GSK Sales Reps told NOT to Divulge Paxil Data / Merck Withdraws Vioxx Thu, 30 Sep 2004 The Associated Press reports: “Merck pulled Vioxx after admitting studies showed the drug raised the risk of heart attack. As recently as August, Merck “strongly” disagreed with studies showing the drug increased heart…
Antipsychotic Drug Use Doubled since 1996 in Tennessee Children – Why? Thu, 2 Sep 2004 A Vanderbilt University study found that the use of antipsychotic drugs has doubled among poor children in Tennessee. “The increase, seen largely among children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder and affective disorders such…
Black Box Warnings for Antidepressants – What’s Next? Thu, 16 Sep 2004 NY TIMES Quotations of the Day: A. “I think that we now all believe that there is an increase in suicidal thinking and action that is consistent across all the drugs.” Dr. ROBERT TEMPLE, of the Food and…
Warning-Caution – Antidepressant Dilemma – NYT Magazine Mon, 22 Nov 2004 Tolstoy wisely observed: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Suicide is the ultimate tragedy affecting a family; the circumstances surrounding one person’s suicide are not transferable. The cover of Sunday’s New…
Prescription Drug Industfry: The Insiders – AARP Bulletin Wed, 10 Nov 2004 Three pharmaceutical industry insiders blow the whistle in one of the most important articles you’ll ever read about the unethical marketing of prescription drugs. Peter Rost, M.D, a top marketing executive at Pfizer, Arthur Kuebel, a salesman who…
VIOXX WITHDRAWAL: FDA TO JOIN AUDIO CONFERENCE ON NOVEMBER 10 Mon, 8 Nov 2004 To hear from FDA Office of New Drugs Acting Director Sandra Kweder, MD, in an interactive discussion of what the withdrawal of the blockbuster drug means for the agencys drug safety programs, the COX-2 inhibitor class…
EPA Suspends Study on Kids And Pesticides Wed, 10 Nov 2004 Good News!! We are gratified to inform you that the EPA has suspended a pesticide experiment in which would have exposed 60 babies to the hazards of pesticides – rather than educating the public about the hazards pesticides pose…
US Gov Pesticide Exposure Experiments: Target Children–$970 per child – Wash Post Wed, 3 Nov 2004 The Washington Post reports (below) that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans to enroll 60 young children in Duval County, Florida – infants to age 3 – exposing them to pesticides to study…
Daniel Troy Legacy: Public Virtually Defenseless against Unsafe Drugs Thu, 18 Nov 2004 The Associated Press reports that at a Congressional hearing today, Dr. David Graham a drug safety expert at the FDA told the Senate Finance Committee that the public is “virtually defenseless” if another medication such as Vioxx…
Bush’s plan to screen for mental health meets opposition in Illinois – British Med J Fri, 5 Nov 2004 The New Freedom Commission recommendation calling for government screening the entire nation for mental illness, beginning with America’s 52 million children, is backfiring. The recommendation runs contrary to freely made health…
Medicare Will cover New Treatments But Patients Will be Required to Enroll in Clinical Trials Fri, 5 Nov 2004 Dr. Mark McClellan, Director of Medicare, estimates that of Medicare’s $320 billion budget, “a third of all medical expenditures are for unnecessary or ill-advised treatments.” Medicare’s chief medical officer, Dr. Sean…
FDA Underhanded Tactics Against Medical Officer Who Blew the Whistle Mon, 29 Nov 2004 The Food and Drug Administration is the epicenter of a collision between medical officers in the drug safety office and senior officials in managerial positions whose focus is on facilitating new drug approvals. Officials at the…
