The medical industry is one of the most respected professions in the world, and it’s easy to see why. Its practitioners have dedicated themselves to preserving life and following the Hippocratic Oath – an ancient set of ethical guidelines which remain important today. Unfortunately, not all members of the medical community prioritize ethics. In 2015, pharmaceutical CEO Martin Shrekeli caused a public outcry by hiking up the price of a critical HIV drug by 5000%. This move exposed just how vulnerable citizens are to Big Pharma companies, where profits and shareholder interests often take precedence over social responsibility.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that many of these drugs are produced by major pharmaceuticals such as Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer in the US, plus Roche and Sanofi in Europe. These companies often conceal negative result from their clinical trials, leaving unsuspecting patients to suffer from dangerous side effects after taking their drugs. One example is Depakine, an epilepsy drug which caused developmental delays in children whose mothers took it while pregnant – only after more than a decade did legal repercussions follow.
Additionally, when break-through drugs have been found useful for treating conditions they were not originally designed for, Big Pharma companies will typically pursue more expensive options instead of prioritizing public interest. Managing this kind of ethical quandary on an international level can be complex since individual governments have vested interests in protecting their national companies in the global market.
This documentary aims to explore this issue further with an eye towards current events such as the Coronavirus pandemic and its associated challenges for public health globally. It promises to be an informative and eye-opening experience for anyone interested in learning more about Big Pharma and its influence on society at large; watch it today!
