Trial Lawyers Are Taking Aim at the Drug Industry_NYT

Trial Lawyers Are Taking Aim at the Drug Industry_NYT Sun, 18 May 2003 It appears that trial lawyers will produce the results that government oversight agencies–in particular, the FDA–have failed to do. Namely, to protect the public against an increasing number of unsafe drugs. The pharmaceutical industry whose efforts to…

"Schizophrenia Digest" Canadian magazine

“Schizophrenia Digest” Canadian magazine Tue, 3 Jun 2003 Behold the new marketing promo in the guise of “Inspiration and information”….”Schizophrenia Digest” is touted as a magazine directed at schizophrenia patients and families. The publisher, William J. MacPhee, who claims he is taking an antipsychotic, says, “My personal philosophy is that…

Smallpox vaccine: Experts Urge Caution, Administration Pushes Hard

Smallpox vaccine: Experts Urge Caution, Administration Pushes Hard Sat, 29 Mar 2003 In our earlier Infomail today, the focus was on the Administration’s difficulty in recruiting volunteers for the anthrax vaccine trial. This Infomail focuses on the determined push to implement the smallpox vaccine program, despite the advice of medical…

Soldier’s Death Tied to Vaccines / Experimental Ebola vaccine attracts no volunteers

Soldier’s Death Tied to Vaccines / Experimental Ebola vaccine attracts no volunteers Wed, 19 Nov 2003 Two civilian medical panels that looked into the death of 22-year old Army reservist, Rachel Lacy, agreed that the death was “probably” or “possibly” an adverse reaction to a vaccine. Since Specialist Lacy had…

SSRI’s found to adversely affect newborns during first days of life

SSRI’s found to adversely affect newborns during first days of life Sat, 26 Jul 2003 Doctors prescribing antidepressant drugs (SSRIs) to pregnant women may be faced with liability claims, as these drugs are shown to adversely affect unborn and newborn babies’ central nervous system A new report in the Archives…

Fuzzy ethics of nonlethal chemical weapons_Christian Science Monitor

Fuzzy ethics of nonlethal chemical weapons_Christian Science Monitor Sun, 16 Feb 2003 ON February 5, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and General Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the House Armed Services Committee the US was prepared to use chemical incapacitants in a war with Iraq. (An audio…

Hormone Replacement "Bombshell" is Not and isolated incident

Hormone Replacement “Bombshell” is Not and isolated incident Wednesday, July 10, 2002 Until a “bombshell” study overturned hormone replacement treatment (HRT), Premarin was the most prescribed drug in U.S. in the last decade (45 million Rx in 2001) and Prempro the most prescribed estrongen / progesterone combination (22 million Rx…

3 Questionable FDA policies: drug factory inspection rules/ clinical trials/ Paxil ads

Three Questionable FDA policies: drug factory inspection rules/ clinical trials/ Paxil ads Thu, 22 Aug 2002 Three news items highlight questionable FDA policies that are in conflict with consumer health interests. 1) Poor quality control standards in American drug and vaccine manufacturing plants is a disgrace. The Associated Press reports…

Research at US Veterans Hospitals Nationwide Under Investigation_NYT

Research at US Veterans Hospitals Nationwide Under Investigation_NYT Sun, 13 Apr 2003 Veterans returning from service in the military deserve better than the medical care that awaits them at the nation’s Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers. The Associated Press reported on Friday, April 11, that a study shows that patients…

FDA Anthrax vaccine documents show pentagon lied

FDA Anthrax vaccine documents show pentagon lied Mon, 11 Oct 2004 “A former Dover Air Force Base commander says military officials used his troops as guinea pigs in illegal medical experiments under the government’s controversial anthrax vaccination program.” “Government officials have acknowledged that the Department of Defense secretly tested squalene…