Scientists launch center to combat corporate-driven disease epidemic, citing decades of industry manipulation
By ljdevon // 2025-01-27
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  • A new Center to End Corporate Harm at UC San Francisco aims to tackle the global rise in chronic diseases linked to pollution and harmful products.
  • Industries such as fossil fuels, plastics, tobacco, and ultra-processed foods are blamed for rigging regulations and manipulating science to prioritize profit over public health.
  • The center will collaborate with the UCSF Industry Documents Library, leveraging decades of internal corporate records to expose industry tactics and hold corporations accountable.

The scope of the problem of industry corruption over regulatory agencies

In a bold move to address what they call an “industrial epidemic of disease,” a coalition of scientists has launched the Center to End Corporate Harm at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). The center, which officially launched this month, seeks to counter the influence of industries that produce health-harming products, including fossil fuels, plastics, tobacco, and ultra-processed foods. These industries, researchers argue, have systematically manipulated science and regulations for decades, contributing to a global surge in chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and dementia. “Industries that produce health-harming products have waged a decades-long assault on government regulatory agencies and policymaking to rig rules in their favor at the expense of public health,” the center states on its website. “At the same time, these health-harming products have contributed to a rise in chronic disease. We are working to change that.” The center’s researchers point to alarming statistics: products tied to industries like fossil fuels, chemicals, alcohol, and ultra-processed foods are responsible for approximately one in three deaths worldwide. In the U.S., chronic diseases linked to these industries have skyrocketed over the past few decades, with cancer rates increasing by 175%, diabetes by 283%, Parkinson’s disease by 133%, and dementias by 75%. “The increase in many chronic diseases is the manifestation of a global economic system that prioritizes products and profit over health, and it is producing an industrial epidemic of disease,” said Tracey Woodruff, director of the new center and the UCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE). Woodruff and her colleagues argue that industries have followed a playbook pioneered by Big Tobacco: deny health harms, manipulate science, and deceive the public about risks. “Most health-harming industries have taken a page from Big Tobacco’s playbook – deny health harms, manipulate science and regulatory bodies, and lie to the public about the real risks and costs,” said Pamela Ling, MD, MPH, who leads the UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research & Education.

Finally! A collaborative effort to expose industry tactics

The Center to End Corporate Harm brings together scientists, researchers, and physicians from across UCSF, as well as collaborators from the University of Colorado and the University of Sydney. A key resource for the center is the UCSF Industry Documents Library, a vast archive of millions of internal corporate documents from industries such as tobacco, chemicals, food, and fossil fuels. These documents have been instrumental in exposing how corporations have influenced science and policy to their advantage. “Time and again health-harming industries have lied about their products, hiding the harms from the public and regulators,” said Nicholas Chartres, PhD, lead scientific advisor to the new center. “Now, many of these industries are, collectively, the leading cause of death and disease globally.” The center’s work will focus on several key areas: • Exposing financial ties and lobbying efforts that influence science and policy. • Researching industry tactics that undermine public health regulations. • Developing strategies to counter the destructive influence of “polluters and poisoners.”

Historical context and the path forward

The launch of the center comes at a critical juncture, as public health experts increasingly link the rise in chronic diseases to environmental and industrial factors. For decades, industries have used their financial clout to shape regulations and suppress scientific evidence of harm. For example, the tobacco industry’s decades-long campaign to downplay the risks of smoking has been well-documented, but similar tactics have been employed by other industries, including fossil fuels and food manufacturers. “Research tracking health-harming industries has proven critical for understanding why people overeat ultra-processed foods, leading to rising rates of obesity and cardiometabolic disease globally,” said Laura Schmidt, PhD, a researcher at UCSF who has documented how the tobacco industry influenced the food industry. The center’s efforts build on past successes in holding industries accountable. For instance, public health campaigns against tobacco have significantly reduced smoking rates, though challenges remain as tobacco companies pivot to e-cigarettes and vaping products. As the center begins its work, its researchers hope to galvanize public support and push for systemic changes that prioritize health over corporate profits. In a world where chronic diseases are increasingly tied to industrial practices, the center’s mission is not just timely — it is imperative. Sources include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org TheNewLede.org PRHEUCSF.blog
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