The Paxil Protest - Sept. 26-28, 2005

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Mon, 12 Sep 2005 20:35:42 -0400

[sSRI-Research] The Paxil Protest - Sept. 26-28, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

GlaxoSmithKline

200 North 16th Street

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Site of the Sept. 26th - Sept. 28th, 2005 Paxil Protest

 

 

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens

can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

 

 

- Margaret Mead

 

 

Welcome to the Paxil Protest

 

This action - aimed at pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline -

represents one of the few times in history a group of concerned United

States citizens have come together in a high profile manner to warn

the public about a dangerous and defective drug, and to protest the

egregious conduct of its manufacturer and distributor.

 

Specifically, this demonstration will shine an unblinking spotlight on

GlaxoSmithKline's unconscionable marketing and distribution of " Paxil "

in the United States, and " Seroxat " in the United Kingdom. GSK further

markets the drug under many other trade names throughout the world.

 

While GlaxoSmithKline provides an abundance of information to the

public and medical community about the alleged positive aspects of

Paxil - through ads on television and in newspapers and magazines,

promotional material provided to doctors, sponsorship of studies,

medical meetings and seminars, substantial donations to mental health

groups and organizations, government lobbying efforts, etc. - this

independent site provides a nexus of information and resource links

not readily available to the general public. Why isn't the information

presented on this website more well known, if known at all? Quite

simply because GlaxoSmithKline wants it that way.

 

If asked, GSK might well tell you that - were the public told the

truth about Paxil's potential to cause oftentimes severe adverse

reactions - patients who might have " benefited " from the drug would be

scared away from taking it, " to their own detriment. " (And to GSK's

detriment as well, since the company rakes in several billion dollars

a year in Paxil profits. Paxil isn't just a " cash cow " for the company

.... it's a whole herd in and of itself.)

 

It is up to you the consumer, not GSK, to decide what is right for you

after full disclosure of Paxil's dangerous side effects have been

made. Moreover, that those warnings are conveyed in a clear and

unambiguous manner.

 

This long overdue protest follows in the grand tradition of American

democracy. Society has a right, and a duty, to protect itself from

companies that make a mockery of the public trust, and operate in a

manner antithetical to the public's health and well-being. (Perhaps

some of you remember Ralph Nader's brilliant Unsafe At Any Speed

campaign waged against the automobile industry in the 60's.)

 

The Paxil Protest will further expose the history of Paxil's

development - a history in which GlaxoSmithKline knew even before

Paxil was approved that its drug could induce suicidality, dependency

and withdrawal. Furthermore, that GlaxoSmithKline (then SKB) conspired

to hide these effects from the Food and Drug Administration in order

to win approval for the drug. Why? So the company could sieze upon and

then dramatically expand into a burgeoning multi-billion dollar " SSRI "

anti-depressant market.

 

The Paxil Protest will also focus the public's attention on additional

hidden dangers of Paxil impacting women as a class, as well as the

subpopulation of women who are pregnant or who have just given birth

to newborns.

 

As a result of GlaxoSmithKline's hiding the truth from the public,

approximately 5,000 U.S. citizens have filed suit against GSK for the

oftentimes excruciatingly painful, prolonged, sometimes

life-threatening withdrawal symptoms experienced when stopping the drug.

 

Thousands more have sued GlaxoSmithKline in the U.K. on the same basis.

 

Some of these lawsuits filed against GlaxoSmithKline are on behalf of

individuals who started Paxil - only discover they could not stop

taking the drug (even with extraordinary medical intervention); as a

consequence these persons have effectively been transformed into

lifetime Paxil addicts.

 

Additionally, hundreds of lawsuits filed against GlaxoSmithKline by

families asserting Paxil was the proximate cause of death of their

loved one via drug-induced suicide, (including children) are currently

pending, or have been " resolved " by GlaxoSmithKline. Of these, the

Donald Shell suicide/triple homicide is a standout. In this case,

GlaxoSmithKline (in a classic example of corporate hubris) risked it

all by squaring off with the families of the deceased in a backwoods

Wyoming courtroom. GlaxoSmithKline lost the suit, and in spectacular

fashion.