Repeal of Thimerosal Rider under Omnibus Approriations Bill Thu, 20 Feb 2003 Congress has acted! On Valentine’s Day, Congress passed the Omnibus Appropriation Act, repealing the thimerosal protection rider that had been slipped into Homeland Security Act. Vaccine manufacturers are no longer protected from liability. Parents may exercise their right…
Research Protection: SCIENCE / Fed Paper Mon, 28 Oct 2002 SCIENCE magazine (below) reported about “the bumpy road” of Dr. Greg Koski’s tenure as director of the federal Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP), and how his resignation is being perceived by some. An article in The FEDERAL PAPER focused…
July 25, 2002 US Drug Usage Explodes_327% increase in Children FYI The National Center for Health Statistics analyzed data gathered by the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (office-based physicians’ data). The findings: Drug prescriptions increased 34% between 1985-1999; Psychiatrists had the largest increase in drug mentions, jumping to 178 drugs…
August 20b, 2001 The Scientist News reports on AHRP as New Advocacy Group to Police Human Research A group of patient and social justice advocates plan to form an Alliance for Human Research Protection to provide oversight on clinical research from laypersons’ point of view, says John H. Noble Jr.,…
Smallpox Vaccine Reactions Jolt Experts – WashPost Thu, 5 Dec 2002 The Washington Post reports that even experts conducting clinical trials of the smallpox vaccine found the side effects “startling”: “If Bush moves forward with vaccination, Dr. Kathy Edwards the Vanderbilt University physician overseeing the study, warns doctors to expect…
Guardian Reports: MHRA to Issue New SSRI Restrictions Mon, 14 Jun 2004 The Guardian reports that the British Committee on safety and Medicines, which was first to issue warnings about the potential suicidal risk for children prescribed an antidepressant of the SSRI class, are now about to issue similar warnings…
FDA Is Flexing Less Muscle where Safety is the Issue – Wash Post Thu, 18 Nov 2004 The Washington Post examines FDA’s record of surveillance and the evidence is clear: since 1992 when Congress required drug companies to pay users fees to the FDA, the agency’s focus changed from safety…
“Profits” / “Prophets”_NYT Editorial: Industry Distortion of the F.D.A. Wed, 8 Dec 2004 A White House transcript of President Bush’s speech at the Christmas tree lighting on Thursday: “We think of the patient hope of men and women across the centuries who listened to the words of the profits and…
Consumers Union launches “Prescription for Change” drug information Campaign Mon, 13 Dec 2004 The Alliance for Human Research Protection applauds Consumers Union for joining and amplifying our efforts to promote open access and full disclosure of research information affecting the health and welfare of consumers young and old. Specifically, Consumers…
US Research Community May Take Lessons in Medical Ethics from Cambodian Prostitutes Thu, 12 Aug 2004 The US medical research community may have to take lessons in medical ethics from Cambodian prostitutes. A clinical trial to test a drug used to treat HIV, Viread, for the prevention of AIDS, was…
Meta-Analysis: Efficacy & Safety of Antidepressants for Children – Brit Medical Journal Sat, 10 Apr 2004 As news of skyrocketing prescribing of antidepressants for children–especially in preschool children–hit the news waves around the world, a major meta-analysis of the 5 published pediatric antidepressant studies was published in the British Medical…
More than 100 top regulatory officials represented industry as lobbyists, lawyers… – Denver Post Mon, 24 May 2004 To understand why government policies affecting healthcare, drug safety, food safety and the environment appear to promote industry interests at the expense of public safety and health, the Denver Post has investigated…
