Science or Sales? Profit-driven research

The makers of Crestor funded the JUPITOR study–which found that Crestor is useful preventing heart attacks in people who do not have elevated cholesterol levels. The company that produces Trojan condoms found that sexual health and condom use are positively correlated. Jenny Craig funded a study that showed women lose more weight with–surprise surprise–Jenny Craig.

According to Art Caplan, a bioethicist at the University of Pennsylvania, “You have to be wary when there is a direct interest between the funder and the topic being studied” (Article by Elizabeth Landau, CNN). Unfortunately, when money is driving the research, positive results are at a premium, putting the funding-dependent researchers and their institutions under tremendous pressure. All the more reason for not believing everything you read–even if it is in a peer-reviewed journal.