This includes GlaxoSmithKline, spending nearly £6.5 billion of its profits on marketing, with around half that spent on research. And it’s not just billboard or newspaper ads – marketing budgets can include buttering up GPs with food, drink, and even lap-dances. It turns out that UK pharma routinely violates marketing regulations, with around 600 violations between 2004 and 2012 – around one a week – with 20% of those cases judged severe. And over half of these dubious practices related to drugs with a lack of medical evidence.

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