Article Defending Nicotine Replacement Therapy Fails to Disclose Author’s Conflict of Interest with Big Pharma

In another example that demonstrates the hidden influence of Big Pharma on tobacco treatment policy and the extent to which many defenders of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) are going to hide their conflicts of interest, an article (letter to the editor/reply) defending NRT from criticism that was published online ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology fails to …

American Lung Association Tells Public that Smoking May Be No More Hazardous than Vaping

Despite the abundance of scientific evidence, including clinical studies, which demonstrate that vaping is much safer than smoking, the American Lung Association – as recently as last week – told the public that smoking may be no more hazardous than vaping.A UPI article quoted the American Lung Association’s senior scientific advisor as stating: “We have no idea what the long-term …

FDA Violated Ethics Rules to Censor Dissenting Opinions about Its E-Cigarette Regulations

According to a shocking exposé in the October 16th issue of Scientific American written by Charles Seife, the FDA censored dissenting opinions about its e-cigarette regulations by prohibiting journalists covering the release of these regulations from speaking with anyone who might oppose them.The FDA’s e-cigarette regulations were initially released on April 24, 2014. On April 23, the FDA’s Center for …

Helena Miracle? Not So Much; New Study Casts Doubt on Conclusions of Anti-Smoking Groups

For many years, anti-smoking groups have been claiming that smoking bans result in an immediate and dramatic decline in hospitalizations for heart attacks. This claim is based on studies like that conducted in Helena, in which the authors concluded that there was a 40% reduction in heart attack admissions within 6-18 months after a bar and restaurant smoking ban was …

FDA-Induced Crumbling of E-Cigarette Market Begins: NJOY Files for Bankruptcy

It didn’t take long after the FDA enacted its deeming regulations for the first of many e-cigarette companies to lose their ability to stay in the market. Just one and a half months after the FDA’s deeming regulations went into effect, NJOY – one of the largest independent e-cigarette manufacturers in the U.S. – has filed for bankruptcy.While a major …

Deciding Vote in FDA Advisory Committee Recommendation to Remove Black Box Warning for Chantix is Cast by Pharmaceutical Company President; FDA Review Process is Badly Tainted

Last Wednesday, a pair of FDA advisory committees – meeting jointly – voted 10-9 to recommend that the FDA remove the black box warning for Chantix (varenicline). Currently, the black box warns about the potential for severe psychiatric side effects of Chantix, including depression and suicidal ideation. The recommendation is not binding, and the FDA is free to follow or …

Pfizer Study of Psychiatric Risks of Chantix Marred by Financial Conflicts of Interest and Under-Reporting of Adverse Events

According to a briefing document for today’s joint meeting of the FDA’s Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee and Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee to discuss the black box warning for Chantix (varenicline), Pfizer’s study of the potential serious psychiatric side effects of Chantix, which reported no significant increased risk of adverse events, was marred by financial conflicts of interests …