Pressure from diabetes drug firm on renowned scientist

A prominent doctor who specialises in diabetes testified in court on Wednesday about alleged intimidation he received at the hands of major drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline.
John Buse, who was one of the first to voice concerns over Avandia, the blockbuster Glaxo diabetic drug that controversially increases the risk of heart attack, has told a congressional hearing that the company put pressure on him.
Buse initially questioned how safe Avandia was in 1999. In response, Glaxo allegedly pressurised him, even saying he could be held accountable for a $4billion drop in Glaxo stock . Speaking at the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Buse commented: “I was characterized as a liar and I was characterized as being for sale .”
The bigger picture – whether the FDA should have made more of Avandia risks – remains to be decided. The chairman of the committee, Henry Waxma, reportedly commented: “Although Avandia has been on the market for eight years and has been used by millions of Americans, the post-market studies have not been done to say conclusively whether Avandia increases or decreases the risks of heart attacks. That’s a major failure of our system.”