SAMHSA Backs Away From TeenScreen & TMAP Mon, 24 Oct 2005 On October 17, a meeting took place with Charles Currie in Washington DC – with some in attendance by conference call. Currie is the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the federal agency charged…
Schizophrenia drugs increase diabetes risk Fri, 29 Aug 2003 A large scale study by the Veterans Administration corroborates a body of evidence demonstrating that the much touted “improved” newer drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia–Zyprexa, Risperdal, Seroquesl– are precipitating the onset of diabetes at alarming rates– especially among younger patients….
Federal Study Finds No Benefit of New Antipsychotic Drugs – WashPost/Wall StreetJ/NY Times Tue, 20 Sep 2005 The findings of a $44 million government sponsored study, CATIE, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, comparing an older generic antipsychotic to four new atypical antipsychotics, undercut the legitimacy of psychiatry’s…
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…
Medication switched for research purposes – patient nearly dies Tue, 11 Nov 2003 The Boston Globe reports that an investigation by a state oversight agency, “uncovered numerous ethical violations at the Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center by Boston Medical Center physicians contracted to treat patients there.” Boston University Medical…
Lilly to Add Suicide Warning to Strattera – Medicaid May shrink $5.5 Billion spending on Schizophrenia Drug Thu, 29 Sep 2005 Reuters reports that Eli Lilly is adding a Black Box suicide warning to the Strattera label. Strattera has been promoted as a “non stimulant” treatment for ADHD. Since ADHD…
To view AHRP news and infomails from 2006, please visit our new site. Infomails Subscribe to AHRP’s infomails At FDA, Graham is still the whistle-blower Loss of Trust: Big Drug Makers See Sales Decline With Their Image War hero’s death in clinical trial follows years of FDA neglect European perspective:…
"The drugs most commonly used to soothe agitation and aggression in people with Alzheimer’s disease are no more effective than placebos for most patients, and put them at risk of serious side effects, including confusion, sleepiness and Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms, researchers are reporting
today."
Two actions by the FDA last week demonstrate where the agency’s priority lies—and that priority is NOT to protect public safety, NOT to protect children’s safety. FDA’s priority—as demonstrated by its actions—is approval of new drugs or approval for expanded even dubious uses of patented drugs.
“a study published yesterday overturns conventional wisdom about antipsychotic drugs, which cost the United States $10 billion a year.”
The most striking acknowledgement in this sad story underscores the shaky foundation upon which the field of child psychiatry rests is the following statement by a Harvard University child psychiatrist: "When she was almost 8… Haley met full criteria for virtually every mental disorder listed."
Industry’s blockbuster sellers–the atypical antipsychotics performed WORSE than their cheaper, non-patented precursors.
