AMA Serves Pharma Marketing Priority/ FDA To Add Warnings on ADHD drugs–Concerta, Ritalin, Strattera, Adderall

AMA Serves Pharma Marketing Priority/ FDA To Add Warnings on ADHD drugs–Concerta, Ritalin, Strattera, Adderall Wed, 29 Jun 2005 The FDA is finally taking note of the fact that many drugs prescribed for the treatment of psychiatric problems are CAUSING serious psychiatric and cardiovascular problems in children and adolescents !…

Cash Interests Taint Drug Advice – NATURE / Death a Risk of Antipsychotics – AP

Cash Interests Taint Drug Advice – NATURE / Death a Risk of Antipsychotics – AP Sun, 23 Oct 2005 An investigation by the journal, NATURE (the largest of its kind) reveals that not only do conflicts of interest taint the conduct and outcome of clinical trials, the authors who formulate…

Pfizer Admits Guilt in Promotion of Neurontin–Agrees to Pay $430 Million

Pfizer Admits Guilt in Promotion of Neurontin–Agrees to Pay $430 Million Sun, 16 May 2004 A lawsuit initiated by Dr. David Franklin, a whistleblower, has been settled: Pfizer pleaded guilty to criminal fraud in the promotion of Neurontin, and agreed to pay $430 million. This case is but an example…

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…

Just Say No – Forbes

Just Say No – Forbes Tue, 16 Nov 2004 When Mrs. Nancy Reagan coined the phrase, Just Say No, she was referring to illicit drug pushers. The current Forbes cover story–Just Say No–refers to the prescription drug industry. "In a perverse kind of symbiosis, the cascade of disease and medical…

"Black Hole" of medical research–Negative Results Don’t get Published – JAMA, WSJ

“Black Hole” of medical research–Negative Results Don’t get Published – JAMA, WSJ Sat, 5 Jun 2004 “No one likes bad news. But in science, there is an ethical imperative to publish research, even if the findings aren’t what the researcher had hoped for.” The New York Times, which tends to…

NIH sponsored hypertension trial incites controversy: COI

NIH sponsored hypertension trial incites controversy: COI Thu, 21 Nov 2002 Controversy has erupted around the research disclosure process of a government sponsored, clinical trial that gave drug companies the manuscript of the report 30 days prior to its submission for publication in the Journal of the American Medical Association….

Sen Grassley Expands Investigation – Why did FDA approve Vioxx for Children???

Sen Grassley Expands Investigation – Why did FDA approve Vioxx for Children??? Mon, 18 Oct 2004 The Financial Times of London and The Washington Post report that the Senate Finance Committee is expanding its probe of the FDA and its cosy relationship with drug manufacturers. The Vioxx debacle is but…