Guest guest Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 " HSI - Jenny Thompson " <HSIResearch califpacific The Color of Money Tue, 11 Jan 2005 08:39:54 -0500 The Color of Money Health Sciences Institute e-Alert **************************************************** January 11, 2005 **************************************************** Dear Reader, Hear that sound? That's the sound of whistles blowing. Last November, an FDA insider made headlines when he told Congress that the FDA was lax in publicizing the dangers of Vioxx and several other high profile drugs. But as disturbing as that testimony was, it pales in comparison to a much more shocking revelation that shows just how callous and self-serving the drug industry can be when the dangers of a cash cow drug are covered up to protect profits. Paint this one a dark shade of greedy green. --------------------------- Cue thunder sound effects --------------------------- You've got to love the pulp fiction sound of this: The British Medical Journal (BMJ) recently received some " missing " drug company documents. They were sent from an anonymous source. And no doubt they arrived on a dark and stormy night. According to reports from the BMJ, the documents indicate that more than 15 years ago, executives of Eli Lilly were fully aware that Prozac use increased the risk of suicide and violence. The fact that the information in these documents was not reported is bad enough. But that's only part of a larger story that includes a secret deal and some convenient rubber-stamping from an FDA panel. Probably none of this would have come to light if it weren't for a 1989 tragedy in which a young Kentucky man named Joseph Wesbecker killed eight of his co-workers, wounded a dozen, and then turned his gun on himself. He had been taking Prozac for a month prior to the shooting. The victims of the incident eventually brought a lawsuit against Eli Lilly, charging that the company had withheld clinical trial data from the FDA that found nearly 40 percent of patients who used Prozac reported new " activating " symptoms that include agitation, mania and hostility. Lilly actually won that case. Executives later crowed that Prozac had been proven to be safe and effective " in a court of law. " Case closed? Not quite. According to the BMJ, the judge who presided over the case smelled a rat. Years later, in 1997, he got Lilly execs to admit that they pulled an end run and brokered a secret settlement with the plaintiffs. The judge changed the verdict to read " settled with prejudice, " and stated that Lilly had " sought to buy not just the verdict but the court's judgment as well. " And if you're thinking, " Gee, how low can this go? " here's the answer: even lower. --------------------------- No bark, no teeth --------------------------- Whoever sent those internal Lilly documents – " missing " from the Wesbecker case – to the BMJ was apparently aware that sending them to the FDA would be like sending them from one oblivion to another. But wait – the FDA is supposed to be our drug safety watchdog, right? Yeah, right. The FDA granted the approval for Prozac in 1987, just two years after Germany refused to license the drug because of " suicidal risk. " Feeling some pressure a few years later, in 1991 the FDA appointed a scientific advisory panel to study the suicide risk of Prozac. The panel's verdict: No link to suicide. But some FDA insiders didn't agree with the results. And guess what? Several of the experts who served on the panel had financial ties to – yep – Eli Lilly! So here we are, 20 years after German scientists found a Prozac/suicide link, 16 years after young Wesbecker went on a killing rampage, eight years after a judge took away Lilly's claim about Prozac being found safe in a court of law, and NOW here's what an FDA spokesperson has to say to USA Today about that 1991 verdict from the advisory panel: " To date we have not seen anything that would lead us to question the conclusions. " FDA officials are still reviewing the documents that were supplied to the BMJ. To say the least, it will be very interesting to see how they react to this damaging information that's still a smoking gun, nearly two decades old. And in spite of sticking to their 1991 advisory panel conclusion, they can't really be too shocked. The agency has received many thousands of adverse reaction reports concerning Prozac; more than any other drug in the agency's history. Where there's a smoking gun, there's fire. **************************************************** ....and another thing In the 17th century, noted herbalist Nicholas Culpeper wrote that the herb sage could " heal " the memory, while, " warming and quickening the senses. " Here in the opening days of winter, anything that will warm and quicken my senses sounds very inviting. Culpeper wasn't the only herbalist (and certainly not the first) to recognize that sage can help improve memory. Now – centuries later – scientists believe they know why. An enzyme called acetylcholinesterase (AChE) breaks down a chemical called acetylcholine that is typically deficient in Alzheimer's patients. Researchers from the Medical Plant Research Centre (MPRC) at the Universities of Newcastle and Northumbria in the UK have shown that sage inhibits AChE. A study conducted by researchers at MPRC demonstrates the possible results of inhibiting AChE. Researchers gave 44 subjects either sage oil capsules or placebo capsules containing sunflower oil, and then conducted word recall tests. The group that received sage oil turned in significantly better test results than subjects that took placebo. However, researchers say that further tests are needed to fully determine just how far-reaching sage's effect may be on memory. Sage can be found in health food stores and from many Internet sites. And although sage oil has no known side effects, it would be wise to discuss this supplement with your doctor or health care provider before using it on a regular basis. To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson Health Sciences Institute **************************************************** Sources: " Documents Missing From a 10 Year Old Murder Case Sent to the BMJ " Jeanne Lenzer, British Medical Journal, Vol. 329, 12/11/04, bmj.bmjjournals.com " FDA to Review 'Missing' Drug Company Documents " Jeanne Lenzer, British Medical Journal, Vol. 330, 1/1/05 " Psychiatrist: Company Hid Prozac, Suicide Link " Marilyn Elias, USA Today, 1/5/05, usatoday.com " Sage Could Make You a Sage " HealthScoutNews, 8/29/03, healthscoutnews.com " Sage Oil Can Improve Memory " Ananova, 8/29/03, ananova.com **************************************************** Copyright ©1997-2005 by www.hsibaltimore.com, L.L.C. The e-Alert may not be posted on commercial sites without written permission. ********* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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