Five more fake journals produced by pharma

This is old news, but hey, I’m traveling. I posted about the first fake journal that was discovered here.

From Forbes:

Elsevier, the publisher of some of the top medical journals in the world, said Thursday an Australian unit contracted with drugmakers to publish what appeared to be medical journals that didn’t disclose who had paid for them.

Those publications included one titled The Australasian Journal of Bone and Joint Medicine, which heavily favored Merck & Co.’s osteoporosis drug Fosamax and the painkiller Vioxx. The journal was in fact sponsored by drugmaker Merck, though the Elsevier unit never properly disclosed the sponsorship.

Elsevier publishes medical and scientific journals, including the Lancet. It also contracts with drugmakers to print compilations of medical articles on their drugs, but the sponsor of the compilation is supposed to be clearly spelled out.

Elsevier Chief Executive Michael Hansen, in a statement, said between 2000 and 2005, the company’s Australia office published a series of sponsored articles that were made to look like journals and lacked proper disclosure.

“This was an unacceptable practice and we regret that it took place,” he said.

In all, the company has acknowledged six publications between the years in question, that were paid for by pharmaceutical companies, making them no more than elaborate marketing tools.

My lord is all I’m going to say…I’m wasted and need to go to bed!!