'We Support Evidence Based Medicine'
Prof. Jayney Goddard, President of the Complementary Medical Association
(CMA) writes:
Dear Colleague,
I am writing in response to the article about the new regulations on the
licensing of homoeopathy and the recent media outcry concerning these
regulations. Within the Complementary Association we fully support evidence
based medicine and if you look carefully at the large amount of research
within the homoeopathic environment it is quite clear that there is plenty
of evidence attesting to the efficacy of homoeopathy.
However I would like to draw your attention to the organisation that seems
to be behind the complaint about the regulations concerning homoeopathic
licensing. If you do a quick search on the Internet you will find that
Sense About Science is run by Lord Dick Taverne who has an interesting
background, to say the least.
I had to take some time to research Lord Taverne's background as I appeared
with him on BBC1 quite recently. I was shocked to find that he has been
a long term avid supporter and spokesperson for the pharmaceutical industry.
In the late 1980s Dick Taverne and Roger Liddle founded the consultancy
firm Prima Europe. In 1990 Prima published The case for Biotechnology,
a paper written by Taverne. Liddle and Taverne were joined on Prima's
board in 1996 by Derek Draper. Prima's clients included Unilever, RTZ,
BNFL, and Glaxo Wellcome. In April 1998 Lord Taverne resigned from Prima,
as a result of lobby-firm rules prohibiting employment of sitting MPs
and peers, after its merger with GPC Market Access. GPC's clients included
Pfizer, Novartis and SmithKline Beecham. Three months after Taverne's
departure his former Prima co-directors Derek Draper and Roger Liddle
were at the centre of the 'lobbygate' 'cash for access' scandal, which
was one of the sleaziest episodes in the history of 'New Labour'.
Taverne's position on many things is curious to say the least. When I
met him in the green room at the BBC, the conversation turned to the subject
of global warming. This was just after the hurricane Katrina disaster.
Taverne went to great pains to explain to us all that there was 'no such
thing as global warming'. Furthermore, his position on organic farming
and genetically modified crops is also worth considering. I can only assume
he was being flippant when he said that organic farming 'will be the death
of us all' - well, let's hope that it was a misguided quip, however, it
certainly didn't come across that way.
If this is the man who is behind the recent attacks on homoeopathy which,
by the way, he most unscientifically dismissed as 'mumbo-jumbo' during
a BBC interview, then we need to worry. The problem with Taverne is that
he is well connected, and certainly has the ear of Big Pharma, he also
comes across quite convincingly. However, if you take time to read between
the lines you'll quickly realise that Taverne is not a scientist, never
has been and actually doesn't understand science at all, if we use a definition
of science as follows: Science - systematic knowledge of the physical
or material world gained through observation and experimentation. Taverne
is then, nothing more than a mouthpiece for the pharmaceutical industry.
It is worth noting too that Sense About Science is one of the closest
allies of The Royal Society - who have also been involved in the recent
attacks.
To read more about Taverne and some of the appalling ideas that he is
attempting to propagate, take a look at http://www.gmwatch.org/profile1.asp?PrId=127.
There are many other websites that are also wise to his shenanigans.
All, however, is not lost - it is at this time that I call for all of
CAM to come together in order to protect our profession. It is not a time
to sit on our laurels, after all, homeopathy is just one target for this
man and his cronies. He loathes all CAM, and will, undoubtedly, attack
other branches of CAM in due course. Then again, it might not be anything
personal - after all, he is in the pocket of Big Pharma, and they would
like nothing better that to see their biggest potential competitor blown
out of the water.
The Complementary Medical Association is offering to facilitate a round
table for all who are interested in seeing what we can to - together to
unite and protect our industry. If you would like to know more about this
please contact me at Info@The-CMA.Org.UK and our dialogue and strategic
planning can begin.
Yours faithfully
Professor Jayney Goddard
President, Complementary Medical Association
Web: http://www.The-CMA.Org.UK