Suicide Rate Unchanged in 10 Years–JAMA / AMA Considers Stand Against Warning Labels on Antidepressants Thu, 9 Jun 2005 A major report in the Journal of the American Medical Association shatters all claims about the effectiveness of antidepressants as a treatment for the prevention of suicide. A comparison of the…
Drugmakers Go Furthest to Sway Congress: 1,274 Lobbyists – USA Today Tue, 26 Apr 2005 USA Today provides a glimpse into the way the pharmaceutical industry controls health care policy by buying influence at the highest level of government, and underwriting professional and lay healthcare organizations whose spokespersons parrot industry’s…
GSK Sales Reps told NOT to Divulge Paxil Data / Merck Withdraws Vioxx Thu, 30 Sep 2004 The Associated Press reports: “Merck pulled Vioxx after admitting studies showed the drug raised the risk of heart attack. As recently as August, Merck “strongly” disagreed with studies showing the drug increased heart…
How Did the Vioxx Debacle Happen? USA Today / Lancet Tue, 12 Oct 2004 Dr. Eric Topol of the Cleveland Clinic: “The senior executives at Merck and the leadership at the FDA share responsibility for not having taken appropriate action and not recognizing that they are accountable for the public…
Statin-Cholesterol Guidelines–Industry influenced? Wed, 14 Jul 2004 Scientific journal editors are scrambling about how to react to bad publicity emanating from public disclosure that the scientific reports they have published are likely to be biased because the authors’ had financial ties to the companies whose drugs / devices they report…
FDA Underhanded Tactics Against Medical Officer Who Blew the Whistle Mon, 29 Nov 2004 The Food and Drug Administration is the epicenter of a collision between medical officers in the drug safety office and senior officials in managerial positions whose focus is on facilitating new drug approvals. Officials at the…
FDA says it Screened Panelists for Conflicts of Interest Tue, 1 Mar 2005 Bloomberg News reports that the Center for Science in the Public Interest had identified not 10, but 27 panelists on FDA’s advisory panel who had financial ties to drug manufacturers. Last week The New York Times reported…
UK: Drugs firms ‘creating ills for every pill / US ‘Bioshield’ Drug-Patent Plan Draws Fire Mon, 04 Apr 2005 Following the public revelations about the concealed safety hazards of antidepressant drugs whose risks of violence, drug dependency, and suicide, were hidden from physicians and the public, a committee of Parliament…
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…
Drug safety Hearings-Sept-Congress/ FDA – Lilly Plans to Disclose Data Tue, 3 Aug 2004 A hearing about the possible connection between suicide and antidepressant drugs will be held on Aug 4, by the California Senate by Sen. Tom Torkalson, chairman of the Senate Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness…
Drugs, Devices & Doctors – NYT Paul Krugman Fri, 16 Dec 2005 New York Times columnist, Paul Krugman, got it right! The real story behind the crisis at Merck, the Cleveland Clinic, and the medical industrial complex as a whole “is bigger than either the company or the clinic. It’s…
FDA Official Admits ‘Lapses’ on Vioxx – FDA Didn’t Heed Warnings on Dangers of MS Drug Wed, 2 Mar 2005 As the Senate committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions prepares for the second day hearing about FDA’s performance, one hopes that the committee will follow up Tuesday’s hearing with…
