Pfizer's drug causes more damage than good; recalled

Pfizer, a prominent pharmaceutical company, has put out a recall of its Thelin drug. Thelin's purpose was to be used for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Pfizer is the same company behind Lipitor, Celebrex, Viagra, and other high-money-grossing drugs. Post-market research and clinical trials have shown that this drug causes potentially life-threatening liver damage. They have willingly recalled Thelin from the market and have stopped clinical trials worldwide.

This report can be taken in multiple ways depending on one's views of large corporations.
The goal of medicine is, in fact, to help the ailed individual. If a "medicine" causes more harm than good, then it is breaking the first oath that doctors take in helping the sick. In a positive light, it is reassuring to know that a big corporation is willing to make a recall like such when reports come in of danger and sick individuals. At the same time, it can be said that they only did so to save face on their recognizable brand name.

Debatably, this company is may be money hungry and is willing to do what it takes to get their product out to the market, even before adequate testing is done. As the pharmaceutical company that is #1 in sales, they should have more accountability for their products. They have the resources to be able to test their products fully before releasing them to the market for wide-scale consumption. I wonder how much of a role capitalism has in the consciousness of the leading health care companies. Hopefully the biotechnology companies of the future will hold their product to a high standard and not release nano bots that could possibly backfire before proper testing.

Taraz Nosrat

article:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pfizer-stops-clinical-trials-of-thelin-and-initiates-voluntary-product-withdrawal-in-the-interest-of-patient-safety-111660124.html