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…
Infomail 2004 News Stories on Human Research Protection and Commentary by Vera Hassner Sharav Dec 31: FDA to review “missing” drug company documents Dec 30: Family of Woman Killed by AIDS Drug Test Sues Doctors, Manufacturer Dec 30: Doctors, Too, Ask: Is This Drug Right? Dec 29: Bill would shield…
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…
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…
Additional information as of late Wed Oct 19: Although I was assured that attendance for a presentation by Dr. David Healy (at Columbia University School of Public Health on Oct. 20 at 12:30) would be open to the public, a problem seems to have emerged after an AHRP Infomail about…
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…
FDA Foot Dragging – Three Months After Expert Panel Urged “Black Box” Warnings for Antidepressants, No Action Thu, 23 Dec 2004 Why is the FDA failing to enforce the "Black Box" warnings on SSRI antidepressant drug labels? When questioned by the NJ Star Ledger, Robert Temple, director of the FDA’s…
Antidepressant drug induced Suicides: Evidence of “Iceberg effect” Revealed Thu, 10 Jun 2004 Canada West reports today: “At least five teenagers in Canada have died, four of suicide, while being treated with the most widely prescribed antidepressants in Canada and at least 100 other children as young as 18 months…
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….
Doctor Tells Pfizer Sales Rep who promoted Celebrex: “Have You No Shame?” Sun, 26 Dec 2004 An opinion piece by Dr. Marc Siegel, an internist and professor at New York University School of Medicine, expresses the anger and dismay many physicians in the US feel about having been misled by…
How Pharma Took Over Medicine: Research and Practice – BMJ / NYT Fri, 3 Jan 2003 In today’s New York Times Dr. Erin Marcus writes: “Medicines aren’t like shampoo or perfume.” But they’re being hawked on TV as if they were just another ‘enhancer’–when in fact, they come with glossed…
FDA Smoke & Mirrors Musical Chairs Wed, 16 Feb 2005 Amidst widespread public criticism of the FDA’s role as facilitators in the marketing of lethal drugs that killed thousands of people, the Administration made several announcements incorporating terminology (such as: “we’re in an era of openness” “transparency”). But politically correct…
