MA

Marcia Angell

40quotes

Marcia Angell


#### Full Name and Common Aliases
Marcia Angell is a renowned American physician, writer, and critic of the pharmaceutical industry.

Birth and Death Dates


Born on August 20, 1937, in New York City, USA. Still active today, there are no reported death dates.

Nationality and Profession(s)


Marcia Angell is an American citizen and has worked as a physician, writer, and editor throughout her career. She held various positions, including:

Editor-in-Chief of the New England Journal of Medicine (1988-2000)
 Executive Director of the World Health Organization's Programme on Substance Abuse (1979-1986)

Early Life and Background


Marcia Angell grew up in a family that valued education. She developed an interest in medicine early on, which led her to pursue a career as a physician. Angell attended Wellesley College, where she earned her undergraduate degree in 1958. She then received her medical degree from the Harvard Medical School in 1962.

Major Accomplishments


During her tenure at the New England Journal of Medicine, Marcia Angell played a crucial role in shaping the publication's editorial direction. Under her leadership, the journal became known for its rigorous scientific standards and fearless criticism of the pharmaceutical industry. One notable example is her 2000 essay, "Is Academic Medicine Worth It?" which sparked debate about the ethics of pharmaceutical company influence on medical research.

Notable Works or Actions


Some of Marcia Angell's most significant contributions include:

Criticizing the pharmaceutical industry for prioritizing profits over public health in her book, "The Truth About the Drug Companies" (2004)
 Advocating for stricter regulations on prescription drug marketing and sales practices
* Serving as a vocal critic of the medical industry's handling of issues like opioid addiction and overprescription

Impact and Legacy


Marcia Angell has had a profound impact on the world of medicine, ethics, and public health. Her tireless advocacy and influential writings have shaped debates about pharmaceutical company accountability, medical research integrity, and healthcare policy. As a result of her efforts, many organizations and policymakers have reevaluated their approaches to addressing pressing public health issues.

Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered


Marcia Angell is widely quoted for her insightful critiques of the pharmaceutical industry's practices and their consequences on public health. Her work has earned recognition as a leading voice in the medical community, drawing attention from policymakers, researchers, and patients alike.

Quotes by Marcia Angell

There is something so biologically implausible that your attitude is going to cure a disease. There's a tremendous arrogance to imagine that your mind is all that powerful.
"
There is something so biologically implausible that your attitude is going to cure a disease. There's a tremendous arrogance to imagine that your mind is all that powerful.
MA
Health care is a need; it’s not a commodity, and it should be distributed according to need. If you’re very sick, you should have a lot of it. If you’re not sick, you shouldn’t have a lot of it.
"
Health care is a need; it’s not a commodity, and it should be distributed according to need. If you’re very sick, you should have a lot of it. If you’re not sick, you shouldn’t have a lot of it.
MA
In economic terms, health care is a highly successful industry – profitable, growing, and virtually recession-proof – but it’s a massive burden on the rest of the economy.
"
In economic terms, health care is a highly successful industry – profitable, growing, and virtually recession-proof – but it’s a massive burden on the rest of the economy.
MA
You see that the people who are drawn to alternative medicine are often fairly healthy and they go to alternative medicine for what I call the ‘symptoms of life.’ Fatigue, joint pains, inability to concentrate, perhaps, the kinds of things that anyone over twenty-five gets at some point.
"
You see that the people who are drawn to alternative medicine are often fairly healthy and they go to alternative medicine for what I call the ‘symptoms of life.’ Fatigue, joint pains, inability to concentrate, perhaps, the kinds of things that anyone over twenty-five gets at some point.
MA
The pharmaceutical industry isn’t the only place where there’s waste and inefficiency and profiteering. That happens in much of the rest of the health care industry.
"
The pharmaceutical industry isn’t the only place where there’s waste and inefficiency and profiteering. That happens in much of the rest of the health care industry.
MA
Why should anyone – the state, the medical profession, or anyone else – presume to tell someone else how much suffering they must endure as their life is ending?
"
Why should anyone – the state, the medical profession, or anyone else – presume to tell someone else how much suffering they must endure as their life is ending?
MA
It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines. I take no pleasure in this conclusion, which I reached slowly and reluctantly over my two decades as an editor of The New England Journal of Medicine.
"
It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines. I take no pleasure in this conclusion, which I reached slowly and reluctantly over my two decades as an editor of The New England Journal of Medicine.
MA
#editors
Over the past two decades the pharmaceutical industry has moved very far from its original high purpose of discovering and producing useful new drugs. Now primarily a marketing machine to sell drugs of dubious benefit, this industry uses its wealth and power to co-opt every institution that might stand in its way, including the US Congress, the FDA, academic medical centers, and the medical profession itself.
"
Over the past two decades the pharmaceutical industry has moved very far from its original high purpose of discovering and producing useful new drugs. Now primarily a marketing machine to sell drugs of dubious benefit, this industry uses its wealth and power to co-opt every institution that might stand in its way, including the US Congress, the FDA, academic medical centers, and the medical profession itself.
MA
#past
Consider the clinicaltrials by which drugs are tested in human subjects.5 Before a new drug can enter the market, its manufacturer must sponsor clinicaltrials to show the Food and Drug Administration that the drug is safe and effective, usually as compared with a placebo or dummy pill. The results of all the trials (there may be many) are submitted to the FDA, and if one or two trials are positive—that is, they show effectiveness without serious risk—the drug is usually approved, even if all the other trials are negative.
"
Consider the clinicaltrials by which drugs are tested in human subjects.5 Before a new drug can enter the market, its manufacturer must sponsor clinicaltrials to show the Food and Drug Administration that the drug is safe and effective, usually as compared with a placebo or dummy pill. The results of all the trials (there may be many) are submitted to the FDA, and if one or two trials are positive—that is, they show effectiveness without serious risk—the drug is usually approved, even if all the other trials are negative.
MA
#two
In economic terms, health care is a highly successful industry - profitable, growing, and virtually recession-proof - but it's a massive burden on the rest of the economy.
"
In economic terms, health care is a highly successful industry - profitable, growing, and virtually recession-proof - but it's a massive burden on the rest of the economy.
MA
#successful
Showing 1 to 10 of 40 results