| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"stoney" |
| Date: |
05 Feb 2007 11:25:55 AM |
| Object: |
Drug company 'hid' suicide link |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/6291773.stm
Monday, 29 January 2007, 05:58 GMT
Drug company 'hid' suicide link
Secret emails reveal that the UK's biggest drug company distorted trial
results of an anti-depressant, covering up a link with suicide in
teenagers.
Panorama reveals that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) attempted to show that
Seroxat worked for depressed children despite failed clinical trials.
And that GSK-employed ghostwriters influenced 'independent' academics.
GSK told Panorama: "GSK utterly rejects any suggestion that it has
improperly withheld drug trial information."
GSK faces action in the US where bereaved families have joined together
to sue the company.
As a result, GSK has been forced to open its confidential internal
archive.
Karen Barth Menzies is a partner in one of the firms representing many
of the families.
She has examined thousands of the documents which are stored, box upon
box, in an apartment in Malibu, California.
She said: "Even when they have negative studies that show that this drug
Seroxat is going to harm some kids they still spin that study as
remarkably effective and safe for children."
GSK's biggest clinical trial of Seroxat on children was held in the US
in the 1990s and called Study 329.
Child psychiatrist Dr Neal Ryan of the University of Pittsburgh was paid
by GSK as a co-author of Study 329.
In 2002 he also gave a talk on childhood depression at a medical
conference sponsored by GSK.
He said that Seroxat could be a suitable treatment for children and
later told Panorama reporter Shelley Jofre that it probably lowered
rather than raised suicide rates.
In amongst the archive of emails in Malibu, Shelley was surprised to
find that her own emails to Dr Ryan from 2002 asking questions about the
safety of Seroxat had been forwarded to GSK asking for advice on how to
respond to her.
She also found an email from a public relations executive working for
GSK which said: "Originally we had planned to do extensive media
relations surrounding this study until we actually viewed the results.
"Essentially the study did not really show it was effective in treating
adolescent depression, which is not something we want to publicise."
But the article was published in the Journal of the American Academy of
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry which says it ranks as number one in
child mental health in the world.
The editor in chief of the British Medical Journal, Fiona Godlee, said
that what she calls the "blind-eye culture of medicine" should be
exposed by professionals.
She has written in response to the Panorama film: "We shouldn't have to
rely on investigative journalists to ask the difficult questions.
"Reputations for sale are reputations at risk. We need to make that risk
so high it's not worth taking."
The Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) began a
criminal investigation into GSK three years ago but no action has been
taken yet.
A spokesperson told Panorama that the investigation has been given
substantial additional resources and remains a high priority.
Seroxat was banned for under 18s in 2003 after the MHRA, revealed that
GSK's own studies showed the drug actually trebles the risk of suicidal
thoughts and behaviour in depressed children.
/end
--
Fundies and trolls are cordially invited to
shove a wooden cross up their arses and rotate
at a high rate of speed. I trust you'll
be 'blessed' with a plethora of splinters.
.
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