Pharma Discusses How to be Ethical

Pharmaceutical Executive prints a transcript of the proceedings of a high-power discussion of how to be ethical in the pharmaceutical business. "The conversation was moderated by Joseph Cohen, a partner at the law firm. The participants were Raul Perea-Henze, MD, senior director/team leader, science and medical advocacy, for Pfizer; Roger Louis, chief compliance officer for Genzyme; Nicholas Capaldi, PhD, Legendre-Soule chair in business ethics at Loyola University New Orleans; Kevin Soden, MD, worldwide medical director for Texas Instruments and Celanese, and medical reporter for NBC and MSNBC; and Patrick Clinton, editor-in-chief of Pharm Exec." Trust me, you want to read this. But go get a good strong drink first, then re-open your laptop.

Wesley Smith has Lots of Nerve

Wesley Smith has made a serious bid for the 2004 chutzpah award. in a new column he complains that proponents of embryonic stem cell research using cloned embryos are playing word games in how they describe cloned embryos. This coming in the context of a year's worth of conniving on the part of proponents of a ban on cloning for research to say they are not opposed to 'stem' cell research when what they mean is adult stem cell research and intentionally confusing reproductive cloning with cloning for research. Wesley--stones, glass houses, c'mon now! - Art Caplan