AstraZeneca refuses to talk to the press. What are they hiding?

The full story over at Pharmalot.

Ed Silverman finishes his piece with these words directed to AstraZeneca's CEO:

"This episode could yet go away quietly, but it could just as easily wind up as the poster child for distorted industry values. There's a window here to explain company policy, the reasoning behind the recent decisions and a chance to do something no other drugmaker has done amidst several years of scandals - speak plainly about mistakes, motivations and money.

Dave, break the mold and show some leadership in an industry where, by and large, leadership has been lacking. Otherwise, it remains possible that more people may remember the name Mike Zubillaga than any other at AstraZeneca, yours included."

Here are my two cents. I could understand if AstraZeneca wouldn't want to talk to me. But Ed Silverman? He is one of the preeminent pharma reporters in the country. And they refuse to talk to him about the Zube Affair.

Bad move.

What IS AstraZeneca hiding?

Here's what the AstraZeneca reps are thinking on the thread, Utter Hippocrisy:

"What a total hypocrisy….HQ should be ashamed of itself."

"I am glad it was Zube that got canned - he was a tyrant. He sucked upper management so hard that he thought he was untouchable."

"It has always been to get the sale at any cost but dont get caught. Zube got caught."

"Sure we all, excuse me, all of us who are actually sales people, agree with what he said"

"Patients first? Yah that sounds great at meetings, on websites, and in meetings with the media, however that is not who AZ, or anyone else in pharma, is."

"It should be obvious what happened. He didn't get fired for saying what he said. Hell, it was published in an internal newsletter and he kept his job. When it got leaked to the public, he was hung out to dry. If the public didn't get a hold of the statements, he'd still have a job."

"Almost every oncologist in the country is bringing in close to a million a year in salary - why don't they get persecuted for this????"

Refreshing honesty. Perhaps Big Pharma should try that approach?