Incentives to Pharma Companies but Health Care Leaders Voice Doubts on Smallpox Inoculations Thu, 30 Jan 2003 The New York Times reports (below) that serious doubts about the president’s smallpox vaccination plan emerged at a Senate hearing Wednesday. The Washington Post reports (below) that "The hearing illustrated the growing tensions…
Drug Companies Move Trials Outside the US Tue, 17 May 2005 Unless the FDA cracks down by enforcing safety and scientific standards in clinical trials, the drug industry is moving its drug trials out of any regulatory oversight. USA Today reports that 50% of trials sponsored by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals were…
In the UK & Canada, but NOT in the US Eli Lilly Warns about Zyprexa Lethal Side Effect – Psych News Fri, 15 Apr 2005 European and Canadian doctors have been warned since September 2004 that patients prescribed the injectable form of Zyprexa (olanzapine) were at risk of lethal side…
Pfizer Acknowledges It Failed to Reveal Celebrex cardiac risk found in 1999 trial Tue, 1 Feb 2005 The New York Times reports: “Responding to the Vioxx withdrawal [Sept. 30, 2004], Pfizer said in October that no completed study had ever shown any increased heart risks related to Celebrex. Then, in…
Published Clinical Trials Contradict Claimed Benefits – Front Page Pill Pushers Tue Aug 16, 2005 Two items from the BMJ A systemic review of 22 randomized clinical trials of Alzheimer’s disease treatments in the BMJ found the studies to have suffered from flawed methodology and to have revealed that commonly…
New Evidence Uncovered About AIDS Drug/Vaccine Experiments on Foster Care Infants & Children Thu, 1 Sep 2005 A moral controversy is spiraling as additional evidence is uncovered about the use of infants and children in foster care as experimental subjects of Phase I and II trials of AIDS drugs, vaccines,…
Marcia Angell: The Body Hunters & The Constant Gardner Mon, 19 Sep 2005 Marcia Angell’s insightful and informative review of the film and John le Carre’s book, The Constant Gardner, needs no additional commentary: "On the basis of the research I did for my book I believe that most of…
Are SSRIs and Atypical Antidepressants Safe / Effective for Children / Adolescents/ Neonates? Wed, 2 Mar 2005 The American psychiatric establishment continues to operate within a “head in the sand” culture of denial when confronted with compelling evidence that has been scientifically replicated showing that their prescribing of antidepressants for…
FDA Official Calls Newsletter Unethical – WP / Senate Considers Safety Reform at FDA – LAT Fri, 4 Mar 2005 The Washington Post reports about yet another instance of a high FDA official who misspoke. Dr. Sandra Kweder, Deputy Director of FDA’s Office of New Drugs, sent a letter, “written…
Prescription: Suicide? – A Documentary Film about a 12 year old child prescribed Zoloft Sat, 15 Oct 2005 Prescription: Suicide? is a documentary film about Candace Legh Downing, a 12-year old girl who was anxious about certain school tests. A child psychiatrist prescribed the antidepressant, Zolfot, and soon after she…
Pharma’s Pervasive Influence Corrupts Medicine both sides of Atlantic Tue, 4 Oct 2005 The focus of criticism in medicine has shifted from cost and barriers to access to treatments to an examination of the safety and benefit of current treatments. The pharmaceutical industry’s corrupting influence on physicians, academic researchers, the…
Prescriptions for antidepressant declined 10% Thu, 13 May 2004 The controversy over the safety of antidepressant drugs is broadening. The Newark Star Ledger reports a drop in antidepressant prescriptions since the Feb 2 FDA advisory committee meeting. Disclosure of long concealed evidence about the severe adverse drug effects–as well as…
