Today’s reports on the new definition of Alzheimer’s brings up a poorly aknowledged concern. It is important to note that the non-profit groups that cames up with definitions of “predisease,” often rely heavily on drug company funding.
From NYTimes
And, while the quest to prevent disease before it becomes disabling is worthwhile, it also opens the door to marginal, expensive and potentially toxic drugs and overdiagnosis – defining the well as sick.
In other words, primary prevention has a dark side. (See this NPR story on “osteopenia” for a good example.)
With this in mind, we decided to check into the current sponsors of the Alzheimer’s Association, which worked with NIH on the new guidelines.
Non-profit group that promote research into a particular disease are heavily dependent on funding from drug companies. And drug companies use these relationships as a way to market their drugs. That’s not to say that pharma execs don’t care about preventing AD. But connecting with patient groups is as much about sales as it is about cures.
The problem is, it is impossible to find out how much drug company money these groups get, since they are not required to report it. See this story from The Washington Post for details.
Since I wrote this story, many of the patients groups no provide any dollar amounts in their r lists of corporate donors. Since I wrote this story, many of the patients groups have stopped providing any dollar amounts in their lists of corporate donors. A bill that would have required non-profits to report corporate funding amounts died in Congress last year.
So, a peek at the Alzhemer’s Association’s 2010 annual report finds the usual list of drug companies sprinkled among the foundation supporters and family trusts— like the Sons of Italy and National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association.
A check of Phrma’s website finds that most have at least one drug in development for AD.
How much do they give? No one knows. One person’s privacy is another’s lack of transparency.
Corporations, Foundations
and Membership Organizations
The generosity of these partners helps the Alzheimer’s Association fund vital Alzheimer research in addition
to local and national educational programming. We are deeply grateful for their continuing support of our mission.
Abbott Laboratories Annenberg Foundation
A Place For Mom
Accenture
American Express
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
Bankers Life and Casualty Company
Baxter Healthcare Corporation
Bayer Healthcare Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund
Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation
BristolMyersSquibb
Brookdale Senior Living
Cegedim Dendrite
ComforCare Senior Services
Dart Foundation
Diamond Tours, Inc.
Eisai, Inc.1Eisenberg Family Trust
Elan Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Eli Lilly and Company
Evercare by United Healthcare
F.M. Kirby Foundation, Inc.
Forest Laboratories, Inc.
GE Healthcare
Genco
Genentech
Genworth Financial
GlaxoSmithKline
Grant Healthcare Foundation
Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society
Harrah’s Entertainment Foundation
Healthcare Interactive, Inc.
The Hearst Corporation
Hess Foundation
Home Instead Senior Care
Hydrogen Media
Improved Order of Red Men and Degree of Pocahontas
Innogenetics
Intel Corp.
Janssen AI
Kindred Healthcare
Laura Lee Designs
Light Bridge Healthcare
Lotsa Helping Hands
The George T. Lewis, Jr., 2001 Foundation
MedicAlert
Medivation
Meredith Corporation
MetLife Foundation
Memory Lane
Mertz Charitable Trust
The Ambrose Monell Foundation
William T. Morris Foundation
National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Omnilink
Order Sons of Italy in America
Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc.
Parrot Heads in Paradise Inc.
Pfizer, Inc.
Pioneer Network
Plates with Purpose
Quintiles
Schering-Plough
Dr. Scholl Foundation
Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity
Sigma Kappa Foundation
The Slomo and Cindy Silvian Foundation,Inc.
SNAPforSeniors
SunBridge Healthcare
Time Inc. Home Entertainment
Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity
UnitedBioSource
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals