Big Pharma Conspiracy ?

Big Pharma Conspiracy ?

So you, a loved one, or someone in your family will get cancer in their lifetime. This is what we are sure of? What we are not sure of is why?

Big Pharma- Conspiracy or Not?

Beware! Pop culture tells us that the big pharmaceutical companies know all about the simple, natural cures for everything — cancer included — but are jealously covering them up. Should you be unfortunate enough to contract some terminal illness, the best the doctors are going to give you is some synthetic, patented drug that can be sold to you at a high profit. It won't work as well as that natural treatment would, but that's OK, because it means they get to sell it to you over and over again, until you finally die. Guess what? You've just been victimized by the Big Pharma Conspiracy, one of the most popularly believed conspiracy theories. Is this true and if it is true is it not a horrible business model to develop a product that is ineffective and sold to people who only be a consumer for a very short period of time?

Your students will try to make sense of this by doing research

Is the conspiracy theory plausible?

Three in five Americans will get a serious cancer - including scientists, medical doctors, regulators, owners of drug companies - including, sadly, their loved ones and children. Thus, a conspiracy to hide cures for cancer would require the complicity of medical doctors and experts when their children get cancer. Would not the parents with knowledge of the conspiracy relent when their child was diagnosed? Silence under such circumstances would be unthinkable, and also criminal.

The conspiracy theory also does not explain the high cure rate for some cancers (eg. > 80% for Hodgkins disease), and that the majority of childhood cancers are cured. Is the conspiracy for some types of cancers and not others or that the fact so many people are getting sick or the fact that medicine that helps you is so expensive?

Classroom Questions

Pharma, the entity that allegedly suppressing cures, is a collective of independent
companies, which cannot make binding decisions on behalf of all so how can so few speak for so many?

And if a conspiracy existed, why would any company invest so much time and money
developing and testing new cancer drugs?

Are we to believe that "the industry" submits drugs for FDA approval with limited
potential to cure in order to keep the conspiracy alive? ... or that they are
intentionally passing on an opportunity to become wealthy and save lives for the good
of its competitors!

Would we not see the companies that have developed cures protesting such a system,
vigorously by taking strong legal action?

Are we to believe that FDA approves only drugs with limited benefit and that the agency
will reject drugs that are more effective?

Are we to believe that Congress has enacted laws to ensure independent review
of new drugs by the FDA as part of this conspiracy? Or that the American public,
through its representatives (who also get cancers), are complicit in the "conspiracy?"

And if a conspiracy existed, why would any company invest so much time and money developing and testing new cancer drugs ... when most investigational new drugs fail to demonstrate efficacy?

As you can see this topic is very controversial and interesting.

Divide your class into two groups. One group will investigate the benefits of Big Farma and the other side well investigate the negative drawbacks of Big Farma. Each side will produce a product- PPT presentation and or video to document their findings.

Contact Michael Cunningham for international conferences on this matter.

Pro Big Pharma

Pros and Cons

Big Government is Not The Answer

Proof

Forbes’ Answer

Anti Big Pharma