Since Hair Cloning Hasn’t Happened By Now, Are Statements Made in Years Past Considered Unethical?
Several years ago, Bosley Medical Director and Aderans Executive Vice President Ken Washenik, M.D. declared with supreme confidence that the Aderans hair- multiplication procedure would be available to the public by 2007. As we know, this has not happened.
Simply put, although I fully appreciate that medical science is far from exact, it seems plain to me that these statements were made with the understanding that the predicted timelines were utter fantasy. Thus, I have little choice but to conclude that the statements were made with an eye toward self-interest, to wit, raising the firm’s profile and ultimately soliciting additional investment capital.
My question is this: If a doctor or a medical practice deliberately or recklessly declares the imminence of a cure when it knows or should know that the statement is materially false, should that be considered a breach of medical ethics?
Come on now, I’m sure that he believed that the solution would be at hand in 5 years or so. If a weather man predicted a sunny day tomorrow, and tomorrow came with heavy rain, would you call that unethical behavior? There are limits as to the predictability of the future. In our capitalistic society, the entrepreneur believes that his inventions will work, will take less time than it really takes to develop a marketable product, and he often puts his hard earned savings into that business. Not all businesses succeed, not all ideas work and when they do not, it is the entrepreneur that usually pays the price for it. I am sure that Dr. Washenik was humbled by his failure to predict the timeline for cloning correctly. I personally commend him and Aderans for their persistence in working on the problem.
Don’t bring in the nature of capitalism as justification for bold predications. “Entrepreneurial blind faith” does not have a place in medical research nor medical opinion. Citizens entrust a great deal in the opinions of experts in all fields of research and it is this opinion that is greatly devalued when doctors/experts begin to be influenced by the pressures and deadlines associated with financial results and the ‘bottom line’.
Well said Ryan.
I personally think that turning hair cloning or gene therapy to a permanent hair loss solution will take years. I am 37 and thinning very bad and I know that I am on the same boat like million other hopeless men and women who are loosing their hair and hoping that magical potion. And when a reckless and doctor like Washenik states the cure is around the corner without any proof or evidence, it makes us more vulnerable for empty future promises. I think its just a cheap and dirty way to keep us in the loop. Same thing with George Cotsarelis when he was interviewed in the morning show and stated that they should have a cure in the market within 3 years. So its been 3 years. What do we got???? NOTHING !!!!