MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'drug marketing'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:08:57 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159742&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F21%2Fseroxatpaxil-addiction-studied-by-glaxo-or-not%2F This a repost – originally from March 2007. It’s worth reading again because of recent legal stuff that I can’t talk about at the moment. You might think that after all the years of doctors and patients all around the world saying Seroxat is highly addictive and Glaxo saying “Oh no it isn’t” – that Glaxo would simply undertake the definitive study to prove us all wrong and to show the world once and for all really how safe and non-addictive Seroxat is… well, it turns out Glaxo has already done this – or maybe they haven’t….? Confused – now read on. Finding a copy of the Paxil Protest website once again has been great. It’s a veritable treasure trove of fantastic stories and link, such as this one: The following exchange is f... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159742 Sun, 21 Aug 2011 07:47:07 +0100 5159742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051166&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F22%2Fthe-murdochs-and-glaxo-the-parallels%2F I’ve been following the News International story with great interest. What surprised me today is the news that people think it’s wrong that James Murdoch paid off Gordon Taylor (£700,000 according to some estimates) and  included a gagging order in the agreement to stop the truth from coming out. Of course, Murdoch did this long before the details of the case were in the public domain, so he was spending big in order to try and avoid exactly what’s happening at this very moment. There seems to be outrgage that someone would do such a thing… well, I’ve got news for you – Glaxo has been doing for years and still does.. Here’s an old post from 2007: Buying our silence Buying our silence – that’s what it’s all about when Glaxo opens its cheque... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051166 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:37:12 +0100 5051166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050579&cid=t_104962_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fincreasing-government-oversight-of-irbs-could-help-prevent-seeding-trials%2F2011.07.21 I thought I read the final chapter in the tale of Pfizer’s shady marketing practices for Neurontin years ago. Sadly, there’s at least one more chapter to go. Recall that in 2008, leaked documents from a US District Court revealed that Pfizer had covered-up the results of a clinical trial which showed the drug didn’t work for chronic nerve pain, even as it promoted off-label use of the anti-seizure drug for that purpose. The next year, it was revealed that Parke-Davis (now a subsidiary of Pfizer) took advantage of lax disclosure policies by certain medical journals to publish 13 articles promoting off-label use of Neurontin that were ghostwritten and funded by the company without disclosing such arrangements. Now, it has come to light that Parke Davis’ marketing department sponsored... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050579 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:00:20 +0100 5050579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872390&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F27%2Fthe-seroxat-paxil-pil-over-the-years-%25e2%2580%2593-ch-ch-ch-changes-re-post%2F Here’s an old post (December 30, 2009) which contains some important information: It’s at this time of year that we all look forward to a new decade and look back on the years that have brought us to where we are today. I thought it would be useful to look back at 20 years of Glaxo spin – to review the information supplied by Glaxo over the past 20 years to patients like you and me. The PIL – the Patient Information Leaflet is what I’m talking about. As you download the PDFs and read them, please remember each of the leaflets is referring to EXACTLY the same drug – hard to believe. I’m very happy to be able to supply what is a truly historic document – the very first Seroxat PIL – click on the link to download it – Original Seroxat PIL 1990. This is a relic of a byg... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872390 Fri, 27 May 2011 07:00:37 +0100 4872390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803473&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F08%2Fstan-kutcher-stan-kutcher-stan-kutcher%25e2%2580%25a6-postscript%2F Sad to say poor Stan didn’t get elected in the recent poll in Halifax, Canada. He failed by an impressively large margin. Still, I’m sure he’ll be back at some point and perhaps by then we will have seen Study 329 retracted… it is still on the books, still saying, “Paroxetine is generally well tolerated and effective for major depression in adolescents. It’s a testimonial to the worst of times, and it needs to be retracted for the same reason that the statues and monuments of despots are destroyed when their regimes finally fall”. So says a retired physchiatrist, 1 Boring Old Man, in this article. I have to agree that it’s high time  Study 329 was retracted – and Marty Keller and Stan and the rest of the doctors that put their names to it... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803473 Sun, 08 May 2011 12:57:20 +0100 4803473 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4768222&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F30%2Fstan-kutcher-stan-kutcher-stan-kutcher%2F … have I got you attention now Stan? Now running for public office in Halifax, Stan is clearly not happy to have his past ‘experience’ brought up. A Halifax website, The Coast, ran this apology – and took down the article it refers to – no doubt after Stan’s lawyers had threatened to sue: On April 28th, The Coast published an article online and in print, regarding Dr. Stan Kutcher. In that article, The Coast referenced, without limitation or criticism, statements to the effect that, Dr. Kutcher, being one of the authors of a research paper, distorted the outcome measures and essentially lied. The Coast retracts those statements and without reservation, apologizes to Dr. Kutcher for having published them. We recognize that Stan Kutcher is the federal Libe... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4768222 Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:28:30 +0100 4768222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4759038&cid=t_104962_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FuO-4Fn87I3M%2F File this under ‘better late than never…sort of.’ Several years after the Internet took off and branded product web sites began appearing, the FDA is now getting ready to study the extent to which risk and benefit information is presented and digested. The details are expected to appear tomorrow in the Federal Register. “This research is relevant to current policy questions and debate and will complement qualitative research we plan to conduct on issues surrounding social media. The original regulations that presently determine FDA’s position on DTC promotion were written at a time when the available media for DTC promotion were print and broadcast, and the primary audience was health care professionals. This dynamic is shifting, and evidence is needed to support ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4759038 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:34:57 +0100 4759038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4715131&cid=t_104962_4_f&fid=38622&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffdatransparencyblog.fda.gov%2F2011%2F04%2F15%2Fupcoming-event-fda-basics-webinar-by-the-center-for-drug-research-and-evaluation-on-the-bad-ads-program-april-28-2011-at-12-noon-et%2F Did you know that healthcare providers can play an important role in ensuring that prescription drug advertising and promotion is truthful by recognizing and reporting misleading ads? As part of FDA Basics, FDA is hosting a webinar where you can learn more. Catherine Gray, Pharm.D., in the Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communication (DDMAC) in FDA’s Center for Drug Research and Evaluation will present an overview of the FDA’s “Bad Ad” program, specifically focusing on how to identify misleading prescription drug promotion and report this activity to the agency. The free 30 minute webinar will be held Thursday, April 28 at 12 noon ET. There are a limited number of spots available for the webinar. Materials from the webinar will also be made available on the FD... FDA Transparency Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4715131 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:58:12 +0100 4715131 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592398&cid=t_104962_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-your-medication-list-makes-you-the-perfect-pharma-target%2F2011.03.14 Give me your medication list and I’ll tell you your health problems. It happens every day in emergency rooms across the country as confused elderly patients present for an acute problem unable to describe their past medical history, but equipped with a list of medications in their wallet: Metformin = Type-2 diabetes Synthroid = Hypothyroidism Lipitor + Altace + Lasix + Slo-K = Ischemic cardiomyopathy Lexapro = A little anxious or depressed Viagra = Well, you know… I bet I’d be right better than 90 percent of the time. Now, imagine you’re a pharmaceutical company wanting to target people with those chronic diseases. Where might you find them? No problem. Just pay the insurers to provide you patients’ drug lists. No names need be exchanged in keeping with HIPA... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592398 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:00:00 +0100 4592398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433313&cid=t_104962_147_f&fid=39273&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2F7qh3QZEdwMs%2Fwhich-pharma-product-websites-are.html Pharmaceutical and healthcare market research company Manhattan Research, Media Partner for the ePharma Summit, recently released the ePharma Consumer® v10.0 study, which explores the online behaviors of ePharma Consumers, or U.S. consumers using the Internet for prescription drug information. The study also provides in-depth metrics for hundreds of pharma product websites, including satisfaction, reasons for visiting, and post-visitation actions, as well as adoption and interest for various types of online resources and services from pharma.What are the top Pharma product websites driving visitors to request that prescription from the doctor?1. Levitra®2. Chantix®3. Cialis®4. Nexium® (purplepill.com)5. Yaz®6. Lyrica®7. NuvaRing®8. Symbicort®9. Viagra®10. Lunesta®Websites with t... ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433313 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4433313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4322509&cid=t_104962_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhat%25e2%2580%2599s-wrong-it%25e2%2580%2599s-a-generic-drug-rip-off-thats-what%2F2011.01.07 Cute packaging and product placement in the checkout lane at Duane Reade will get you generic Tylenol for a price equivalent to $50 for 100 tabs, as opposed to $6 per 100 count in the usual package. *This blog post was originally published at tbtam* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322509 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:00:26 +0100 4322509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4305087&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F03%2F60-minutes-and-glaxosmithklines-whistleblower%2F Yet another ‘how does Glaxo get away with it’ story…. Cheryl Eckards’ job, as manager of Glaxo’s global quality assurance, “was to inspect plants to make sure that the drugs had the right ingredients, the right potency and met government standards for purity.” In fact, she was sent in because an FDA inspection had already seen problems as this plant [Cidra] (noting that “FDA inspections of drug plants are only occasional, so it’s up to drug companies to police themselves” – which is why litigation is such a critical backup.)  But as 60 Minutes put it, Eckard “found much more than the FDA had.”  For example, The employees were contaminating products, including the anti-bacterial ointment Bactroban, which was made in a sealed tank to prevent co... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4305087 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:10:36 +0100 4305087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4266190&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F18%2F20-years-of-pharmaceutical-company-fraud%2F How much longer will big pharma be allowed to get away with it? Something’s got to change, because along with all the settlements shown below, the pharmaceutical industry is responsible for killing thousands of patients each year. You’ll see from the chart that the last few years have been the worst for settlements – the reason is that the pharmaceutical companies that are all too happy to create drugs (and aggressively market those drugs) in the knowledge that the drugs are unsafe – putting their wealth before patients’ health. The age of the truly innovative blockbuster drug is over – Big Pharma knows this but continues to market sub standard products to the public. This is also the reason why we have seen marketing and advertising spend leap ahead of (by two ... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4266190 Sat, 18 Dec 2010 10:39:02 +0100 4266190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4251253&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F11%2Fchuck-nemeroff-really-really-pissed-off-but-still-really-really-rich%2F Did I mention the textbook that Chuck Nemeroff wrote, oops – or rather he didn’t, but he might have done, or at least he might have seen some drafts and approved them… who knows? Probably not Chuck  because his memory is so bad – maybe that’s why he forgot to disclose all that cash he got from drug companies (wasn’t it about $1.5 million?). That’s one poor memory! Anyway, now he’s really pissed off and wants to sue POGO because they ran a story about the ghostwritten Nemeroff textbook – and so did the the New York Times in their story: Drug Maker Wrote Book Under 2 Doctors’ Names, Documents Say Here are some downloads for you while away the long winter hours with – thanks to 1 Boring Old Man POGO Letter to NIH on Ghostwritin... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4251253 Sat, 11 Dec 2010 15:53:29 +0100 4251253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4241926&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F08%2Fwikileaks-big-pharma-revelations-next%2F In a rare, two-hour interview conducted in London on November 11, Julian Assange said that he’s still sitting on a trove of secret documents, about half of which relate to the private sector. And WikiLeaks’ next target will be a major American bank. “It will give a true and representative insight into how banks behave at the executive level in a way that will stimulate investigations and reforms, I presume,” he said, adding: “For this, there’s only one similar example. It’s like the Enron emails.” “You could call it the ecosystem of corruption. But it’s also all the regular decision making that turns a blind eye to and supports unethical practices: the oversight that’s not done, the priorities of executives, how they think they’re fulfilling their own self-inter... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4241926 Wed, 08 Dec 2010 14:34:39 +0100 4241926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4230309&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F05%2F1-boring-old-man-chuck-nemeroff%2F A retired Doctor (the 1 Boring old Man) writes about Nemeroff and Ghostwriting: Like Dr. Healy, I have some personal reasons for being upset about all of this. In 1974, I changed careers from Internal Medicine to Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis because of an interest in the mind, and I never looked back. I was in academic medicine at Emory University after retraining. In the early 1980’s, a new Chairman arrived, and it was clear that my interests were not compatible with the wave of Biological Psychiatry that was sweeping the specialty, and I left for private practice, continuing to teach in the Psychoanalytic Institute, but no longer involved with the Psychiatry Department. At that time, I wasn’t bitter and enjoyed my private practice. A few years later, Dr. Nemeroff became Chairman. I ... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4230309 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 18:54:52 +0100 4230309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225606&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F02%2Fkeller-nemeroff-more-on-the-ghostwriting-they-put-their-names-to%2F According to documents, Glaxo began to push sales of Paxil in the early 1990s with an extensive ghostwriting program run by the marketing firm Scientific Therapeutics Information (STI). For instance, STI wrote a proposal to organize GlaxoSmithKline’s Paxil Advisory Board Meeting in 1993 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. STI chose good ol’ Chuck Nemeroff as their speaker to lay out the meeting’s agenda and objectives.  Nemeroff apparently led discussions on how to “evaluate clinical research/promotional programs” and “generate information for use in promotion/education.” STI’s ghostwriting included editorials, journal articles, and even a textbook that was widely used by primary care physicians to treat psychiatric disorders. Further details here. [Thank... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225606 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:52:37 +0100 4225606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214440&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F30%2Fthe-book-that-chuck-nemeroff-did-not-write%2F I think we all know about Professor Chuck Nemeroff and his links with big pharma – if the price is right he’ll sell anything for you. We know he’s put his name to ‘research’ papers that have been written by medical PR firms (ghostwriting). But an entire book….??!! Thanks to Dr Ben Goldacre for this. From the New York Times: Drug Maker Wrote Book Under 2 Doctors’ Names, Documents Say Two prominent authors of a 1999 book teaching family doctors how to treat psychiatric disorders provided acknowledgment in the preface for an “unrestricted educational grant” from a major pharmaceutical company – Glaxo. But the drug maker, then known as SmithKline Beecham, actually had much more involvement than the book described, newly disclosed documents show. ... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214440 Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:59:49 +0100 4214440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4152194&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F08%2Fcan-i-see-a-pattern-forming%2F This story caught my eye today: Legal aid withdrawn from anti-epilepsy drug case A landmark legal case by families of children with physical and mental disabilities against a multinational pharmaceutical company is likely to be abandoned after legal aid was withdrawn. The families say manufacturers of an anti-epilepsy drug taken by mothers in pregnancy should pay compensation because the children’s conditions resulted from the medication. But the government’s Legal Services Commission, which is believed to have provided more than £3m to help the families prepare for the action, decided to end its financial support just three weeks before hearings were due to begin in the high court in London. The families’ lawyers said the “bitterly disappointing” decision ha... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4152194 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 15:41:25 +0100 4152194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105667&cid=t_104962_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-secret-sign-of-aging-international-disease-mongering%2F2010.10.25 Just five days ago we wrote about an American journalist’s observations of medicalization of one problem sometimes observed after menopause: Vaginal atrophy. Today we see that this disease-mongering trend has popped up in Australia as well. This should be no surprise. Such campaigns are usually led by multinational pharmaceutical companies and their advertising and public relations agencies. What caught our eye was an article on a women’s health foundation website — a foundation that posts a pretty thin excuse for why it won’t tell you its source of funding. Its article on vaginal atrophy uses classic disease-mongering language: “Ask a woman over the age of 50 about the ‘signs of ag[e]ing’ and she’ll most likely lament about grey hairs, wrin... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105667 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:00:43 +0100 4105667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098395&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F22%2Fhow-to-brand-a-disease-and-sell-a-cure%2F This from CNN by Dr. Carl Elliott, an M.D. and Ph.D., who is is the author of “White Coat, Black Hat: Adventures on the Dark Side of Medicine” (Beacon Press, 2010). If you want to understand the way prescription drugs are marketed today, have a look at the 1928 book, “Propaganda,” by Edward Bernays, the father of public relations in America. For Bernays, the public relations business was less about selling things than about creating the conditions for things to sell themselves. When Bernays was working as a salesman for Mozart pianos, for example, he did not simply place advertisements for pianos in newspapers. That would have been too obvious. Instead, Bernays persuaded reporters to write about a new trend: Sophisticated people were putting aside a special room in ... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098395 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:46:03 +0100 4098395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074402&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F16%2Fuk-seroxat-litigation-and-withdrawal-breaking-news%2F There are some interesting posts over at Seroxat Sufferers, regarding the UK Seroxat High Court case. Bob Fiddaman writes: It would appear, through my blog statistics, that Addleshaw Goddard, GlaxoSmithKline’s lawyers, just can’t keep off my blog. Fleet street, it would seem, are also taking an interest. Good. Here’s some documents for you all to browse. Here is a PDF that I sent to the MHRA some years ago. It is patients speaking out because they believe the have been affected by severe Seroxat withdrawal. The MHRA did nothing about it. DOWNLOAD Here is a 74 page document that GlaxoSmithKline previously sealed. The British press should read through it, the revelations are startling to say the least. – DOWNLOAD The most interesting, and one that Addleshaw Goddar... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074402 Sat, 16 Oct 2010 10:00:56 +0100 4074402 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040561&cid=t_104962_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftop-gripes-about-drugs-and-what-they-cost%2F2010.10.07 I used to defend pharmaceutical companies. ”What companies out there have contributed more good? Should care manufacturers make more when all they do is make transportation that breaks after a few years?” It made sense to me that you should put a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow so that companies are motivated to invent more drugs and innovate. We throw a lot of money to athletes and movie stars who simply entertain us, shouldn’t we do better to those who heal us? I used to say that. I don’t anymore. No, I don’t think the drug companies are “evil.” People who say that are thinking way to simplistic. These companies are doing exactly what their shareholders want them to do: make as much money as possible for as long as possible. That’s what all companies do, right? They... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4040561 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 22:00:07 +0100 4040561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031243&cid=t_104962_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmarketing-direct-to-e-patient%2F2010.10.04 Patients are the new darling of the medical-industrial complex. If you look around you will see patients advocating for one another. If you click a little closer you’ll find some with relationships to industry. It makes perfect sense that the manufacturer of a drug or medical device would want the blessings of our nascent cybercelebs. Some want genuine patient input.  Some, however, want to curry their favor. Chock up influence of the patient population as evidence of social health’s evolving maturity. A couple of questions: Will industry be required to publicly list monies used for sponsorship, travel and swag support of high profile patients in the social sphere? Should high visibility patients who serve as stewards and advocates disavow themselves of contact with pharma just as... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031243 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 20:00:52 +0100 4031243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3999261&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F24%2Fthe-real-avandia-story-glaxo-knew-the-drug-was-a-killer-in-1999%2F This from CBS bnet: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)’s decision to settle most of the litigation over its Avandia diabetes drug for $460 million means that former CEO Jean-Pierre Garnier will never testify about why he sent an email in 1999 raising concerns that his diabetes drug had “a high number of CV [cardiovascular] deaths while other glitazones [similar drugs] did not.” Avandia had only been on the market for one month at the time the email was sent, according to a deposition transcript in which the email was read aloud. The email is one reason why GSK decided today — 11 years after Garnier raised the issue with his staff — to settle about 10,000 cases for $46,000 apiece. The FDA is reviewing the drug’s record for heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems; it will probably be... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3999261 Fri, 24 Sep 2010 08:46:10 +0100 3999261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3999262&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F23%2Feuropean-regulator-suspends-glaxos-diabetes-drug-avandia%2F Just in: The European Medicines Agency Thursday suspended marketing authorization for GlaxoSmithKline PLC’s (GSK) controversial diabetes drug rosiglitazone saying the risks of taking the drug don’t outweigh its benefits and that the medicines containing it will stop being available in Europe within the next few months. The EMA — the decentralized European body responsible for licensing rosiglitazone in 2000 and which held an extraordinary expert meeting earlier this month to review the drug’s safety — said in a statement that “the availability of recent studies has added to the knowledge about rosiglitazone and overall, the accumulated data support an increased cardiovascular risk” from the drug. The regulator said it therefore decided that “... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3999262 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:17:04 +0100 3999262 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3961969&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F12%2Ffive-years-on-and-the-mhra-has-made-no-changes%2F Below are extracts from The House of Commons Select Committee Report of March 2005 on the The Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry… March 2005 – that’s a long time ago and the UK drugs regulator, the MHRA, has made none of the changes recommended. The Select Committee summed up: “The MHRA, like many regulatory organisations, is entirely funded by fees from those it regulates. However, unlike many regulators, it competes with other European agencies for fee income… dangers of the present arrangements…. During this long inquiry we became aware of serious weaknesses in the MHRA. Worryingly, in both its written and oral evidence the Agency seemed oblivious to the critical views of outsiders and unable to accept that it had any obvious shortcomings, excep... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3961969 Sun, 12 Sep 2010 09:58:43 +0100 3961969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3946672&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F08%2Fbmj-says-avandia-should-never-have-been-licensed-in-britain-and-should-now-be-withdrawn%2F Is Glaxo going to get away with it… again? After the scandal of Seroxat – an unsafe drug with dangerous side effects, that made billions in profit and gained a licence using dodgy data supplied by GlaxoSmithKline, we now have the Avandia scandal: the story of an unsafe drug with dangerous side effects, that made billions in profit and gained a licence using dodgy data supplied by GlaxoSmithKline. See a pattern forming? Two days ago, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) said Avandia should never have been licensed in Britain and should now be withdrawn, after medical experts advised that its risks “outweigh its benefits”. The drug – also known as Rosiglitazone – was approved by the European Medicines Agency ten years ago to help lower blood sugar levels in p... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3946672 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:37:57 +0100 3946672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3929444&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F03%2Fpaxil-researcher-falsified-clinical-trial-data-gets-13-months-in-jail%2F Isn’t it always the way – the little fish get caught but somehow the big fish get away. Key opinion leaders (KOLs) whose reputations are for sale can be relied on to say whatever a drug company tells them to, providing they are paid enough. The big fish I mean are ‘doctors’ such as Nemeroff and Keller in the USA and Montgomery in the UK. And the entire board of GlaxoSmithKline. Why no jail time for these people? This is the way drug companies go about their business. They are happy to manipulate trial data to suit their own ends (while hiding the negative data) then they buy KOLs to talk up what can only be described as dangerous drugs. Then they set aside billions of dollars in their accounts for the payment of fines and out of court settlements, and I, for one, am... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3929444 Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:54:53 +0100 3929444 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3881068&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F18%2F85-of-new-drugs-offer-few-benefits%2F This from the Independent... it sums up what I’ve learned over the years of writing this blog. I have to echo Ben Goldacre when he says “I can’t see why any company withholding data should be allowed to conduct further experiments on people. I can’t see why the state doesn’t impose crippling fines” I can’t see it either. Drug companies were accused today of conning the public by hyping up patented medicines with little new to offer while downplaying their side-effects. An estimated 85% of new drugs offer few if any new benefits while having the potential to cause serious harm due to toxicity or misuse, a study has concluded. The author of the research delivered a damning attack on “Big Pharma” at a meeting of sociology experts in the US. Profes... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3881068 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:13:39 +0100 3881068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3867060&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F14%2Fdrug-firms-hiding-negative-research-are-unfit-to-experiment-on-people-writes-dr-ben-goldacre%2F “Another pharmaceutical giant has settled a big compensation claim. So why are they allowed to go on misleading the public?” …writes Dr Ben Goldacre in his column Bad Science in today’s Guardian. He continues “I can’t see why any company withholding data should be allowed to conduct further experiments on people. I can’t see why the state doesn’t impose crippling fines. I hope it’s because politicians don’t understand the scale of the harm.” Without wanting to come over as the arch conspriracy theorist, I think that there is a clear connection between governments, regulators and big business (the drug companies) that allows this to happen all too often. Remember, Glaxo has a track record of hiding negative clinical trial da... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3867060 Sat, 14 Aug 2010 09:56:15 +0100 3867060 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3780546&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F22%2Ffda-avandia-panel-member-failed-to-disclose-he-was-on-glaxos-payroll%2F … and guess which way he voted?? In fact the panel member in question, David Capuzzi, was one of only three experts who voted for Avandia to stay on the market with no additional warnings. Not a conflict of interests, oh no, of course not!!?? This from Jim Edwards at BNET UK: The news that one of the doctors on an FDA panel assessing whether GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)’s diabetes drug Avandia causes too many heart attacks failed to disclose he was a paid speaker for the company points out a giant hole in the FDA’s regulations: The disclosure form that outside experts who advise the FDA on risky drugs are required to sign only requires experts to list fees from speaking or writing  for a drug company for the “Last 12 months or under negotiation.” That’s too short a time period to... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3780546 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:17:05 +0100 3780546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3758084&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F15%2Fglaxosmithkline-at-it-again-this-time-avandia-drug-trial-results-cannot-be-trusted%2F Avandia, once the best-selling diabetes drug in the world, is set to become a heavily restricted niche product, plastered with scary warnings, writes Matthew Herper at Forbes.com While the majority of a panel of experts told the Food and Drug Administration that GlaxoSmithKline’s diabetes drug Avandia should remain on the market, they said it should have the most severe restrictions possible. Several panelists blasted GlaxoSmithKline for not conducting better safety trials of its drug, forcing experts to grapple with uncertainty for two days. Many panelists said they did not trust the results of the company’s main study defending the drug and expressed exasperation at the way the company analyzed its studies. “Why isn’t there better data at this point?” said L... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3758084 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:15:23 +0100 3758084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3746741&cid=t_104962_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdrug-ads-consumers-and-doctors-are-tuning-them-out%2F2010.07.12 How effective is direct-to-consumer drug advertising? Some think that drug ads should be banned altogether, saying that it encourages patients to ask their doctors for expensive, brand name prescription drugs. It turns out their fears may be overblown. NPR’s Shots blogs about a recent study looking at the effectiveness of these ads. The numbers, for the pharmaceutical companies anyways, are not encouraging. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at KevinMD.com* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746741 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:00:19 +0100 3746741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641280&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F08%2Fglaxo-the-mhra-the-mhra-glaxo%2F I’ve always questioned exactly where big pharma ends and the regulators begin. Certainly the MHRA (the UK’s medicines watchdog) has always had VERY close ties to the drug industry, and I mean VERY close. The revolving door that connects the MHRA and GlaxoSmithKline (in particular) has always been well used. The Chairman of the MHRA, Alasdair Breckenridge, is a former employee of GSK (then known as SmithKline Beecham), as is the Head of Licensing at the MHRA, Dr. Ian Hudson. Breckenridge has a track record of publically supporting Seroxat (but not really very well!)… Hudson is much more interesting – he worked at SmithKline Beecham for 11 years (Glaxo 2 weeks) as Worldwide Director of Safety. He then joined the MHRA as its Head of Drug Licensing. During his time at S... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641280 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:06:27 +0100 3641280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3614672&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F31%2Fseroxatpaxil-addiction%2F I hope the title of this post has caught your attention. While the drug companies, the World Health Authority, the FDA and the MHRA all sit around and agree what ‘addiction’ means to them, in the real world we know the truth. For hundreds of thousands of people around the world, Seroxat addiction is all too real. You want to stop taking Seroxat, but when you try to stop, you find you can’t – the physical and mental withdrawal symptoms can include akathesia, agitation, mania, psychosis, self harm, suicidal thoughts and actions, violence, fear of loud noises, electric zaps of the head and body, thoughts of homicide, profuse sweating, disturbing nightmares, lack of empathy toward other people, anger, severe memory loss, nausea. Not everyone who takes Seroxat will be af... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3614672 Mon, 31 May 2010 08:46:09 +0100 3614672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3589035&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F22%2Fglaxo-is-still-testing-paxil-on-7-year-olds-despite-proven-suicide-risks%2F This story just shows little Glaxo cares and what a thick skin the drugs giant has. It’s from BNET UK by Jim Edwards. Bob Fiddaman over at Seroxat Sufferers has also picked up on this and gone straight for the jugular (in his usual fashion!) writing to Glaxo demanding a full explanation: “As a matter of public record I would like either GlaxoSmithKline UK or GlaxoSmithKline Japan to explain why this study has been put in place. In other words, what is GlaxoSmithKline’s motive behind this study?” Bob and I have been doing this for all too long and I don’t think either of us will be holding our breath waiting for any sort of reply from Glaxo. Here’s the Jim Edwards piece: It was established years ago that Paxil carries a risk of suicide in children and te... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3589035 Sat, 22 May 2010 07:24:20 +0100 3589035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3568073&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F16%2Fconflicts-of-interest-charles-nemeroff-take-a-bow%2F As you all know, Charles ‘Chuck’ Nemeroff, the controversial former Emory University psychiatry department chair, has been named chair of the psychiatry department at the University of Miami School of Medicine. [My Nemeroff back catalogue is  here, here and here. Read even more here, here and here.] It was only October last year that Chuck was forced to resign from Brown University. The Miami Herald reported: “On Thursday, Pascal Goldschmidt, dean of UM medical school, called Nemeroff ‘an extraordinary psychiatrist and scientist. . . . He got into serious trouble on disclosure on conflict of interest.’ “Goldschmidt said he had read investigative reports from Emory about Nemeroff’s activities and found nothing to indicate that payments the psychiatrist received had in... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3568073 Sun, 16 May 2010 11:06:59 +0100 3568073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3476062&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F15%2Fat-last-the-truth-about-seroxat%2F Well, maybe some of the truth… A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the antidepressant drugs paroxetine (Seroxat) and imipramine do not help patients with mild, moderate and even severe depression much more than an inactive placebo. “They would have done just as well or just about as well with a placebo,” concluded Robert DeRubeis, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia who performed the meta-analysis along with colleagues. The meta-analysis combined data from six studies with over 800 combined patients. Those with initial depression scores of 23 or below dropped an averaged 8 points when given antidepressants compared to a drop of 7 points for those given a placebo. According to DeRubeis, the study should gi... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3476062 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:36:39 +0100 3476062 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3435238&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F03%2Fdrug-regulation-keeping-the-public-safe%2F We have a general election coming up very soon in the UK and it’s interesting to watch politicians scramble for votes. A perfect illustration of this has been the recent fiasco surrounding the government’s decision to ban the leagl high mephedrone (not to be confused with methedone, the Heroin substitute). The Government’s decision to rush through a ban on the dance drug mephedrone had been politically motivated in order for the Home Secretary to look tough prior to the election. At the heart of the dispute over mephedrone lies a disagreement as to the relative harm caused by the drug and by criminalising its tens of thousands of users. Mephedrone has been linked with 25 deaths but there is as yet no post mortem evidence of its role in any of them. Contrast the mepherdone... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3435238 Sat, 03 Apr 2010 08:12:55 +0100 3435238 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3425109&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F30%2Fdepression-alliance-still-peddling-big-pharma-lies%2F So, then – it’s April 2010 but I can still read things like this on the internet: “Antidepressants work by normalising the activity levels of brain chemicals which affect our mood. Current medical advice is that antidepressants are not addictive”. “Most side effects from antidepressant drugs usually cease after about three weeks”. “Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) Introduced in the 1980s, SSRIs are the other major type of antidepressant. They tend to cause less side effects, and are less sedative than other types. Many patients find SSRIs easier to take than other types of antidepressant”. The above was taken from the website of Depression Alliance – a UK Charity that is supposed to help people with depression and provi... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3425109 Tue, 30 Mar 2010 21:41:27 +0100 3425109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3363808&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F14%2Fthe-doctors-on-glaxos-payroll-here-are-all-the-details%2F This from Evelyn Pringle: Glaxo Birth Defect Litigation Reveals Paxil Promoters on Speed Dial In the first Paxil birth defect trial against GlaxoSmithKline, much of evidence focused on the doctors on Glaxo’s payroll involved in the corruption of the medical literature and seminars given to promote the off label use of Paxil with pregnant and nursing mothers. On October 13, 2009, the trial of Kilker v Glaxo ended with a Philadelphia jury awarding $2.5 million in compensatory damages to the family of Lyam Kilker, after finding that Glaxo “negligently failed to warn” the doctor treating Lyam’s mother about the risks of Paxil and the drug was a “factual cause” of the child’s heart defects. Glaxo’s lead attorney at trial was King & Spalding partner Chilton V... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3363808 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:39:42 +0100 3363808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3292010&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F21%2Fjim-thomson-rears-his-ugly-head-again%2F As a patient, I am sooooo glad I have someone like Jim Thomson on my side…. NOT. Jim’s a strange contradiction – he claims to be a ‘patient advocate’ but makes his living by working for Pharmaceutical companies peddling their lies and I for one, haven’t forgotten you Jim. If you want to get up to speed about JIm and his good works have a look here – and follow all the links for more interesting details. Much of what Jim is involved in is known as  Astroturfing, which, according to Wikipedia, “…is a term referring to political, advertising, or public relations campaigns that are formally planned by an organization, but designed to mask its origins to create the impression of being spontaneous, popular “grassroots” behavior. ... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3292010 Sun, 21 Feb 2010 10:58:33 +0100 3292010 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3290983&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F20%2Fandrew-witty-admits-defeat-on-expensive-high-risk-depression-drugs%2F This story has been around for a few weeks now, but it’s made me think about things this morning. It seems that Glaxo has decided that it will cease discovery work in depression, a pivotal part of its historical neuroscience activity, in an effort to save £500m a year in costs by 2012. This marks a symbolic shift for GSK, which as recently as 2006 generated more than £2bn from sales of its antidepressants Wellbutrin and Seroxat or Paxil, a drug that has sparked criticism from regulators and a series of litigations against the company. And there’s more – Andrew Witty said “…it was increasingly difficult to make a decent return on depression research.” A “decent return”, eh? Witty also claimed that the closure of depression R&D did not ha... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3290983 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 10:27:18 +0100 3290983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3276067&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F16%2Fpaxil-birth-defect-litigation-glaxos-dirty-secrets-come-to-light-during-first-trial%2F This from Evelyn Pringle: Feb. 15, 2010 – GlaxoSmithKline has paid out close to $1 billion to resolve lawsuits involving Paxil since the drug came on the market in1992, according to a December 14, 2009 Bloomberg report. But the billion dollars does not cover the more than 600 Paxil birth defect cases currently pending in multi-litigation in Pennsylvania. Glaxo has settled about 10 birth defect cases, according to Sean Tracey, a Houston attorney who represented the family of a child victim in the first jury trial that decided in favor of the plaintiff on October 13, 2009, Bloomberg reports. The settlements in those lawsuits averaged about $4 million, people familiar with the cases told the new service. First Trial A Bust for Glaxo The first trial, in the case of Kilker v Glaxo, ended ... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3276067 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 07:30:41 +0100 3276067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3259219&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F09%2Fseroxat-interferes-with-breast-cancer-drug-patients-more-likely-to-die%2F This news is all over the internet – yet another black mark against Seroxat… how did this drug ever get licensed in the first place? I wonder how much more bad news Glaxo knows about Seroxat but has kept hidden all these years? After all, the company made huge profits from Seroxat and that was what was important – not patient safety. This from Phil Dawdy at Furious Seasons (who sums things up very well): This alarming bit of news hit yesterday: “Women who took GlaxoSmithKline’s Paxil while taking tamoxifen at the same time were more likely to die of their breast cancer, the researchers found. The longer the overlap between Paxil and tamoxifen, the more likely the patients were to die, they reported in the British Medical Journal. “It is likely because Pa... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3259219 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:33:12 +0100 3259219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3225001&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F31%2Fseroxat-and-the-myth-of-the-chemical-cure-dead-in-the-water%2F This study contributes to the extensive research that has helped to characterize the role of antidepressants,” which “are an important option, in addition to counseling and lifestyle changes, for treatment of depression.” A spokesperson for Pfizer, which makes Zoloft, also cited the “wealth of scientific evidence documenting [antidepressants'] effects,” adding that the fact that antidepressants “commonly fail to separate from placebo” is “a fact well known by the FDA, academia, and industry.” Other manufacturers pointed out that Kirsch and the JAMA authors had not studied their particular brands. Even Kirsch’s analysis, however, found that antidepressants are a little more effective than dummy pills—those 1.8 points on the depr... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3225001 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:49:44 +0100 3225001 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3133793&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F30%2Fthe-seroxat-paxil-pil-over-the-years-ch-ch-ch-changes%2F It’s at this time of year that we all look forward to a new decade and look back on the years that have brought us to where we are today. I thought it would be useful to look back at 20 years of Glaxo spin – to review the information supplied by Glaxo over the past 20 years to patients like you and me. The PIL – the Patient Information Leaflet is what I’m talking about. As you download the PDFs and read them, please remember each of the leaflets is referring to EXACTLY the same drug – hard to believe. I’m very happy to be able to supply what is a truly historic document – the very first Seroxat PIL – click on the link to download it – Original Seroxat PIL 1990. This is a relic of a bygone age – a much simpler time for all of us. D... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3133793 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:39:33 +0100 3133793 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3092914&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F15%2Fgsks-paxil-bill-said-to-be-1billion-so-far%2F For drug companies like Glaxo, it seems that fines to settle lawsuits because of the unsafe nature of drugs like Seroxat are just part of its overall marketing budget – you get the impression that Glaxo doesn’t care how much money it has to put aside to cover potential fines because its drugs make such huge profits – even if Seroxat has cost the company $1 billion IN FINES so far that doesn’t matter because its earned so much more profit than that already – patient safety is not the issue here… making money is, though. This from  Bloomberg: GlaxoSmithKline has paid out almost $1 billion to settle lawsuits related to its antidepressant Paxil, Bloomberg reports, citing court records and sources familiar with the litigation. That total includes about $39... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3092914 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:39:20 +0100 3092914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3056866&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F04%2Fdrug-industry-spends-at-least-20-5-billion-a-year-on%2F …research and development? You must be joking, it’s on marketing – and this is just in the USA! Of course the way some drug trials are rigged and the data ‘interpreted’ then many would argue that these costs should be included in the marketing spend as well. This from the Wall Street Journal: Despite all the job cuts for drug reps, despite the endless stream of TV drug ads, the pharma industry still spends most of its U.S. marketing money the old-fashioned way: Paying salespeople to call on doctors and other health-care providers. Drug companies spent “at least $20.5 billion in marketing” in 2008, the  CBO said in a research brief published yesterday. (That figure doesn’t include the value of free drug samples companies give to docs, by the way.) The b... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3056866 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:50:29 +0100 3056866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989388&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F13%2Fcharles-chuck-nemeroff-lands-on-his-feet%2F Chuck Nemeroff, the controversial former Emory University psychiatry department chair, has been named chair of the psychiatry department at the University of Miami School of Medicine – has the man got no shame? It was only October last year that Chuck was forced to resign from Brown University. Phil Dawdy at Furious Seasons summed it up like this: A few of you have probably already caught the news elsewhere: yesterday, Charles Nemeroff resigned as chair of the psychiatry department at Emory University. The move came on the heels of revelations that he’d taken in $2.8 million in pharma consulting monies since 2000, but had only reported less than half of that–all while taking NIH research grants on the other hand and assuring his university that he was taking in less than $10,000 ... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989388 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:56:20 +0100 2989388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2948469&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F01%2Ftimothy-dinan-lundbeck-and-drug-marketing%2F I wonder how much money Timothy Dinan has been by paid by Lundbeck in the past 10 years? Currently Tim is a Faculty member of the ‘The Lundbeck Institute’. On the payroll of any other pharma companies, Tim? Conflict of interest Tim?     (Source: seroxat secrets...) seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2948469 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:57:24 +0100 2948469 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2948470&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F01%2Fhow-can-the-great-and-the-good-of-irish-psychiatry-get-it-so-wrong%2F In a letter to the Irish Times, the ‘great and the good’ [my irony] of Irish psychiatry wade in to the Shane Clancy case (detail here) to sort out a few misunderstandings for us mere mortals (and Dr Michael Corry) who they think know nothing… “…A controversial statement has been made … namely that antidepressants cause homicide, which we wish to rebut…” “…There is no scientific evidence whatsoever that antidepressants cause homicide…” “…the erroneous belief that antidepressants induce aggression and homicide…” “…those with severe depressive illness, who need antidepressants for continuing wellbeing…” So say Prof PATRICIA CASEY, Prof TIMOTHY DINAN, Prof MICHAEL GILL, TCD, ... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2948470 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:17:47 +0100 2948470 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2923458&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F24%2Fbleak-britain-anti-depressant-prescriptions-soar-even-though-illness-declines%2F How can this be? I’d say there are two main reasons: In the UK (and most countries) the Government is happy to buy huge amounts of expensive drugs from big pharma and by prescribing them, at least something is being seen to be done – boxes can be ticked, ‘treatment’ targets delivered. The problem is that there is no money left to employ counsellors – research by five mental health charities found depressed patients were having wait for six to 18 months to get an appointment with an NHS counsellor… and this against a background of previous studies that have shown psychological therapies can be as effective as drugs in tackling mental health problems, and may work better in the long term. In fact, many GPs admit prescribing antidepressant medications to pa... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2923458 Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:15:26 +0100 2923458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2908873&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F19%2Fdr-michael-corry-needs-our-support%2F This story is beyond belief…here it is in brief: Shane Clancy is a young guy who stabbed 2 people and murdered another, then stabbed himself to death in a frenzied attack recently in Ireland, his parents blame the SSRI he was taking at the time for his behavior and there has been huge media interest in the story in Ireland. Dr Michael Corry said live on TV that it was likely the SSRI that made Shane Clancy go on the violent rampage. Now it seems that an unnamed ’senior psychiatrist’ has made a ridiculous complaint against Dr Corry: THE Medical Council in Ireland is investigating a complaint regarding psychiatrist Dr Michael Corry’s “competence to practice” following comments he made to the Sunday Tribune about the role of anti-depressants in a murder-sui... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2908873 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:18:18 +0100 2908873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2809879&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F19%2Fbritish-doctor-faces-action-over-claims-of-ghost-writing-for-us-drug-company%2F What is ‘ghostwriting’? How far will drug companies go to market their products to an unsuspecting and trusting public? This from Sarah Boseley at the Guardian will explain all: Doctors have been agreeing to be named as authors on studies written by employees of the pharmaceutical industry, giving greater credibility to medical research, according to new evidence. The Guardian has learned that one of Britain’s leading bone specialists is facing disciplinary action over accusations that he was involved in “ghost writing”. The wider phenomenon has come to light through documents disclosed in the US courts which have revealed a culture in which doctors agree to “author” studies written by employees of drug firms. The doctors may have some input but do... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2809879 Sat, 19 Sep 2009 11:23:15 +0100 2809879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807867&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F18%2Finternal-email-shows-glaxo-linked-birth-defect-of-fetus-to-paxilseroxat%2F More from Glaxo’s current trial in the USA. This from Jef Feeley and Sophia Pearson at Bloomberg: Sept. 18 — Officials of GlaxoSmithKline Plc, the U.K.’s largest drugmaker, said in 2001 that a birth defect in the fetus of a woman taking its Paxil antidepressant likely was linked to the drug, according to court testimony. After analyzing a 2001 e-mail from a Paxil user who aborted her fetus because it had a heart defect, Glaxo officials noted in company files they were “almost certain” the drug was related to the problem, Jane Nieman, a former Glaxo drug-safety executive, told a Pennsylvania jury. “I don’t know who made that assessment, but it’s there,” Nieman testified in a videotaped deposition played yesterday for jurors. Nieman’s testimony came in the tr... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807867 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:16:37 +0100 2807867 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2800679&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F16%2F%25e2%2580%259cif-neg-results-can-bury-%25e2%2580%259d-writes-glaxo-executive-about-paxilseroxat%2F The Philadelphia trial has barely begun and already we are learning more about the way Glaxo does business… rigged drug trials, hidden negative data and fraudulent marketing would seem to be the order of the day once more. I wonder what new secrets will be revealed next year in London, when Glaxo faces yet more patients injured by Seroxat in the High Court… Here’s the latest from Bloomberg : Glaxo Executive’s Memo Suggested Burying Drug Studies By Jef Feeley and Margaret Cronin Fisk Sept. 15 (Bloomberg) — An executive of GlaxoSmithKline Plc, the world’s second-biggest drugmaker, talked about burying negative studies linking its antidepressant drug Paxil to birth defects, according to a company memo introduced at a trial. “If neg, results can bury,” Glaxo ... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2800679 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:25:27 +0100 2800679 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2786254&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F11%2Fglaxo-in-court-next-week-previously-secret-internal-company-documents-show-glaxo-hid-adverse-data-once-again%2F This from Bloomberg.com via the Truthman: GlaxoSmithKline to Defend Paxil in Birth Defect Test-Case Trial By Sophia Pearson and Margaret Cronin Fisk Sept. 11 (Bloomberg) — GlaxoSmithKline Plc, the world’s second-biggest drugmaker, begins a trial in Philadelphia next week in what may be a test case for more than 600 lawsuits over claims its antidepressant drug Paxil causes birth defects. Patients and their parents claim internal company documents produced for trial show Glaxo failed to warn about the risks of Paxil until forced to do so in 2005 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In a trial set for Sept. 14, Michelle David blames the drug for causing life-threatening heart defects in her son Lyam Kilker, 3. The London-based company faces two more such trials a month from Oct... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2786254 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:32:27 +0100 2786254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2762132&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F03%2Feli-lilley-and-pfizer-both-criminal-corporations%2F And it’s official. First we had Lilley and the Zyprexa scandal, now we have Pfizer and Bextra (together with an admission of criminal marketing activities involving 13 different Pfizer drugs). Nice people, eh? This from ALEX BRUMMER, of the Daily Mail. America hits out at big pharma 3 September 2009 When the US Department of Justice strikes against corporate wrong-doing, it does so in style. The massive £1.4bn fine levied on drug maker Pfizer, best known for its little blue pill, will send shockwaves through the pharmaceutical industry. The charges and larger part of the fine paid by Pfizer relate to the pain relief drug Bextra, which has now been withdrawn from the American market. The company actively marketed the drug – inherited from Pharmacia – to doctors for the tr... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2762132 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:11:41 +0100 2762132 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2741579&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F28%2Fthe-deceptive-marketing-of-paxilseroxat%2F Hear Alison Bass (author of side Effects, the story behind the deceptive marketing of Paxil) interviewed about her book and corruption in the medical profession. As Alison reveals in Side Effects, GlaxoSmithKline hired a ghostwriting firm, Scientific Therapeutics, to write the first draft of the controversial Paxil study 329. That draft concluded that Paxil was effective and well tolerated in adolescents, even though the actual data in the clinical trial showed otherwise. See back story here. Indeed, in its re-examination of clinical trial data for all the antidepressants, the FDA labeled study 329 a negative study, finding that Paxil was no more effective than placebo in treating depression in adolescents. Yet Martin Keller, the principal investigator of the Paxil study, and his co-author... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2741579 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:59:31 +0100 2741579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2682118&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F08%2Fseroxatpaxil-%25e2%2580%2593-the-new-thalidomide-%25e2%2580%2593-part-3%2F Part 3 of this story… Seroxat/Paxil – the new Thalidomide? Seroxat/Paxil – the new Thalidomide? – part 2 Reading the above stories (and from doing a little reasearch online), it would seem to me that, at the very least, Glaxo would err on the side of caution and advise that pregnancy and Seroxat/Paxil perhaps do not mix – they might say the jury was out, but at least be advised they might be a problem. That would be safe, reasonable and logical you would think. But no. Glaxo are instead trying to create a new market from Paxil/Seroxat – as a treatment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder… the clincial trials they have funded say just take Seroxat/Paxil for a few days each month and all will be well! Honestly, from my own experience (and the experience of tens ... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2682118 Sat, 08 Aug 2009 09:25:24 +0100 2682118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2682119&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F08%2Fseroxatpaxil-%25e2%2580%2593-the-new-thalidomide-part-2%2F This from Professor David Healy writing in the Guardian today: Doped and duped Adverse effects of widely-prescribed drugs are often overlooked because there is so little truly independent academic evidence Since 2005, the SSRI paroxetine, first marketed by GlaxoSmithKline as Seroxat, has carried warnings of risk of birth defects. In the US litigation in which I have been asked to give evidence, the plaintives will argue that, even before they were launched, there was good laboratory evidence that the SSRIs might cause problems, and, following their initial marketing, evidence emerged over a decade ago from clinical use that the drugs actually do cause problems. Yet these drugs have been actively promoted, de facto primarily to women of child-bearing years. How could this happen? Part of th... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2682119 Sat, 08 Aug 2009 08:57:16 +0100 2682119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2682120&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F07%2Fseroxatpaxil-the-new-thalidomide%2F This from Sarah Boseley at the Guardian: Antidepressants once seen as miracle drugs: now risks are becoming evident US courts to hear claims that insufficient attention was paid to dangers to foetus Since the horror of the Thalidomide scandal in the 1960s, pharmaceutical companies and medicines regulators have been acutely aware of the dangers drugs may pose to the unborn child. Establishing what the effect of a drug may be on a foetus, however, is no simple task. Companies must rely on animal studies in the early stages of research and hope that the drug will behave in humans in the same way. Trials on pregnant women are rarely carried out, for obvious reasons. Depression and anxiety became big business for the pharmaceutical industry in the 1990s as doctors became better at diagnosing th... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2682120 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:05:20 +0100 2682120 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2667706&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F04%2Frewriting-the-psychiatrists-bible%2F On the radio in the UK tonight – BBC Radio 4, Tuesday 4 August, 20.00 Afterwards it’ll be available via BBC iPlayer. Matthew Hill investigates the links between psychiatrists and the pharmaceutical industry. Should there be increased transparency over top psychiatrists’ links to the industry? He looks at the influence of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM), produced by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), which has been heavily criticised in the past for a lack of transparency between the panel members and pharmaceutical companies. Matthew also examines the ‘Chinese menu’ aspect of the DSM’s diagnostic criteria and the sheer number of conditions it includes. Matthew investigates whether the APA’s transparen... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2667706 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:01:04 +0100 2667706 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2615472&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F19%2Fthe-myth-of-the-chemical-cure%2F I’ve written about the myth of the chemical cure and the lie of serotonin imbalance before: Is Clinical Depression Caused by a Serotonin Imbalance? The Chemical imbalance ‘theory’… come on Glaxo – PROVE it now Jury Trials In 2008 Expected To Expose SSRI Maker’s Dirty Secrets Everything you ever wanted to know about… Serotonin The term Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) was invented by a marketing company to sell Seroxat/Paxil to the public. Along with this serious medical sounding piece of jargon, came the fairy tale of the ‘chemical imbalance’ When I started taking Seroxat in 1997, I wanted to know how this great new drug worked – the PIL (the leaflet that came with the tablets) told me “it boosts the levels of serotonin in your brain and that�... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2615472 Sun, 19 Jul 2009 08:27:41 +0100 2615472 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2513066&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F24%2Fantidepressant-use-soars-as-the-recession-bites%2F This from Jamie Doward at The Observer: Fears the recession is affecting the mental health of the nation appear to be borne out by new figures that show prescriptions of antidepressants are soaring. Last year in England there were 2.1m more prescriptions of antidepressants than in 2007, leading to concerns that doctors are increasingly supplying the drugs as a “quick fix” without attempting to address the underlying cause of the problems. In total, 36m prescriptions were given out, an increase of 24% over the past five years. “The increase in the number of people being prescribed antidepressants is deeply disturbing,” said the Liberal Democrats’ health spokesman, Norman Lamb, who obtained the figures. “England has become a true Prozac nation.” Lamb... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2513066 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:46:36 +0100 2513066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2513067&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F19%2Fthe-truth-about-how-addictive-seroxat-paxil-is%2F Well not actually the truth, I’m afraid – read on and you’ll see Glaxo actually has a couple of conflicting things to say Seroxat and addiction – and they both can’t be truth. You might think that after all the years of doctors and patients all around the world saying Seroxat is highly addictive – oops, sorry, causes dependence and severe withdrawal reactions – that Glaxo would simply undertake the definitive study to prove us all wrong and to really show the world once and for all  how safe and non-addictive Seroxat is… Glaxo could have done this years ago but it has not. In fact, the official Paxil prescribing information (produced by Glaxo, current version) confirms this by saying: DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE Controlled Substance Class: PAXIL is not a ... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2513067 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:07:16 +0100 2513067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2368688&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F26%2Fhow-drug-companies-re-engineer-illness-to-keep-making-money%2F In this interview with Christopher Lane (from Psychology Today), David Healy outlines just a few of the ways way drug companies market their pills… David Healy, a former secretary of the British Association for Psychopharmacology, is the author of over 120 articles and 14 books, including The Antidepressant Era, The Creation of Psychopharmacology, and Mania, a fascinating new book on the history of bipolar disorder. His criticism of drug-company practices has put him at odds with colleagues in psychiatry and pharmacology. At the same time, his undisputed expertise as a leading academic, researcher, and clinician gives him a unique perspective on patterns and problems in Anglo-American psychiatry. He recently agreed to answer a number of questions about the growing prevalence and expa... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2368688 Sun, 26 Apr 2009 11:28:49 +0100 2368688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2227437&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F03%2F01%2Flet-down-by-the-mhra-again%2F This article critically evaluates the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s announcement, in March 2008, that GlaxoSmithKline would not face prosecution for deliberately withholding trial data, which revealed not only that Seroxat was ineffective at treating childhood depression but also that it increased the risk of suicidal behaviour in this patient group. The decision not to prosecute followed a four and a half year investigation and was taken on the grounds that the law at the relevant time was insufficiently clear. This article assesses the existence of significant gaps in the duty of candour which had been assumed to exist between drugs companies and the regulator, and reflects upon what this episode tells us about the robustness, or otherwise, of the UK’s regulat... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2227437 Sun, 01 Mar 2009 10:34:35 +0100 2227437 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2222651&cid=t_104962_134_f&fid=35137&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdiabetesupdate.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fcourt-case-how-one-drug-company-buried.html If you have a strong stomach, take a look at this news story:AstraZeneca Seroquel Studies ‘Buried,’ Papers Show.The data is coming out ten years after the malfeasance described here which resulted in the information being hidden from doctors that the expensive new drug, Seroquel, was less effective than older, cheaper drugs, and that there was solid evidence that it caused both weight gain and diabetes.As many of you have learned the hard way, the diabetes that the atypical psychotic drugs like Seroquel causes may be irreversible. It is probably not caused by the weight gain experienced in people who take these drugs, as the story suggests. Instead, as is so often the case, the weight gain probably occurs after it breaks something that causes blood sugars to rise high enough to increas... Diabetes Update blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2222651 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:03:00 +0100 2222651 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2150838&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F02%2F01%2Fno-free-lunch-call-for-end-to-drug-firms-gifts%2F I see the BBC are running this story today: Medical experts are calling for drug industry representatives to stop giving gifts to doctors, the BBC has learned. The report was created by a working party led by the Royal College of Physicians and including members of leading pharmaceutical companies. The report says the measure would do much to rebalance the relationship between medicine and industry. The UK regulator, the GMC, says gifts must not be accepted which could be seen to affect clinicians’ judgement. The industry’s current code of practice allows drug companies to give small promotional gifts that are relevant to doctors’ work, such as pens or surgical gloves. The report is to be published this Wednesday (4 Feb), but from what I’ve read in the BBC artic... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2150838 Sun, 01 Feb 2009 10:20:37 +0100 2150838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2150839&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F02%2F01%2Feli-lilley-a-criminal-corporation-that-deeply-regrets-the-past-actions%2F I’ve followed the Zyprexa affair since the inception of this blog - it’s a scandalous example of all that’s wrong with big pharma today. Zyprexa is an unsafe drug that was illegally marketed in a very aggressive manner by Eli Lilley. The only reason Lilley deeply regrets its past actions is because it got caught. Nothing will change - the company will still market its dangerous drugs in illegal ways. There are ptofits to be made after all. This from Philip Dawdy at Furious Seasons: Eli Lilly Formally Pleads Guilty, Apologies To Investors, Ignores Victims News is out that Eli Lilly today formally entered a guilty plea in court to criminal misdemeanor charges related to illegal off-label marketing of Zyprexa for dementia, a condition for which the diabetes-inducing atypical... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2150839 Sun, 01 Feb 2009 08:30:35 +0100 2150839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2112226&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F01%2F17%2Fzyprexa-lillys-criminal-drug-marketing-policies-finally-admitted%2F In March 2007, I wondered “how does a drug such as Zyprexa, that was approved for the treatment of adults with schizophrenia, and a few years later, was approved for short-term treatment of adults with manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder, become such a HUGE selling medicine? “Despite its extremely limited original approved uses, Zyprexa has gone on to become the top selling antipsychotic worldwide with an estimated 20 million people having used the drug and Lilly’s best-selling product, with $4.2 billion in sales in 2005, which translates into 30% of its total revenues.” Well, finally we know how they did it - they simply broke the law… This from Phil Dawdy at Furious Seasons: News is out this morning (15 January) that, as expected, Eli Lilly has settled claims ag... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2112226 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 10:03:22 +0100 2112226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2100988&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F01%2F13%2Fandrew-witty-read-this-mate%2F This is from the Wall Street Journal. I have to ask, Andrew, do you think we were all born yesterday? I’ve offered before, I’d still like to get together with you - I live round the corner from Glaxo in Brentford and I would love an hour or two with you Andrew - you name the time, I’ll work around your diary. One blunt Yorkshireman to another, eh? I think you should all read the comments posted about this article: Glaxo’s Witty Puts Better Foot Forward GlaxoSmithKline CEO Andrew Witty wants to dial down the volume on what some see as some the drug industry’s more obnoxious habits. During a visit to Health Blog HQ last week, Witty talked about his plans to cut Glaxo’s spending on TV advertising in the U.S. this year. He also repeated previous pledges to stop using c... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2100988 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:34:55 +0100 2100988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2078225&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F01%2F03%2Fssri-pushers-under-fire%2F In conclusion, she states, “I’m struck more than anything by the apparent lack of shame among clinicians when it comes to this issue.” Two years later, on July 19, 2006, the Wall Street Journal reported that the journal, Neuropsychopharmacology, published by the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), planned to publish a correction of a favorable review of a new depression treatment device because it failed to list the ties of the eight academic authors to the device maker, Cyberonics, including lead author Dr Nemeroff, the editor of Neuropsychopharmacology at that time. The FDA had approved the VNS device in July 2005 over the objections of “more than 20″ FDA scientists, Bloomberg reported a day earlier on July 18, 2006. “This is about as c... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2078225 Sat, 03 Jan 2009 14:31:16 +0100 2078225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021512&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F12%2F07%2Fnemeroff-keller-the-list-goes-on-now-take-a-bow-joe-biederman%2F This from Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look. It’s all about another lying, cheating son-of -a-bitch ‘Key Opinion Leader’ - this time, Joe Biederman. Psychiatrist Joe “Short Fuse” Biederman of Harvard University is really in hot water now. The sordid details can be seen in a fantastic article by Gardiner Harris of the New York Times. Here’s just one snippet: In a November 1999 e-mail message, John Bruins, a Johnson & Johnson marketing executive, begs his supervisors to approve a $3,000 check to Dr. Biederman as payment for a lecture he gave at the University of Connecticut. “Dr. Biederman is not someone to jerk around,” Mr. Bruins wrote. “He is a very proud national figure in child psych and has a very short fuse.” Mr. Bruins ... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021512 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:58:32 +0100 2021512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1980850&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F11%2F23%2Fradio-doctor-admits-being-bribed-by-glaxo-to-recommend-drugs%2F I think it’s strange that the word bribe is not often used in articles about this kind of thing. But that’s EXACTLY what we’re talking about here: bribe [verb] – persuade (someone) to act in one’s favor, typically illegally or dishonestly, by a gift of money or other inducement. [noun] – a sum of money or other inducement offered or given in this way. This story by GARDINER HARRIS appeared in the New York Times last Friday and it’s about the lying, cheating, son-of-a-bitch Dr Freddie Goodwin An influential psychiatrist who was the host of the popular NPR program “The Infinite Mind” earned at least $1.3 million from 2000 to 2007 giving marketing lectures for drugmakers, income not mentioned on the program. The psychiatrist and radio host, Dr. Frederick ... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1980850 Sun, 23 Nov 2008 09:33:45 +0100 1980850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1960761&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F11%2F13%2Fmore-on-marty-keller-and-his-lies-does-this-man-have-no-conscience%2F I’m just catching up here with a post about the lying, cheating, son-of-a-bitch Dr Martin Keller (…so sue me Marty…) This from Alison Bass, author of Side Effects, the book which covers the whole sordid affair of Keller’s Paxil Study 329, the most infamous fraudulent pediatric trial of all time. The study “offers a landmark for the point at which science turned into marketing,” according to Dr David Healy: When I was a reporter for The Boston Globe in the 90s, an employee of Brown University’s department of psychiatry handed me a raft of internal university documents. A number of these documents pertained to an ongoing clinical trial that compared the antidepressant Paxil to a placebo and older antidepresssant (imipramine) in the treatment of depression in... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1960761 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:47:50 +0100 1960761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947236&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F11%2F10%2Fanother-rigged-drug-trial-what%25e2%2580%2599s-the-truth-behind-the-latest-crestor-research%2F I spent last Thursday at the APRIL Conference - Adverse psychiatric side effects of medicines: What’s our responsibility? I particularly enjoyed Dr Ben Goldacre’s (Bad Science) presentation entitled ‘How drug trials are rigged’. I was reminded of his talk just this morning as I woke to be greeted by news stories about the latest study into a drug called Crestor – stories such as Wonder drug hope for heart patients and NEW WONDER HEART PILL THAT MAY SAVE MILLIONS Millions of potential heart patients were handed a lifeline last night… a new cholesterol-lowering drug has proved so successful in trials that doctors want to speed it on to the market… the statin was found to dramatically cut illness and death rates in one of the largest studies ever conducted…the... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947236 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:14:07 +0100 1947236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1943385&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F11%2F08%2Fpharmaceutical-industry-hustlers-%25e2%2580%2593-part-i-ssri-antidepressants-pushers%2F As ever, Evelyn Pringle provides us with another well considered, in-depth article. This time she is writing about ‘Pharmaceutical Industry Hustlers’ - the key opinion leaders (KOL) whose reputations are for sale. Doctors such as Nemeroff and Keller in the USA and Montgomery in the UK can be relied on to say whatever a drug company tells them to, providing they are paid enough. It’s an absolute scandal and the time has come to bring these KOLs to justice - in the words of Barack Obama’s campaign  - Change we need. Now read on: After twenty long years, it appears that the epidemic in mental disorders in America might be coming to an end. It won’t happen because of any great medical breakthrough but rather because the perpetrators of the greatest healthcare fra... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1943385 Sat, 08 Nov 2008 09:40:53 +0100 1943385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1926536&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F11%2F02%2Fchange-pharmacovigilance-reporting-rules-uk-govt-is-told%2F This story makes me laugh - the UK goverment has been told by the EU that the law needs to be changed to make it clearer to drugmakers when they should report new information which might influence the evaluation of a medicine’s risks and benefits to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the government has been told. What I find so risable is the suggestion that there needs to be a law to ensure drug companies keep patients safe - that’s what it boils down to - “…report new information which might influence the evaluation of a medicine’s risks and benefits…” This law change comes as a direct result of the 4 year criminal investigation into Glaxo and the way the company hid negative trial data from the regulator and the public in order not... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1926536 Sun, 02 Nov 2008 10:41:01 +0100 1926536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1908817&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F26%2Fandrew-witty-window-dressing-at-glaxo-but-wheres-the-real-transparency%2F Andrew Witty’s latest initiative at Glaxo is no more than window dressing as he promises to make public the level of advisory fees it offers to doctors and medical academics (Charlie Nemeroff anyone?). If Witty really wants transparency, then I ask him to give me an hour of his time and we’ll talk Seroxat/Paxil - I live near Brentford so I can work around your diary, Andrew. One blunt Yorkshireman to another, eh lad? Anyway, this from Pharmalot: Andrew Witty wants to board the transparency train. After a few rival drugmakers - such as Lilly and Merck - vowed to disclose payments to doctors, Glaxo is now saying it will do the same. And so the ceo promises to make public the level of advisory fees it offers to doctors and medical academics, and will strictly cap the payments they... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1908817 Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:42:18 +0100 1908817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1901566&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F22%2Fjim-thomson-and-the-eaasm-promoting-big-pharma-not-patients%2F Jim Thomson heads up the European Alliance for Access to Safe Medicines (EAASM). Long-standing readers of this blog will know I am always very interested in what Jim’s up to and I’m a long time critic of the man and what he stands for. So I was interested to read this from the German newspaper Spiegel Online: ‘Worst-Of’ Awards to Smoke Out EU Lobbyists [Vote here.] Brussels is packed with behind-the-scenes lobbyists working hard — and not always cleanly or fairly — to promote their employer’s interests. A group of NGOs is currently trying to bring a bit of transparency to this murky world with some not so honorific honors. When it comes to lawmaking in Europe, an estimated three-fourths of all new laws and regulations originate in Brussels, the Eur... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1901566 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:02:43 +0100 1901566 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1886421&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F17%2Fchoice-and-medication-website-and-another-thing%2F And another thing about that Choice and Medication website - have a look at the section entitled “What sort of side-effects might occur if I am taking SSRIs?”… it’s made up of standard pharma rubbish. And not even up to date standard pharma rubbish: Nausea and vomiting; restlessness or anxiety; insomnia; headache; rashes and pruritis - and so the list goes on. Nothing to worry about - it’ll pass - see your Doctor. Any mention of akathesia, agitation, mania, psychosis, self harm, suicidal thoughts and actions, violence, thoughts of homicide, disturbing nightmares, lack of empathy toward other people, anger, severe memory loss? Nope, I thought not. Now read this story - from Furious Seasons: Coroner Blames Celexa For Man’s Suicide This short article from t... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1886421 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:54:55 +0100 1886421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1883363&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F16%2Fchoice-and-medication-a-new-independent-website-i-dont-think-so%2F I think someone has to ask questions about this new website - Choice and medication. It has been described thus: An independent website offering medicines advice for mental health patients was launched at the House of Commons on 10 October, World Mental Health Day. The website gives patients and their carers advice about more than 100 medicines or medicine groups, with input from a number of pharmacy organisations. The website has been three years in the making and is a collaboration between the UK Psychiatric Pharmacy Group, the College of Mental Health Pharmacists, the Pharmaceutical Schizophrenia Initiative and the National Institute for Mental Health in England. Stephen Bazire, author of the site [yeah, right] and chief pharmacist at Hellesdon Hospital, Norfolk and Waveney Mental... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1883363 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:39:41 +0100 1883363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1856083&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F06%2Fcharles-nemeroff-resigns-from-emory-university-thats-not-the-end-of-it-though%2F So, we say farwell to Chuck “Bling Bling” Nemeroff as he resigns from Emory. Sorry Chuck, but it’s too little too late. You’ve done the damage already by talking up shitty drugs and crappy research. If you think this is over now, you’ve got another think coming - the time is right to finally bring a so-called Key Opinion Leader to account for his lies. I hope Senator Grassley agrees with me. If we’re going to put a stop to KOLs selling their reputations to the highest bidders then we need an example to be made of someone. It seems Senator Grassley has the evidence against Nemeroff to do this - does he have the nerve, I wonder? This from Phil Dawdy at Furious Seasons: A few of you have probably already caught the news elsewhere: yesterday, Charles Nemerof... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1856083 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:52:07 +0100 1856083 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1853626&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F05%2Fcharles-nemeroff-caught-with-his-hands-in-the-glaxo-till%2F … so says the Wall Street Journal - Senator Grassley is asking ‘Chuck’ Nemeroff some difficult questions about why Nemeroff neglected to disclose certain paments he received from Glaxo… “…From 2000 through 2006, Dr. Nemeroff received just over $960,000 from Glaxo, but reported to Emory University that he received no more than $35,000….” Oops! I’ve written about ‘Chuck’ in the past - here, here and here. This latest story is from DAVID ARMSTRONG of the WALL STREET JOURNAL, October 4: A prominent Emory University psychiatrist failed to tell the school about $500,000 he received from drug maker GlaxoSmithKline PLC while heading a government-funded research project studying Glaxo drugs, Sen. Charles Grassley alleged. The payment... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1853626 Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:32:05 +0100 1853626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833235&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F26%2Fbrown-university-keller-and-study-329-cracks-beginning-to-show-at-last%2F This article provided confirmation that Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and the US Senate Finance Committee is, in fact, investigating Dr Keller and Brown University in connection with the controversy. It also included other original reporting, including an acknowledgement from GlaxoSmithKline Director of US Media Relationships Sarah Alspach that the company had provided the committee with full information about the compensation it gave Dr Keller. The second provided a quite clear explanation of the allegations about the manipulation of Study 329. This article also included results of an interview with Dr Jon Jureidini, the author of an article that dissected study 329, and suggested that it had been manipulated to enhance the apparent benefits of paroxetine, and diminish its apparent ri... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833235 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:22:51 +0100 1833235 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1794429&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F15%2Fis-clinical-depression-caused-by-a-serotonin-imbalance%2F CONCLUSION We are pleased that Kramer has put in writing what he thinks is the best evidence for the serotonin theory, however, we are concerned that readers of his blog may mistakenly conclude that there is indeed powerful new evidence for the serotonin theory. As we have shown, an in-depth look at these studies finds the results to be tentative, at best. Hypotheses regarding serotonin and depression have been generated that need to be rigorously tested, as has been the case for forty years. Overall, this discussion illustrates the difficulties of the scientific process and the perils of justificationary thinking. If a psychiatrist begins with the belief that serotonin deficiency causes depression and proceeds from there, there will always be studies to be cited. Unfortunately, much of th... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1794429 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:27:09 +0100 1794429 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1794430&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F15%2Fpharma-giles-gone-but-not-forgotten%2F I had this comment today - you simply must follow the link… thanks to ‘Blogger’: For all of you missing the Pharmagiles blog I am reproducing the amusing Childrens Story of Medicine Book created by the legendary PharmaGiles. http://inside-out-sourcing.blogspot.com/2008/07/tribute-to-pharmagiles.html (Source: seroxat secrets...) seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1794430 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:18:57 +0100 1794430 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1754742&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F02%2Fmore-drug-marketing-by-the-back-door-servier-take-a-bow%2F A colleague sent me this news item about research that shows SSRIs DON’T actually work - and they also ruin your sleep (bear with me - this is a good one). BARCELONA, Spain — September 1, 2008. A Scottish study — Long-Term Antidepressant Treatment Without Active Management Hardly Induces Remission: presented at ECNP By Judith Moser, MD — identified a group of patients in primary care who are on long-term and stable treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). A substantial proportion of patients displayed prevailing residual depressive and anxiety symptoms as well as sleep problems in spite of their treatment. Alan Wade, MD, CPS Clinical Research Centre, Glasgow, Scotland, presented the study at a poster session on September 1 here at the 21st Eur... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1754742 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:47:01 +0100 1754742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1693703&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F08%2F10%2Fnew-videos-added%2F I’ve just added three more vidoes to my Seroxat videos page (see the link at the top of the page). Thanks to the Truthman once again. It’s an interview from Fox News in three parts with Dr Peter Breggin about his new book Medication Madness. Breggin has been a long time critic of antidepressants… but strangely none of the drug companies listen to him. Maybe the drug companies are too focused on their profits to worry about patient harm? Have a look at my video page and then if you still want more then simply go to YouTube and search for Paxil or Seroxat or Aropax. (Source: seroxat secrets...) seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1693703 Sun, 10 Aug 2008 09:07:46 +0100 1693703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1692192&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F08%2F08%2Fseroxatpaxil-for-pre-menstrual-syndrome-no-conflicts-of-interest%2F This study took place in Canada. The detail can be found (once again) at Seroxat Sufferers: This study was conducted by M Steiner, AV Ravindran, JM Lemelledo, D Carter, JO Huang, AM Anonychuk, and SD Simpson. The declaration of interests [Financial Disclosure] shows what I believe to be a severe conflict of interests in this study. First and foremost the study was funded by GlaxoSmithKline, Canada. Dr. Steiner has served as a consultant to Eli Lilly, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Lundbeck, Novartis, Wyeth, Ortho- McNeil, AstraZeneca, and Azevan; has served on the speakers bureaus of AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and Wyeth; has served on the advisory boards of Eli Lilly, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Lundbeck, Ortho-McNeil, Wyeth, Sherring, Ferring, and Azevan; and has received gra... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1692192 Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:26:57 +0100 1692192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1679414&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F08%2F04%2Fjust-take-paxil-for-6-or-7-days-a-month-every-month%2F No. I’m not joking… I wonder if Dr. Mikael Landen of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm has any connection to GlaxoSmithKline… I wonder who is funding his ‘research’? Doctors are testing women taking antidepressants at the first symptom of premenstrual irritability, a move critics worry could lead to even more prescribing of “psychotropic” drugs to women. A small new study shows antidepressants work within hours to dampen premenstrual anger and irritability. It usually takes several weeks for the drugs to start working in depression, and months before a maximum effect is achieved. But studies suggest a popular class of drugs called SRIs, or serotonin reuptake inhibitors, work more rapidly to reduce symptoms such as irritability and anger. Some w... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1679414 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:45:31 +0100 1679414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1679628&cid=t_104962_150_f&fid=35779&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pharmamanufacturing.com%2Fonpharma%2F%3Fp%3D2481 A paper by James Evans recently published in Science, explores the impact of the Internet on research publications.  The problem:  Fewer and more recent sources are being cited.  For a video interview with Evans, click here. Emil Ciurczak expounded on this theme a while back, describing this as the “Cool Hand Luke” effect….what we have, [...] (Source: On Pharma) On Pharma blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1679628 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:39:48 +0100 1679628 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1664633&cid=t_104962_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F349497288%2F An appeals court has upheld a decision preventing the FDA from implementing a law that would force distributors to keep a record of everyone who has handled a drug. A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit released an order last week in a case filed by the FDA against RxUSA Wholesale, which argued the FDA unfairly attempted to enforce the law governing distribution. At issue is the Prescription Drug Marketing Act, which requires each person engaged in distributing prescription drugs must provide a statement “identifying each prior sale, purchase, or trade of such drug.” However, as the court noted, a 2006 amendment does not specifically state whether identification must extend back to the drugmaker, or must only extend to the last authorized distributor... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1664633 Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:39:52 +0100 1664633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1646011&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F23%2Flilly-zyprexa-glaxo-seroxat%2F I notice that Phil Dawdy at Furious Seasons has an update on the Zyprexa story. I’ve written about Zyprexa before but Phil is the Daddy on this one. In March 2007, I wondered “how does a drug such as Zyprexa, that was approved for the treatment of adults with schizophrenia, and a few years later, was approved for short-term treatment of adults with manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder, become such a HUGE selling medicine? “Despite its extremely limited original approved uses, Zyprexa has gone on to become the top selling antipsychotic worldwide with an estimated 20 million people having used the drug and Lilly’s best-selling product, with $4.2 billion in sales in 2005, which translates into 30% of its total revenues.” This from Furious Seasons: Late last we... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1646011 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:00:58 +0100 1646011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1642695&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fseroxat-suicide-of-course-not-says-glaxo%2F Today, July 21, would have been Sara Carlin’s 20th birthday… Instead, on Sunday, May 6, 2007, Sara, suffering from the side effects of a powerful anti-depressive drug, grabbed a piece of electrical wiring, fashioned a crude noose and hanged herself in the basement of her parent’s house. “We thought this has to be murder. This girl would never do that,” said Neil, her father. “How could someone so beautiful and brilliant, who had so much going for her want to end her life?” Sara had been prescribed Seroxat/Paxil and it changed the person she was. The full story is here. What follows is from Bob Fiddaman. I couldn’t put it any better: I could never even begin to imagine what it would feel like to lose one of my children, in fact the mere though... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1642695 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:17:29 +0100 1642695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1634950&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F17%2Fbarack-obama-and-john-mccain-go-to-war-with-big-pharma%2F Big Pharma’s days are numbered - the age of the truly innovative blockbuster drug is over and this is why Glaxo, for instance, was driven and develop ‘new’ versions of its best sellers - like Paxil CR (in the USA). It’s not better for us punters - it’s just better for Glaxo, as they can get a fresh patent on the ‘new’ version, and make more money - for longer. One analyst says: ‘Big Pharma spends too much time promoting treatments that are mere variations of top-selling drugs already on the market. That way, the companies make big profits, while spending relatively little on research and development.’ Another way that drug companies can extend the cash generating life of their products is to get them approved for new ‘indications’ - such as Seroxat for OCD; for pa... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1634950 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:15:32 +0100 1634950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1631114&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F16%2Fpressure-builds-on-marty-keller-as-grassley-senate-finance-committee-probe%2F I’ve written a lot about Key Opinion Leader Marty Keller in the past… this link takes you to collected posts and downloads. But enough of the past - the pressure is building NOW on Marty Keller and Brown University. This from Pharmalot: Among the 30 or so physicians at two dozen universities that the Senate Finance Committee is probing concerning disclosure of grants from drugmakers is Martin Keller, a psychiatrist at Brown University who is a controversial figure for his role in studying Glaxo’s Paxil antidepressant. The committee, according to sources familiar with the investigation, sent a letter to Brown as part of its investigation. We are awaiting a reply from Brown and will update you shortly. In recent weeks, the committee has acknowledged focusing on three academic p... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1631114 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:31:30 +0100 1631114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1622190&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F15%2Fjoe-biederman-key-opinion-leader%2F This article from the San Francisco Chronicle by Dr Lawrence Diller tells the story of one KOL. Most parents have never heard of him, but Joseph Biederman of Harvard may be the United States’ most influential doctor when it comes to determining whether their children are normal or mentally ill. In 1996, for example, Biederman suggested that drugs like Ritalin might serve 10 percent of American kids for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. By 2004, one in nine 11-year-old boys was taking the drug. Biederman and his team also are more responsible than anyone for a child bipolar epidemic sweeping America (and no other country) that has 2-year-olds on three or four psychiatric drugs. The science of children’s psychiatric medications is so primitive and Biederman’s influe... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1622190 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:45:04 +0100 1622190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1616137&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F13%2Fglaxo-drug-trial-uses-children-from-third-world-countries-who-are-pressured-and-forced-into-signing-consent-forms-12-babies-dead%2F This news coming in today from tradingmarkets.com - maybe it’ll give GSK’s Paul Blackburn some pause for thought as he has such “a passion for children”. 12 Babies die during vaccine trials in Argentina Buenos Aires, Jul 10, 2008 At least 12 babies who were part of a clinical study to test the effectiveness of a vaccine against pneumonia have died over the past year in Argentina, the local press reported Thursday. The study was sponsored by global drug giant GlaxoSmithKline and uses children from poor families, who are “pressured and forced into signing consent forms,” the Argentine Federation of Health Professionals, or Fesprosa, said. “This occurs without any type of state control” and “does not comply with minimum ethical requiremen... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1616137 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 09:54:55 +0100 1616137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1603077&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F10%2Fopen-letter-to-paul-blackburn-glaxosmithkline%2F I understand that Ofsted recently asked you to resign from your post as a non executive member of their Board (just days after you were appointed). [Interested readers can see an excellent article about this story from Eileen Fairweather of the Daily Mail here.] Said Ofsted “…His [Paul Blackburn] resignation follows public concerns about the activities of his employer GSK. Paul did not want any negative press interest to detract from the excellent work of Ofsted and therefore resigned.” You said “At Ofsted’s request, I have resigned… I wish to make it clear that this decision should in no way give credibility to the spurious allegations which have been reported regarding GlaxoSmithKline. These are entirely without foundation and have been previously addressed by... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1603077 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:52:55 +0100 1603077 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1593873&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F08%2Fheart-attacks-and-suicides-yet-the-dangers-were-all-kept-so-quiet-so-how-can-you-trust-your-medicine%2F Thanks to Truthman30 for this from today’s Dail Mail by Jerome Burne: Few of us would think to question the safety of our prescription drugs. After all, they’ve been developed to make us better. But just how safe are they really — and is the official drug watchdog doing enough to protect us? Last month, for instance, it was revealed that the number of powerful anti-psychotic drugs being prescribed to children had almost doubled in past six years. Yet despite the growing evidence that these drugs can seriously harm children — causing excessive weight gain, a rise in blood pressure, severe lethargy and even lactation — the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is powerless to limit their use. The problem is that these drugs aren’t officially licensed for use on ... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1593873 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:52:20 +0100 1593873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1593874&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F07%2Fadult-adhd-coming-soon-i-told-you-so%2F There have been quite a lot of stories recently about Adult ADHD and the way the condition is being ‘marketed’, both here and in the US. Once the condition itself has been successfully marketed to a suitably enlarged target audience then the medicinal ‘cure’ can be sold to all the many hundreds of thousands of newly diagnosed ’sufferers’. Now we get the Royal College of Psychiatrists singing from the same hymn sheet: A significant number of adults with unresolved depression, anxiety or addiction may actually have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a condition that has been widely considered to resolve in late adolescence. Armed with the correct diagnosis, adult ADHD sufferers could soon be prescribed Ritalin-style stimulant medications for ... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1593874 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:33:09 +0100 1593874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1593875&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F07%2Fmarty-keller-dean-wing-and-integrity-at-brown-medical-school%2F There seem to be quite a few posts around about this story… all pointing back to Aubrey Blumnshon at Scientific Misconduct. Writes Blumsohn: One thing will be obvious to anyone who has spent time looking at scientific misconduct and academic bullying. Publicly known instances tend to aggregate within particular institutions. It may be a denominator effect. “Bad apples” might arise in productive institutions with a large number of apples. Ineffective (or corrupt) leadership might also permit fraud and bullying. Unprincipled leadership is also associated with sham investigation and attempted cover-up, which in turn precipitates public discussion. Several institutions spring to mind, not only for the frequency of serious problems but also dismal cover-up, ignoring of princip... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1593875 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:56:24 +0100 1593875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1582031&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F05%2Faccess-to-safe-medicines%2F Alliance for Access to Safe Medicines? Safe medicines? Maybe Jim Thomson and his ‘Alliance for Access to Safe Medicines’ should read just a few of the comments that I’ve received in the last week: “…in the land of hope and glory i,e the United Kingdom: After having to fight to secure public funding from the Legal Assistance Board, to take legal action against GSK regarding seroxat, the solicitor handling the action (Hugh James) informs me that GSK will only consider claims for withdrawl symptoms and side effects, but will not consider deaths or suicides. My wife died I believe due to seroxat. Therefore the solicitor has decided it would not be feasable to pursue my late wife’s case as the chances of success are slim. So not only did i loose my partner, and s... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1582031 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:50:27 +0100 1582031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1563931&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F02%2Fthe-eaasm-misses-the-point-what-exactly-are-safe-medicines%2F Well then, Jim thomson and the EAASM have had their expensive publicity machine at work (the Medicom Group) and we’re seeing stories in the press about “The Counterfeiting Superhighway” - which is the latest report from the EAASM - “Patients who buy drugs over the internet cannot be sure what they are getting and some may have no active ingredient while others are potentially fatal…” Says Jim Thomson, Chair, EAASM: “The report findings are shocking and the story it tells demands action. Consumers are susceptible to fake medicines which could harm their health, and in extreme cases be deadly.” For once, I have to agree with Jim - this is shocking. Imagine being given the choice between potentially fake Seroxat that could harm my health and per... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1563931 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:28:13 +0100 1563931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1554457&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F06%2F29%2Fjim-thomson-and-the-eaasm-whats-really-going-on-then%2F I notice a bit of news recently from the European Alliance for Access to Safe Medicines (EAASM). It seems that the EAASM reckons the parallel trade in drugs in the EU puts patients at risk… but there is world of difference between the legal parallel trade and drug counterfeiting. But not as far as my old mate Jim Thomson is concerned and the EAASM is Jim’s latest drug company funded venture. The cynical amongst you might think that Jim and the EAASM only link the parallel trade with counterfeit drugs because the EAASM has actually been set up with pharmaceutical money in order to play its part to tarnish a legitimate practice (parallel trading) that poses competition to the major pharmaceutical industries. The cynical amongst you might think that - I couldn’t possibly comment... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1554457 Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:48:03 +0100 1554457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1535778&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F06%2F21%2Fmarty-keller-key-opinion-leader-do-the-fbi-want-to-talk-to-him-about-study-329%2F It seems the FBI might want to know more about Study 329 and it’s ‘author’ ‘Marty’ Keller… “The prosecutor and FBI “were quite interested in how Study 329 was used to promote Paxil for teenagers and kids by clinical researchers Glaxo had underwritten”. If the FBI are looking in and want more information, can I suggest typing “Study 329″ or “Keller” into the search box on the left. Happy reading! GlaxoSmithKline’s Study 329 of medication for adolescent depression failed to demonstrate any benefit for paroxetine over placebo in adolescents and demonstrated a worrying profile of adverse events for paroxetine. The study was ultimately published in 2001 by the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiat... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1535778 Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:01:38 +0100 1535778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1526259&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F06%2F18%2Fglaxo-marketing-strategy-under-threat-from-the-fda%2F What I find most amazing about this story is this quote from Christopher Viehbacher, president of North American pharmaceuticals for Glaxo. Says Viehbacher “…it is harder to get approval for variations of drugs because the FDA now demands to know why they are better than the original.” Well excuse me, Chris - what do think the FDA should do? A well known tactic that companies like Glaxo undertake in order to maximise revenue from best selling drugs about to go out of patent is this: they simply create a slightly different version of the drug and start to market the ‘new, improved’ version. Maybe it’s simply a slow release version, or maybe it has a few different molecules. Whatever, the important thing is that it must be able to be patented once again. A... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1526259 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:50:54 +0100 1526259 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1526260&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F06%2F17%2Fmore-on-paxil-and-suicide-glaxo-was-aware-of-this-risk-and-hid-it%2F This from the Wall Street Journal By ALICIA MUNDY and JEANNE WHALEN (with thanks to Truthman30): Unsealed Report Claims Suicide Risk Was Miscalculated WASHINGTON — GlaxoSmithKline PLC faces new questions about whether it deliberately misrepresented data on suicide risk for its antidepressant Paxil when it applied for the drug’s approval to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration at an advisory committee meeting in 1991, a charge the company has denied. A study by a Harvard psychiatry instructor, underwritten by plaintiffs’ lawyers and previously kept under seal by a court order, says that Glaxo “improperly” counted patients taking placebos during clinical studies. From 1989 through 1991, Glaxo then submitted information to the FDA that indicated no major differe... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1526260 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:43:48 +0100 1526260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1522177&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F06%2F16%2Fmissing-report-pages-seen-for-the-first-time-proof-that-glaxo-hid-paxil-risk%2F This from Pharmalot: Last week, US Senator Chuck Grassley called for a probe into Glaxo and the FDA over their handling of the Paxil antidepressant. At issue are the long-standing allegations that the drugmaker knew about suicide risks in children for nearly 15 years but obscured evidence. In demanding the probe, Grassley cited a report prepared by Joseph Glenmullen, a Harvard psychiatry professor, for litigation in federal court in California over Paxil side effects. The report was unsealed earlier this year, but was missing some pages. Last week, those pages became available and include a section that describes in some detail how Glaxo allegedly manipulated so-called placebo suicides. These are deaths that occur among patients who are taken off other meds so they can participate in a tri... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1522177 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:11:51 +0100 1522177 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1516562&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F06%2F13%2Fus-senator-seeks-fda-probe-of-glaxos-paxil-data-was-safety-information-withheld-in-the-usa%2F U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley asked U.S. regulators on Thursday to investigate whether drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline Plc withheld data about a risk of suicide linked to its anxiety disorder drug Paxil. Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, said in a letter that a British regulatory agency had found Glaxo knew Paxil was associated with a higher risk of suicidal behavior in adolescents as far back as 1998. “I would like you to take a look at the information that agency gathered and determine if the company has withheld safety information here as well,” Grassley wrote in the letter to the heads of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration. Grassley also asked the FDA to review a report by a Harvard psychiatrist who has submitted information as par... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1516562 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:31:06 +0100 1516562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1494370&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F06%2F04%2Fpaxil-study-329-lest-we-forget%2F Thanks to Healthy Skepticism and Pharmagossip for this: GlaxoSmithKline’s Study 329 of medication for adolescent depression failed to demonstrate any benefit for paroxetine over placebo in adolescents and demonstrated a worrying profile of adverse events for paroxetine. The study was ultimately published in 2001 by the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry with Keller as the primary author. This misleading paper has been a focus of interest for Healthy Skepticism since 2002. In 2003 they wrote to the Editor of JAACAP raising concerns about the misleading reporting by the authors that exaggerated benefit and downplayed adverse effects. (They also questioned editorial functioning, which drew an angry response from the Editor). In 2004 CMAJ published an Editoria... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1494370 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:20:24 +0100 1494370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1466085&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F05%2F24%2Fdepression-alliance-clumsy-conflicts-of-interest-once-again%2F It looks like Depression Alliance (DA) is up to its old tricks again… I have written about DA in the past and criticised the part it played in the marketing of Cymbalta in the UK. In the case of Cymbalta, the medical PR agency, Packer Forbes, worked with DA on the research and campaign for DA’s annual ‘depression awareness week’ in 2005 - which was funded by Eli Lilly & Boehringer Ingelheim. Packer Forbes also worked for Eli Lilly & Boehringer Ingelheim on the UK launch and marketing of new drug Cymbalta. You can read about it here and here. In essence the 2005 research for National Depression Week discovered that a major problem in depression was managing the associated “general aches and pains” that come with the condition. At the time Cymbalta... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1466085 Sat, 24 May 2008 09:50:43 +0100 1466085 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1446119&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F05%2F15%2Fmore-astroturfing-from-the-usa-saveorg%2F Bob Fiddaman at Seroxat Sufferers writes about a patient organisation in America called Suicide Awareness Voices Of Education (SAVE). This organisation is a fantastic example of astroturfing. For those of you unfamiliar with the word, astroturfing is a term for formal public relations campaigns… that seek to create the impression of being spontaneous, grassroots behavior. Hence the reference to AstroTurf (artificial grass) is a metaphor to indicate fake grassroots support. The goal of such a campaign is to disguise the agenda of a client as an independent public reaction to some political entity—a politician, political group, product, service or event. Astroturfers attempt to orchestrate the actions of apparently diverse and geographically distributed individuals, by both overt (”out... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1446119 Thu, 15 May 2008 22:02:56 +0100 1446119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1405377&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F04%2F29%2Fyet-more-on-paxil-study-329-keller-et-al%2F This is from the always excellent  CL Psych. As usual I have reproduced the whole of his article - it’s all here and a real eye opener. If you need to catch up on Study 329, then read this. Otherwise just carry on: A bombshell has just appeared [April 2008] in the International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine. The subject of the paper is Paxil study 329, which examined the effects of the antidepressant paroxetine in adolescents. The study findings were published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 2001. These new findings show that I was wrong about Paxil Study 329. You know, the one that I said overstated the efficacy of Paxil and understated its risks. The one that I claimed was ghostwritten. Turns out that due to legal action, sev... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1405377 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:13:18 +0100 1405377 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1393766&cid=t_104962_97_f&fid=35050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmaGazette%2F%7E3%2F276141408%2Ffda_warns_pfizer_over_online_v.html Everyone's seen the Viagra ads set to the tune of "Viva Las Vegas" by Elvis Presley well the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently warned Pfizer over its online "Viva Viagra" ads because the ad failed to detail the drug's health risks.Viagra, an impotence drug, is required to have warnings that include not using the drug if the patient is taking heart medication known as nitrate and also include the fact that sudden vision and hearing loss has been report by some men taking the drug.Pfizer spokesperson Fransisco Gebauer stated that the risk information should have appeared at the same time as the ad, in print, during the online ad however, do to a technical error on the CNN website that did not occur.To avoid the error from happening again Pfizer has pulled... PharmaGazette blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1393766 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:00:53 +0100 1393766 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1360630&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F04%2F09%2Fglaxo-hides-yet-more-trial-data%2F I wonder, can you see a pattern forming here? This time it’s not Seroxat but Avandia - read on from the Chicago Tribune: GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Europe’s largest drugmaker, failed to properly disclose studies of Avandia, the diabetes pill linked to potentially deadly side effects, U.S. regulators said. The violations “are serious and may be symptomatic of underlying post-marketing safety reporting failures,” the Food and Drug Administration said in a letter posted on its Web site. The agency said it was never told about nine studies, and an additional 11 weren’t included in required annual reports from 2001 to 2007. Avandia sales plunged last year after a May 21 report in the New England Journal of Medicine linked the drug to a 43 percent increased risk of heart... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1360630 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:43:33 +0100 1360630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1361156&cid=t_104962_150_f&fid=35779&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pharmamanufacturing.com%2Fonpharma%2F%3Fp%3D1711 Clinical trials may have uncovered a possible link between inhaled insulin and lung cancer. In testing its blockbuster manque Exubera, Pfizer said six of the 4,740 Exubera-treated patients versus one of the 4,292 patients not treated with Exubera developed lung cancer. One lung cancer case was also found after Exubera reached the market.  However, all those [...] (Source: On Pharma) On Pharma blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1361156 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:35:24 +0100 1361156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1353060&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F04%2F06%2Fdirect-to-consumer-advertising-for-europe%2F I wrote about ‘Pharma TV’ back in May 2007 - here, here, here, here and here. I also wrote about DTC drug advertising here and here. But it’s not advertising - it’s simply providing information for patients - yeah, right! Charles Medawar at Social Audit has been asked to write to the European Commission on this matter: RESPONSE FROM SOCIAL AUDIT Ltd TO THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S ‘LEGAL PROPOSALS ON INFORMATION TO PATIENTS’ Dear Sirs, I feel unable to respond to your consultation on ‘patient information’ on the point-by-point basis proposed. But I do wish to register the strongest objections to your plans, not least for the reasons explained in the statement you have received from the consortium of eleven European organisations, led by ISDB, MiEF... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1353060 Sun, 06 Apr 2008 09:47:00 +0100 1353060 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1353061&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F04%2F06%2Fwhy-would-pharmaceutical-companies-hid-bad-data-for-years%2F It’s a fair question - why would bad data be hidden for years? What’s in for pharma companies to do that? Well, I think we may have found a reason (or 5 billion reasons!)… Alex Berenson in the New York Times is writing about Merck and Schering-Plough and their delayed trial results for Vytorin and Zetia. The results were delayed for two years and last year these two drugs had sales in the USA of $5 billion…. Read on: The lead outside investigator on a crucial trial of two widely used heart drugs said in an e-mail message last July that Merck and Schering-Plough, the companies that make the drugs, were deliberately delaying the release of the trial results “to hide something.” The companies did not release the preliminary results of the trial, called Enhance, unt... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1353061 Sun, 06 Apr 2008 09:35:05 +0100 1353061 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1321113&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F03%2F22%2Fpaxilseroxat-information-laundering%2F This is from CL Psych’s excellent blog - a word for word lift as he’s done the job so well there’s nothing to add, except to note the fact that these people should be ashamed to have been exposed: Joseph Glenmullen’s testimony regarding GlaxoSmithKline’s burial of suicide data related to Paxil, which was discussed briefly across the blogosphere last week (Pharmalot, Furious Seasons, for example), was quite interesting in many respects. One important aspect that needs public airing is how key opinion leaders in psychiatry were used by GSK to help allay fears that Paxil might induce suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors. When GSK issues statements indicating that Paxil is not linked to increased suicide risk, many people will think “Gee, of course GSK will say Paxil is n... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1321113 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 15:57:23 +0100 1321113 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1306058&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F03%2F16%2F3-questions-for-jp-garnier-who-after-all-has-nothing-to-hide%2F So then JP - you still have nothing to hide? 3 easy questions for you to start with then… 1 The MHRA wrote to you in early March asking for your consent to release a number of documents you provided them in the course of their criminal investigation into the company you run. Have you given such such consent and if not why not? - after all, you have nothing to hide. 2 I notice that the MHRA tells us that during the course of the investigation, Glaxo and individual Glaxo employees declined “… invitations to attend interviews…” Please name the individuals concerned and please tell me why they declined the invitation to attend interviews - after all, you have nothing to hide. 3 In February 2003 you alerted the MHRA, finally submitting some clinical trial data showing that... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1306058 Sun, 16 Mar 2008 10:56:11 +0100 1306058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1294734&cid=t_104962_150_f&fid=35779&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pharmamanufacturing.com%2Fonpharma%2F%3Fp%3D1521 Have been away from the epicenter of political corruption for a while.  New York is quite a bit tamer on that score than Chicago.  Not so its tabloid headline writing (especially at the New York Post), which is as brilliant as it is uncivilized.  I was shocked to hear about New York governor Spitzer’s recent [...] (Source: On Pharma) On Pharma blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1294734 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:33:49 +0100 1294734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1288412&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F03%2F08%2Fglaxos-spin-on-hidden-seroxat-data-scandal-and-alsatair-benbows-memory-loss-between-october-1998-and-may-2003%2F Let’s take a step back, shall we. It’s worth looking at what happened and when - because Alastair Benbow seems to have forgotten something…It was only in February 2003 that GSK finally submitted some clinical trial data to the MHRA showing that paroxetine caused suicidal ideation, and even then data from adult and paediatric trials were merged. Full data from the clinical trials in children, demonstrating a causal link between paroxetine and suicidal ideation and behaviour, was finally submitted by GSK to the MHRA in May 2003 – a month before the company was due to submit an application for the drug to be licensed for use with children. [So Glaxo was still going to apply for a licence for use in children - in June 2003?] GSK has rejected claims that it withheld informa... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1288412 Sat, 08 Mar 2008 16:34:29 +0100 1288412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1284780&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F03%2F06%2Fthis-is-how-glaxo-hid-data-and-fooled-the-regulators%2F Glaxo did hide data from the regulators and the public about Seroxat/Paxil - for those of you that are new to all this here’s what they did and how they did it: Secret e-mails show that one of the world’s biggest drug companies distorted clinical trial results of their anti-depressant Seroxat, covering up a link with suicide in teenagers. On Monday January 29, 2007, the BBC TV programme Panorama showed shocking footage demonstrating how GlaxoSmithKline’s PR people and marketing department ’spun’ devastating trial results on children which showed serious risk of suicide, self-harm and aggression (violence), and also indicated it was no more effective than a sugar pill. Instead they claimed to doctors that the drug was ‘remarkably’ safe and effective for... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1284780 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:55:36 +0100 1284780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1282244&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F03%2F05%2Fthe-ssri-trap-40-of-the-population-on-anti-depressants-in-west-belfast%2F Up to 40 per cent of adults in some parts of West Belfast are popping ‘happy’ pills to cope with depression. Areas like Ballymurphy and the lower Falls are the worst hit, with many now addicted to strong medicines. News of the frightening addiction levels came on the same day a study found that anti-depressants have little clinical effect on patients. The University of Hull study tested popular drugs like Prozac and Seroxat. Thousands of West Belfast residents are prescribed these drugs to combat depression. Although they are packaged as being ‘non-addictive’, many users find it impossible to get through the day without popping at least one pill. Under new health reforms based on the University of Hull findings, anti-depressant users could be stripped off their drugs and made to un... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1282244 Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:14:43 +0100 1282244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1271845&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F03%2F02%2Fgovernment-minister-demands-secret-data-from-drug-companies-to-be-handed-over-to-nice%2F The big pharmaceutical companies are to be ’shamed’ into handing over their secret data on the effects of antidepressant medications, amid growing concern that the ’sunshine pills’ may not work as well as originally promised. A government minister has taken the unprecedented step of calling on the drugs companies to give the data to the body that will review the current depression guidelines, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice). Ivan Lewis, the minister with responsibility for mental health, said that ‘a failure to do so would leave the inevitable impression they had something to hide’. Nice, the body that looks at the effectiveness of all treatments and recommends to the NHS how they should be used, is embarking on a fresh l... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1271845 Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:59:25 +0100 1271845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1270571&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F03%2F01%2Fseroxat-does-not-work-in-majority-of-depressed-patients-says-latest-study-prof-nutt-disagrees%2F Seroxat does not work in majority of depressed patients says latest study - so writes The New Scientist - old news you might think: The antidepressant Prozac and related drugs are no better than placebo in treating all but the most severely depressed patients, according to a damaging assessment of the latest generation of antidepressants. SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, were supposed to revolutionise care of depression – by treating symptoms without the side effects of older drugs, such as tricyclics. But despite selling in vast quantities, a new meta-analysis of these drugs, from data presented to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), appears to suggest that for most patients they do not work. A previous study had indicated that the benefits of antidepressants mi... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1270571 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:19:18 +0100 1270571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1265160&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F02%2F28%2Fmps-call-upon-the-government-to-provide-withdrawal-clinics-for-people-addicted-to-seroxat%2F … and other SSRIs Oh, and also for the review into the MHRA that was recommended 3 years ago! Early Day Motion 1056 by Jim Dobbin MP - SSRI ANTI-DEPRESSANTS 26.02.2008 That this House welcomes the Department of Health’s announcement to increase the provision of talking therapy for depression; notes Professor Irving Kirsch’s study of the manufacturer’s trials of the SSRI anti-depressants Prozac, Seroxat and Efexor and his conclusion that these drugs are not effective; notes that there is zero cost-effectiveness to drugs that do not work; further notes that large numbers of people are involuntary addicted to these drugs and suffer bizarre and severe side effects which leave them unable to work; calls upon the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence to rev... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1265160 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:53:22 +0100 1265160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1250196&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F02%2F22%2Fgrassley-receives-gsks-paxil-documents-but-his-concerns-remain%2F A spokeswoman for Sen. Charles Grassley says documents submitted by GlaxoSmithKline on its drug Paxil have, at first glance, not alleviated the lawmaker’s suspicions that GSK knew about increased suicide risks associated with the antidepressant years before it sent a 2006 warning letter to physicians. “Our concerns have not changed,” says spokeswoman Jill Kozeny. The lawmaker received a tall stack of papers from GSK the day after his deadline for the company to submit documents on Paxil. Kozeny says Grassley’s staff is going through the documents this week and declined to comment on the next steps Grassley might be. Read more about Grassley and GlaxoSmithKline’s missing documents here and here. (Source: seroxat secrets...) seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1250196 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 20:20:34 +0100 1250196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1246630&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F02%2F20%2Fhow-a-dumbed-down-form-of-psychiatry-has-been-a-boon-for-the-drug-companies%2F This from today’s Times - another review of Christopher Lane’s SHYNESS - How normal behaviour became a sickness (Yale University Press). In 2000, an enterprising reporter on the Boston Globe, aware that the patent for the billion-dollar-selling anti-depressant drug Prozac was soon to expire, checked to see if an application had been filed for a new version and found that it had. Such applications have to state what the improved benefits of the new drug will be. Among them was this claim: “It will not produce several existing side-effects, including suicidal thoughts and self-mutilation . . . one of its [Prozac’s] more significant side-effects”. This story is related in Let Them Eat Prozac: The unhealthy relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and depression (2004... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1246630 Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:29:13 +0100 1246630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1238153&cid=t_104962_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F02%2F17%2Ffda-to-drug-companies-off-label-use-ok%2F Doctors have always been able to prescribe whatever drug they want, for whatever they want. However, drug companies have only been allowed to advertise and market drugs that have been FDA-approved for specific uses or disorders. That means that generally an antidepressant drug can only be marketed and advertised for depression. If a company wants to market and advertise its drug for other uses, it has to go back to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and file additional applications, with a wealth of supporting research to support those uses. Unless the research is strong and the market is potentially lucrative, many pharmaceutical companies choose to limit the amount of additional uses they seek FDA approval for. Any use of a drug that hasn’t gained FDA approval is conside... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1238153 Mon, 18 Feb 2008 01:36:13 +0100 1238153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1237767&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F02%2F17%2Fthe-missing-nine-pages-glaxosmithkline-misses-sentator-grassleys-deadline-and-continues-to-hide-evidence%2F Just how long does it take to write an email with a PDF attachment of nine missing pages? Half an hour? 15 minutes? No time at all if you have nothing to hide and want to be open and honest… shame that this obviously doesn’t apply to GlaxoSmithKline. This from Charles Grassley’s letter to Glaxo on February 6 this year: It is my understanding that 9 pages of Dr. Glenmullen’s report are not available publicly. Accordingly, please respond to the following questions and request for information. Please repeat each enumerated question and follow it with your response. 1. When did GSK first learn that Paxil was associated with an increased suicide risk? 2. When did GSK first report to FDA that Paxil was associated with an increased suicide risk? 3. When did GSK first notify pa... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1237767 Sun, 17 Feb 2008 16:52:46 +0100 1237767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1234649&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F02%2F15%2Fsenator-charles-grassley-and-the-incomplete-glaxosmithkline-documents-where-are-the-missing-9-pages%2F “Couldn’t have put this account better myself so I will republish it in its entirety here”, so writes Bob Fiddaman over at Seroxat Sufferers. I totally agree with him so here it is again - I can’t tell you how shocking it is : It’s taken from Lawyers and Settlements.com Washington, DC: Apparently, GlaxoSmithKline is still trying to hide damaging information about Paxil, because 9 pages of a report released from under a court order last month, are not available to the public. However, Senator Charles Grassley has instructed Glaxo to provide him with the full report by February 14, 2008. In the report, which is dated roughly 6 months ago on June 29, 2007, Harvard Professor, Dr Joseph Glenmullen reveals that Glaxo had clinical trial data since 1989 which showe... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1234649 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:38:22 +0100 1234649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1217978&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F02%2F08%2Fseroxat-increases-suicidal-thinking-its-official-2-alastair-benbow-weighs-in%2F I am getting VERY confused by all this… Just a few days ago, we had this news: WARNINGS of the dangers of suicidal thoughts and behaviour are to be included in the packages of anti-depressants in the UK. Warnings will be carried in the patient information leaflet in the packets from October this year (2008). The direction was issued yesterday (Tuesday 5 February 2008) by the Government’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). So it’s official then - Seroxat/Paxil is linked to suicide. But wait - in a Panorama interview in April 2003, GlaxoSmithKline’s own spokesman, the one and only Alastair Benbow told us (in no uncertain terms): “The evidence, however, is clear, these [Seroxat/Paxil] medicines are not linked with suicide, these medicines... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1217978 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:48:56 +0100 1217978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1217990&cid=t_104962_97_f&fid=35050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmaGazette%2F%7E3%2F231766762%2Fpfizers_lipitor_ad_gets_us_congresss_attention.html The U.S. Congress House committee on energy and commerce in taking a closer look at Pfizer's advertisement for Lipitor that was endorsed by Robert Jarvik.Jarvik, inventor of the artificial heart is featured in the ad wearing a white doctor's coat and saying "I'm glad I take Lipitor, as a doctor and as a dad." The final shot of the ad has Jarvik rowing across a lake implying health and vigor.The problems that caught the committee's attention are numerous. The first being that Jarvik is not qualified to practice medicine and therefore not a medical doctor, though he implies he is in the ad. Secondly, Jarvik was replaced by a stunt double in the scene on the lake because he does not know how to row. Only shots on the dock were actually of Jarvik. Most importantl... PharmaGazette blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1217990 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:00:52 +0100 1217990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1215320&cid=t_104962_97_f&fid=35050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmaGazette%2F%7E3%2F231193264%2Fmerck_agrees_to_pay_671m_to_settle_rebate_accusations.html U.S prosecutors and Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) officials announced that a settlement has been reached over claims that the pharmaceutical company overcharged Medicaid and had improperly marketed medications to doctors.Merck agreed to settle a Philadelphia case concerning improper Medicaid rebate calculations and marketing practices for $399 million plus interest. The company also settled a Louisiana case that involved improper rebate practices for $250 million plus interest. Add in the interest charges and the total settlement for both cases cost Merck $671 million.Both cases revolved around accusations that Merck was giving deep discounts to hospitals yet reporting significantly higher prices the government to whom pharmaceutical companies are required to sell their products at the l... PharmaGazette blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1215320 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 19:00:05 +0100 1215320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1215501&cid=t_104962_150_f&fid=35779&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pharmamanufacturing.com%2Fonpharma%2F%3Fp%3D1442 Unfortunately, there is a “Jekyll and Hyde” aspect to many pharma companies today as they struggle with the dictates of shareholders and the whole blockbuster model.  Nowhere was that more evident today than in two articles received within hours of each other.  First, from Forbes, a piece on ”How Merck Healed Itself” and got it’s mojo back.  Click [...] (Source: On Pharma) On Pharma blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1215501 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:20:55 +0100 1215501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1190028&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F01%2F31%2Flilly-trying-to-dodge-the-zyprexa-bullet-we-pay-up-you-shut-up%2F Despite talking tough like all drug makers when faced with court action, it looks like Eli Lilly don’t really want to defend themselves in court. Drug companies have so much money that they buy themselves out of trouble each and every time and then enforce confidentiality agreements to keep the details of the cases out of the public eye. It’s very much a case of the drug companies taking the line “we pay up - you shut up”. A few days ago we learned that Lilly had settled another 900 personal-injury claims against its antipscyhotic drug Zyprexa, including five set to go to court next month, thus avoiding what would have been the first trial in the U.S. The Indianapolis drug maker confirmed the settlement Wednesday but declined to reveal the amount. With the latest ag... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1190028 Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:55:08 +0100 1190028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1181800&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F01%2F27%2Fdr-thomas-laughren-rewriting-history-to-cover-his-tracks%2F In this article (the AHRP & The New York Times) - we discover just how bad Dr Thomas Laughren’s memory must be… it seems he can’t recall important events and he even suppressed release of troubling (for drug makers) data. I have to ask once again why it is that the FDA in America and the MHRA in the UK seem to be run for the benefit and profit of the pharmaceutical industry rather than for the safety and protection of patients? Now read on: “At last, the FDA in America is going to ask drug makers to include questions about suicidality in clinical trials of some new drugs. In the new spirit of transparency, FDA officials would not say which drugs or how many drugs would be examined. The FDA claims new interest in suicidality was sparked by the results of Columbia... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1181800 Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:24:01 +0100 1181800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1177899&cid=t_104962_150_f&fid=35779&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pharmamanufacturing.com%2Fonpharma%2F%3Fp%3D1434 I’m kind of late to the party, but I figured I would offer my two cents (probably only worth one and a half in today’s stock market) on Michigan Reps. John Dingell and Bart Stupak questioning of Dr. Robert Jarvik’s credentials and his role as pitchman for the drug Lipitor. For those of you unaware of [...] (Source: On Pharma) On Pharma blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1177899 Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:58:07 +0100 1177899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1173215&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F01%2F23%2Fjury-trials-in-2008-expected-to-expose-ssri-makers-dirty-secrets%2F It seems that the High Court case in England over Seroxat withdrawal and addiction is gathering pace. But it’s not just the UK where drug makers are going to have to face injured patients in court. This from Evelyn Pringle in America: The blockbuster sales figures for the new generation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (SSRI’s), which have resulted from their promotion for so many unapproved uses, represents the most profitable off-label marketing coup in the history of modern medicine. Sales total about $21 billion a year, according to IMS Health. However, in the end these drugs will probably also hold the title for the most lawsuits filed against drug companies for overstating their benefits while concealing their serious side effects from as far back... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1173215 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:22:34 +0100 1173215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1169786&cid=t_104962_97_f&fid=35050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmaGazette%2F%7E3%2F221227221%2Fmerck_schering_on_the_defensive.html In response to the dismal results of a study released last week Schering-Plough and Merck Co.are publicly defending their cholestorol treatments, Vytorin and Zetia. In an attempt to stem the damage the negative publicity surrounding the results of a failed study, both companies took out advertisements in leading newspapers.The companies took out a full page ad in The New York Times saying that Vytorin and Zetia users "may be worried about recent news stories questioning the benefit of these medicines...on the basis of a single study that has generated a lot of confusion." The ad urges users to follow their doctor's recomendations and emphasizes the drugs' ability to lower LDL cholesterol."All of us at Merck and Schering-Plough proudly stand behind... PharmaGazette blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1169786 Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:00:56 +0100 1169786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1162567&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F01%2F19%2Fwhat-drug-companies-are-not-telling-you-about-anti-depressants-watch-the-video%2F You’ve read the posts - now watch the Fox News video: If you want to find out more, then here is a good starting point to learn about Glaxo and the infamous Study 329 and the MHRA and its 4 year long criminal investigation of Glaxo in the UK. (Source: seroxat secrets...) seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1162567 Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:36:49 +0100 1162567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1162031&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F01%2F18%2Fwhat-drug-companies-are-not-telling-you-about-anti-depressants-like-paxil-fox-news%2F This study says they did. NAUERT: Negative information, suicide rates, too? KENNEDY: The suicide — absolutely. That’s where we start. These drugs — nobody knows up until now that these drugs actually increased the risk of suicide in clinical trials. They gave people placebo and they gave people the drug and the people that were taking the drug wanted to commit suicide at a far greater rate than the people who were taking a sugar pill. NAUERT: Who were depressed and were taking the sugar pill. KENNEDY: Yes. The other stuff that they have suppressed is that they increased violent tendencies and that when some people start taking them, they can never ever get off them, which means they are sentenced to a life of being completely disassociated from their bodies and their inne... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1162031 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:51:52 +0100 1162031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1158230&cid=t_104962_140_f&fid=35436&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseroxatsecrets.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F01%2F17%2Fantidepressants-hiding-and-spinning-negative-data%2F More on my previous post - Antidepressants don’t work as well as reported - negative trials simply not published. What follows are selected details from Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry - but you really need to go over and read the whole article. “The FDA concluded that 38 studies yielded positive results. 37 of these 38 studies were published. The FDA found mixed or “questionable” results in 12 studies. Of these 12 studies, six were not published, and six others were published as if they were positive findings. Of the 24 studies that the FDA concluded were negative, three were published accurately, five were published as if they were positive findings, and 16 were not published. Every single drug had an inflated effect size in the medical literature in comparison wi... seroxat secrets... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1158230 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:45:00 +0100 1158230