Big Pharma v. The Truth

A review of Goose That Laid the Golden Egg by freelance writer Bob Etier, follow her on twitter @katelier, and read the full review here.

Did you know that Vitamin A, taken in excess, is believed to cause depression? Accutane, that remarkably popular drug once prescribed to teens and still available in generic form, is a “molecular cousin” of Vitamin A.

Accutane was prescribed for people suffering from “extreme scarring acne,” but in 2001, Dr. Doug Bremner began research that indicated a very different, extreme effect of Accutane. He found a causal relationship between Accutane and depression—a relationship believed to have resulted in hundreds of teen suicides and homicides.

Manufacturer Hoffman-LaRoche did not welcome Bremner’s findings. In fact, according to Bremner, the drug giant launched a campaign to discredit him that was “designed to suppress his findings and destroy his career and livelihood.” Written in a tremendously informal, nearly stream-of-consciousness style [...]