"Positioning invented diseases prior to product launch, convincing physicians of ‘unmet needs’, expanding populations eligible for treatment..."

J Med Ethics. 2015 Dec 16. pii: medethics-2015-103131. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2015-103131. [Epub ahead of print]

CME stands for commercial medical education: and ACCME still won't address the issue.

Fugh-Berman A1, Hogenmiller A1.

Author information

• 1Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.

"These exceptions cover just about everything that industry needs from CME, which is important to marketing precisely because it never directly promotes products.3 ,6 ,14–18 Positioning invented diseases prior to product launch, convincing physicians of ‘unmet needs’, expanding populations eligible for treatment (pre-diabetes, pre-hypertension), exaggerating adverse effects of competing therapies, minimising concerns about targeted drugs and identifying ‘emerging’ (ie, unproven or disproven) uses of drugs are all classic ways by which CME is used for marketing. Basic science presentations create buzz about new mechanisms of action—especially important for marketing when a new drug has no actual clinical advantages. And ‘processes/methodologies of research’ talks can be used against evidence-based medicine."