Elliott Spitzer walks away from prosecuting coporate crimes Sat, 25 Dec 2004 “After nearly three years of high-profile prosecutions of investment banks, mutual funds and insurance companies, Attorney General Eliot Spitzer of New York said yesterday that he is ready to cede those investigations to federal regulators.” Whatever Eliot Spitzer…
FDA Alert: Effexor warnings added for neonatal adverse effects and suicidality risk Tue, 29 Jun 2004 On June 28, the FDA and Wyeth issued a new MedWatch drug Alert to healthcare professionals: “Neonates exposed to Effexor, other SNRIs (Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors), or SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), late…
Science Reporters Don’t Notice Conflicts of Interest Tue, 3 Dec 2002 An article by Neil Munro, in The Washington Monthly (below) exposes a journalistic failure by major science reporters. By examining how The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Chicago Tribune have reported stem cell and cloning research,…
Alliance for Human Research Protection in the Press Feb 17, 2005: FDA Critics Slam Plan for Safety Reform – Nature “This is smoke and mirrors and musical chairs,” says Vera Sharav, president of the New York-based Alliance for Human Research Protection. “They will be using the very same officials that…
September 3, 2002 Columbine shooting victim sues Solvay Pharmaceuticals – Insight Magazine FYI Insight Magazine reporter, Kelly Patricia O’Meara, reports in (below) that 19- year old Mark Taylor, a victim of the shooting spree at Columbine high school in 1999, spent nearly two months in the hospital plus 3 years…
Forbes: Judgment Day for the FDA, Pfizer Wed, 9 Feb 2005 On Feb. 16-18 COX-2 Inhibitor Safety Issues will be the focus of an FDA Advisory Committee and (simultaneously) the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The entire drug industry will be watching with bated breath. Which causal explanation will be offered…
Prescriptions for antidepressant declined 10% Thu, 13 May 2004 The controversy over the safety of antidepressant drugs is broadening. The Newark Star Ledger reports a drop in antidepressant prescriptions since the Feb 2 FDA advisory committee meeting. Disclosure of long concealed evidence about the severe adverse drug effects–as well as…
Babies given mind altering drugs in Florida / 68 Paxil Withdrawal Victims File Lawsuit Wed, 24 Sep 2003 The serious problems that children in foster care have, are compounded by the scourge of psychotropic drugs which they are forced to take. The Miami Herald reports that the Florida Statewide Advocacy…
Expert FDA Report: SSRI Suicide risk_SF Chronicle / NYT/ NJ Ledger/ AP Fri, 16 Apr 2004 FDA officials have provoked congressional hearings at which they will have to explain, not only why they concealed data linking antidepressants to increased violent and suicidal behavior, and why they covered up a report…
NYT Editorial: comparing schizophrenia drugs Wed, 21 Sep 2005 Today’s New York Times Editorial acknowledges: “A government-financed study has provided the strongest evidence yet that the system for approving and promoting drugs is badly out of whack. The study compared five drugs used to treat schizophrenia and found that most…
GlaxoSmithKline CEO: “We had to absorb a number of hits” Mon, 16 Feb 2004 Antidepressant drug safety issues are beginning to have a financial impact. Dow Jones reports: “GlaxoSmithKline PLC said its net income fell 6% in the fourth quarter, hurt by previously announced legal costs related to its anti-inflammatory…
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…
