Episode 11 features Paul Offit MD, an international expert in virology and immunology. Dr. Offit is a professor of pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and director of the Vaccine Education Center; he is also the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He chats with PharmedOut about the current measles outbreak, the real risks and benefits of vaccines, RFK Jr., the medical freedom movement, and more.

Additional Resources

Dr. Paul Offit’s Beyond the Noise Substack: https://pauloffit.substack.com/

Autism Science Foundation: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/teams/dr-paul-a-offit/

Dr. Offit’s op-ed “Giving Infectious Diseases a Break?” in thePhiladelphia Citizen: https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/guest-commentary-giving-infectious-diseases-a-break/

Dr. Offit’s open letter to Senator Cassidy about RFK Jr.: https://www.statnews.com/2025/05/07/rfk-jr-kennedy-hhs-secretary-bill-cassidy-measles-epidemic/

“A Boy Who Had Cancer Faces Measles Risk From The Unvaccinated”: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/02/03/383324228/a-boy-who-had-cancer-faces-measles-risk-from-the-unvaccinated#:~:text=To%20Protect%20His%20Son%2C%20A,of%20parents%20refusing%20to%20vaccinate.

Episode 10 highlights examples of how patient advocacy groups influenced pharmaceutical decisions at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In a conversation with health policy researcher, author and activist, Sharon Batt PhD, we explore regulatory decisions on Relyvrio (AMX0035), Avastin (bevacizumab), and Addyi (flibanserin) within the context of our latest report “What Needs to Change at the FDA?Protecting and Advancing Public Health.”

Pharmanipulation is produced by PharmedOut, a project at Georgetown University Medical Center that advances evidence-based prescribing.

Additional Resources

Full Report “What Needs to Change at the FDA? Protecting and Advancing Public Health”: https://georgetown.box.com/s/n87us836fpmdhtcvdaqopyobfwx7bymx

Webinar on “What Needs to Change at the FDA?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g9br3wZW-k&t=11s

Article on “How some drug companies manipulate patient advocates” by Judith Garber: https://lowninstitute.org/how-some-drug-companies-manipulate-patient-advocates/

Episode 9 features a conversation on opioids with Andrew Kolodny MD. Dr. Kolodny is a leading expert on the opioid crisis and serves as President of Health Professionals for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP). We chat about the opioid epidemic in the US over the years, the covert marketing strategies used to sell opioids, and opioid prescribing guidelines.

Pharmanipulation is produced by PharmedOut, a project at Georgetown University Medical Center that advances evidence-based prescribing.

Additional Resources

PROP’s Website: https://www.supportprop.org/

PharmedOut on Opioids: https://sites.google.com/georgetown.edu/pharmedout/advocacy/pharmedout-on-opioids

PharmedOut's Journal Article, “Survey of opioid prescribing among dentists indicates need for more effective education regarding pain management” in Journal of the American Dental Association: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34689958/

“Years into an addiction crisis, a med school lecture still minimized opioid risks” by Ed Silverman for STAT News, link: https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2024/02/07/opioid-addiction-pain-nova-southeastern-university-florida/

Fact sheet on opioid marketing: https://georgetown.app.box.com/s/3fqr4f0nl4jnviwrcxhn6muaxqqptgsx

Summaries of key articles on opioid marketing: https://georgetown.app.box.com/s/xt2rhk3tinq0rqgn9bz2dozm2w4dv84c