Bush’s Choice for F.D.A. Chief to Keep Other Job Mon, 26 Sep 2005 President Bush proposes to appoint Dr. von Eschenbach to head the FDA while at the same time maintaining his “day job” as head of the National Cancer Institute. Clearly the administration thinks very little about the importance…
Abbott Seeks FDA approval for cancer drug despite failed trials – WSJ Mon, 12 Sep 2005 Abbott Laboratories is asking the FDA to approve a cancer drug even though it failed in clinical trials to demonstrate a benefit greater than placebo–which is a minimal FDA requirement. The Wall Street Journal…
New Diabetes Drug Increases Mortality / Morbidity – FDA “approvable” letter Challenged Fri, 21 Oct 2005 Today’s newspaper reports about a lethal new diabetes drug that the FDA was poised to approve makes abundantly clear that The New York Times got it wrong when it gave the FDA high marks…
On behalf of the Alliance for Human Research Protection, or AHRP, I want to thank the members of the Committee, for this opportunity to share with you our understanding of the complex problems presented by medical research involving vulnerable populations, such as prisoners and children. We appreciate your difficult job, and recognize that you will need to exercise courage in your assigned mission, which is to protect prisoners from research abuse and exploitation.
“Courage,” in this context, means the courage to acknowledge uncomfortable facts about current practice and to speak truth to power,
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/10/business/10drug.html?ei=5094&en=5475b3c17e50e692&hp =&ex=1118462400&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print THE NEW YORK TIMES June 10, 2005, front page Lucrative Drug, Danger Signals and the F.D.A. By GARDINER HARRIS and ERIC KOLI Dozens had died and more than 100 patients had suffered serious heart problems by March 1998 after taking Propulsid, a popular medicine for heartburn. Infants, given…
Grassley Pushes FDA: Transparency, Accountability & Independence / Whistleblowers are essential Witnesses Wed, 8 Jun 2005 The FDA has once again demonstrated bad faith when it appointed an industry biased panel to monitor drug safety. The Washington Post reports that FDA safety officer Dr. David Graham, who blew the whistle…
“Lilly is Hiding Negative Information About Zyprexa” – SAPS Wed, 2 Nov 2005 From our colleague in Sweden: A published interview with Dr. Curt Furberg, Professor of Public Health Sciences Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, and Chair, Steering Committee, and Principal Investigator, of one of the most important studies…
The Power of $4 bill Drug Ads: Doctors Respond with Diagnosis & Prescription – WashPost Thu, 28 Apr 2005 What does $4 billion dollars in drug advertising buy? The Washington Post reports that a University of Washington study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirms the insidious…
Vioxx Fallout: Merck Officials Intervened–NYT / FDA Officials Intervened–Mother Jones Mon, 25 Apr 2005 Mother Jones and The New York Times focus on the Vioxx fall out–a case that encapsulates the corrupt practices in drug research. Merck and FDA officials intervened to conceal the lethal cardiac effect of Vioxx. Mother…
Depressing news for GSK Thu, 14 Apr 2005 A class lawsuit by US investors has been filed against GlaxoSmithKline in the US federal District Court in New York, alleging violation of securities laws. The suit charges GSK issued “false or misleading public statements” about the antidepressant, Paxil (Seroxat). The law…
What Ails the FDA? Payola – Marcia Angell Boston Globe Thu, 10 Mar 2005 The Boston Globe reports that the FDA is scrambling to put out one drug crisis after another, doing a poor job in both its areas of responsibility: medicine and food. FDA acting chief, Lester Crawford, cancelled…
FDA Panel Poses Pointed Questions to Drug Makers Over Risks of Painkillers – NYT Thu, 17 Feb 200 A three day public advisory panel hearing which is overflowing with attendees from around the world, is an investigation of the conduct of pharmaceutical company giants and the FDA. The hearing began…
