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…
Letter from David Healy, MD to Peter J. Pitts Executive Summary of suicidal evidence not addressed by FDA In the light of Traci Johnson’s death on February 7th 2004, will FDA obtain Pfizer’s entire folder on the 1982 Hindmarch study in which healthy volunteers were given Zoloft, and make a…
Drug Companies are Outsourcing Drug Trials – WP Wed, 4 May 2005 The Washington Post reports that a study by Tufts has found a drop in the number of pharmaceutical company sponsored drug trials. Fewer new drug applications are being submitted to the FDA, and there has been a drop…
Antidepressants Pregnancy Risk: Babies Adversely Affected Sat, 5 Feb 2005 Thanks to the BBC 3-part Panorama series (beginning October 2002), it is no longer a secret that coming off SSRI antidepressants can cause serious symptoms of withdrawal in some users. Christopher Pittman is on trial for killing his grandparents while…
Cholesterol lowering drug, Crestor Linked to Patient Death Tue, 11 Jan 2005 Crestor, a highly advertised cholesterol-lowering drug in the statin class–as was Bayer’s drug Baycol, which was withdrawn from market after 30 patients died of rhabdomyolysis (breakdown of skeletal muscle fibers), has been linked to a patient’s death. “AstraZeneca…
“The scariest thing is that nobody knows” risks of depression drugs for children Mon, 10 May 2004 Forest Laboratories, manufacturer of the antidepressant, Celexa / Lexapro, is the latest manufacturer to issue warnings (April 2004) about the possibility that “patients with major depressive disorder, both adult and pediatric, may experience…
Member of UK Parliament Accuses Drugs Giant of ‘Voodoo Medicine’ – Scotsman Wed, 25 Feb 2004 Paul Flynn, Member of UK Parliament raised the antidepressant drug scandal in Parliament, focusing on the British drug manufacturer giant, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). “The Seroxat [Paxil] scandal is one of gigantic proportions that affects millions…
Paxil induced suicides in US quantified_Glaxo Faces criminal action in UK over “suicide” pills_Times Mon, 7 Jun Law enforcement is finally catching up with drug companies who, for years, concealed evidence of a drug-related suicide risk for some children and adults who take an antidepressant. The law requires the companies…
ACNP Summary Report Criticized as “Junk Science” Sun, 25 Jan 2004 related links: Reply to ACNP Report – Jonathan Leo, Ph.D. FDA Sham Conflicts of Interest Policy Most of the National press coverage of the controversy swirling around the claims and counter claims about drug suicidal obsessive thinking and behavior…
Psychiatry and Preschoolers Tue, 1 Jul 2003 There was a time that doctors followed the precautionary “do no harm” principle when prescribing drugs. But the practice of medicine has changed radically as physicians have increasingly become financially tied to the pharmaceutical industry. Among psychiatrists it is difficult to find one…
Infomail 2005 News Stories on Human Research Protection and Commentary by Vera Hassner Sharav Subscribe to the AHRP infomail list Dec 16: Drugs, Devices & Doctors – NYT Paul Krugman Dec 11: Scientific Fraud & Corruption on Both sides of Atlantic: Merck / Proctor & Gamble Dec 11: Gov Accountability…
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…
