Five biases of new technologies

Back in 1983, I wrote a monograph (never published) called 'No Such Thing as a Free Lunch', which sought to expose the biases inherent in drug company-sponsored research and the hard-sell marketing of drugs to doctors. 1,2 Over the subsequent three decades, we have seen a steady realisation by the profession that bias in drug trials and drug marketing is a real, widespread, and sinister phenomenon. While the battle to eliminate bias in the drug industry is far from over, the field is now at a stage where the problems are understood, a governance infrastructure exists, and a strong and well-organised counter-lobby cries foul every time the industry makes a claim it cannot fully substantiate.