Former New England Journal of Medicine Editor Examines Pharmaceutical Industry in New Book

Marcia Angell, a pathologist and former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, discussed her new book, "The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What To Do About It," in an interview Tuesday with the New York Times. According to Angell, her book examines pharmaceutical companies' positions that higher drug prices are necessary because of research and development costs for new treatments. Angell said drug companies cite a "highly inflated figure" from an industry-commissioned study on their position, adding that 78% of the new drugs marketed over the past six years "were just new combinations or different formulations of old drugs." In the interview, Angell also discussed pharmaceutical research and the new Medicare law. Angell said the discount card phase of the law is "not going to have a major effect" on drug prices and added that the Medicare drug benefit that will take effect in 2006 "is designed to funnel billions of dollars to the pharmaceutical industry" (Dreifus, New York Times, 9/14).