by Washington lobbyists working for Genentech, one of the world’s largest biotechnology companies.

E-mail messages obtained by The New York Times show that the lobbyists drafted one statement for Democrats and another for Republicans. Read the full story

por Ignacio Ramonet
Setiembre 2009

Muy pocos medios de comunicación lo han comentado. La opinión pública no ha sido alertada. Y sin embargo, las preocupantes conclusiones del Informe final (1), publicado por la Comisión Europea el pasado 8 de julio,  sobre los abusos en materia de competencia en el sector farmacéutico merecen ser conocidas por los ciudadanos y ampliamente difundidas. Read the full story

Indian people infected with HIV and activists hold placards and shout slogans against Swiss pharmaceutical firm Novartis

Ring-fencing medical knowledge is one of the great grotesqueries of our age Read the full story