I have seen movies and read articles where the Pharma industry (and according to “guilt by association” also the biotech industry) is described as any thing else but ethical with the sole interest of making as much money as fast as possible, and little regard is taken to the well being of animals and humans or to the environment.
Academic researchers on the other hand, are more often than not described as hard working men (and sometimes women) with a mission. They have high moral standards and are not driven by Mammon, but by a will to do Good.
Is this true? Are there two different breeds of life science researchers, one profit-hungry and one with a calling? Of course not!
As any other company out there, also the Pharma industry has to survive in the global world of economics. It is somehow ok for Volvo to make money, but not for AstraZeneca. But of course you say; “Volvo makes safe cars, whereas AstraZeneca profit on the weak and needy”.
Stop a moment and let’s think about this for a while. Does the man in the street really think it is more ok to make environmental hazardous cars, but not to make medicines that save peoples life? Because that is exactly what the Pharma and biotech industry does – invent pills and gadgets to save peoples life!
Having said this, I don’t state that people working in the industry are all Good, but neither is people in academia – there are black sheep in all families, period.
Contrary to the academia though, the life science industry has, in an effort to minimize the risk of any wrong doing and setting the standards for good practice, finalized a project called “From GMP to GBP: fostering Good Bioethical Practices among European Biotechnology Industry”. Within this project, representatives from the industry have discussed different issues with lawyers and ethics experts. The end product will be a bioethical guideline for the industry and recommendations to the European legislators.
In addition, the life science industry has via their industry organisations, updated their Core Ethical Values. This document is an important statement from the industry, where its principles are laid down. I am still waiting for such a statement from the academic world, as ethics should not solely be a matter for the “profit-hungry” industry.