FDA reviews depression drugs–Intense or Cautious? WashPost/ NYT/ Herald Wed, 29 Oct 2003 The Washington Post correctly reports: “The association between antidepressants, particularly the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and suicide has been controversial since the first SSRI, Prozac, came on the market in the late 1980s.” But stakeholders in…
FDA Issues Public Health Advisory Entitled Reports Of Suicidality in Pediatric Mon, 27 Oct 2003 The FDA issued a warning about the suicide risk for children prescribed an antidepressant of the SSRI class. These drugs have never been shown to be more effective than placebo for the treatment of depression–which…
Lead author of JAMA article rethinks positive Zoloft report – Guardian Wed, 1 Oct 2003 In August 2003, the Sertraline Pediatric Study Group reported: “Sertraline-treated patients experienced statistically significantly greater improvement than placebo.” Their report was published in the authoritative Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The authors claimed…
Ethics of U Penn surgical “drug implant” experiment Tuesday, October 07 Notwithstanding a legion of prominent bioethicists at major universities such as the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University, researchers at these institutions are not deterred from engaging in high risk human experimentation whose ethics are questionable. One has…
Nazi euthanasia files are made public – BMJ Fri, 17 Oct 2003 Documents pertaining to Nazi euthanasia–i.e., medically approved murder (1939-1944) have been concealed for half a century by the secret service of the former German Democratic Republic. Among the victims targeted for medical murder were mentally and physically disabled…
China Daily update: Harvard genetic research in rural China Wed, 1 Oct 2003 “It’s the responsibility of the dean of the School of Public Health and, ultimately, it’s my responsibility as president of [Harvard] university to see to it that where wrong can be put right it is and, more…
British Government Issues New Warnings Re: Use of antidepressant drugs for children Tue, 23 Sep 2003 related link: U.K. Government Document – New SSRI Warnings for Children In light of evidence from previously unexamined data from controlled clinical trials, the British Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM), an arm of…
Doctor’s Misconduct Left Trail of Broken Lives–A Broken Marriage and a ‘Life Destroyed’ – WashPost Mon, 29 Sep 2003 “I basically lost everything. And my kids? Well, who knows what the long-term damage might be.” A riveting, detailed, two part report in the Washington Post (Sunday, September 28) describes a…
FDA approves Paxil for Premenstrual cramps Wed, 3 Sep 2003 On September 2, the FDA approved Paxil (Seroxat) for yet another newly invented “condition.” Inasmuch as those most likely to complain about premenstrual discomfort which has been labeled, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)–are likely to be pubescent girls, FDA’s approval is…
Babies given mind altering drugs in Florida / 68 Paxil Withdrawal Victims File Lawsuit Wed, 24 Sep 2003 The serious problems that children in foster care have, are compounded by the scourge of psychotropic drugs which they are forced to take. The Miami Herald reports that the Florida Statewide Advocacy…
Medicare Rx Drug Bill Shaped by Drug Industry Blocks Elderly Bargaining Power – NYT Fri, 5 Sep 2003 A drug industry lobbyist is quoted in The New York Times stating: “Having both houses of Congress Republican-controlled was great. Like in Monopoly, when you get to add hotels.” The Medicare prescription…
Wyeth Pharma Warns Doctors Against Rx Effexor to Kids Tue, 2 Sep 2003 View Wyeth Warning Letter The Hartford Courant reports that the latest warning against prescribing an antidepressant drug for children comes from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, makers of Effexor, a drug just like Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil–a class known as…
