As FDA Commissioner Resigns 125 Medical Professionals Demand FDA Quit Stalling On Psy

[elisa]

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=54113

This article merits a thread of it's own.
______________________________________
9/27/2005 2:36:00 PM

To: National Desk, Health Reporter

Contact: Julian Whitaker of the Whitaker Wellness Center, 949-851-1550

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 27 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Protesters today descended on GlaxoSmithKline headquarters demanding a recall of Paxil, citing addiction, violent thoughts and anxiety attacks attributed to the drug.

125 medical practitioners have signed onto a joint letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), renewing a call to take immediate action on issuing stronger warnings for antidepressant and stimulant drugs, as a 3-day protest rages by consumer groups demanding Glaxo recall its $950 million antidepressant Paxil. The same letter, sent to FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford in July, 2005 and signed by 20 doctors, was left unanswered by the Commissioner prompting many to accuse the FDA of bureaucratic foot-dragging and procrastination. Senator Charles Grassley, (R-Iowa) who has spent months investigating the FDA, said the agency "demonstrated a too-cozy relationship with the pharmaceutical industry," and that "the opportunity to name a new commissioner is a chance to take the agency in the right direction."

The doctors' letters join recent efforts by Dr. Ann Blake Tracy, Executive Director of the International coalition for Drug Awareness (ICFDA) and Mrs. Bonnie Leitsch, founder of "Prozac Survivors Support Group" (PSSG) in calling for immediate federal action to warn the public that antidepressants can not only induce suicidality in adult patients - but also acts of violence, pointing out that the U.S. FDA has known of these effects since a 1991 public hearing on antidepressant drugs. Prompted by a spate of recent incidents of mothers murdering their own children while taking antidepressants, Dr. Tracy said, "These are extremely dangerous drugs that should have been banned, as similar drugs were in the past. Federal investigations into the violence- inducing effects of these drugs are long overdue." Mrs. Leitsch added, "In 1991, there was evidence of 500 deaths associated with antidepressants presented to an FDA Psychopharmacological Drugs Advisory Committee hearing investigating Prozac. The FDA's failure to issue timely warnings then has led to more suicides, homicides, school shootings and mothers killing their own children."

Concerned doctors are also pushing for FDA reform and action under new leadership. 25 European countries recently warned that antidepressants should not be used in patients under 18 due to the suicide and violence inducing effects of the drugs and recent clinical studies linked ADHD drugs to hallucinations, violence, psychosis, and suicide. Dr. Julian Whitaker, M.D., and principal author of the letter says the overwhelming evidence of the dangers of these drugs makes further FDA procrastination unacceptable, "It is beyond debate that these drugs have extremely dangerous side effects and that the public is not being kept adequately informed about these dangers," states Whitaker, "It is our hope that the new Commissioner will take immediate and swift action to protect the public from these dangerous and too often deadly psychiatric drugs."

Fueled by $4.5 billion in direct consumer advertising, ADHD stimulant drug sales have quadrupled since 2000 while antidepressant sales have passed the $20 billion mark, prompting many to question how profit-driven vested interests may be involved in the FDA's failure to warn patients of the drugs risks. "With literally billions of dollars of profits at stake, we are not surprised when we hear stories of skewed clinical trials, suppressed study outcomes, pressure placed on reviewers, and a host of other abuses," stated Dr. Whitaker.

As the U.S. becomes infamous for its spate of school shootings, with 8 of the last 13 school shooters taking violence- and suicide-inducing psychiatric drugs, leaving 29 dead and 54 wounded, the letter implores the FDA to "take a leadership role in conducting a soul-searching, completely honest review of the procedures used to obtain approval of any anti-psychotic, stimulant or antidepressant drug."

With over 8 million children and over 30 million adults including new mothers being prescribed violence and suicidal inducing stimulant or antidepressant drugs despite a complete lack of laboratory test to show that any neurobiological or physical condition exists, the beleaguered agency can ill-afford to procrastinate any longer.

The letter to the FDA was signed by a nationwide cross-section of medical personnel, including neurologists, pediatricians, family physicians, anesthesiologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, surgeons and obstetricians.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

[MizzT]

[scotty]

I've had more Google alerts today on Paxil than I've ever gotten before!! I LOVE to protest!

[rdjanis]

Yes you do, and do a good job protesting! This recent event sure was a huge step forward to bring on the awareness!!

[scotty]

You should see the email that my "Congressman" just got!! ALL of todays news plus reporting the Prozac suicide of a 15 year old in HIS district.

[rdjanis]

Excellent, just keep them flowing lol

[elisa]

Originally Posted by scotty

I've had more Google alerts today on Paxil than I've ever gotten before!! I LOVE to protest!

Same here Laurie. In addition alerts on GSK, Glaxosmithkline, Zoloft, Effexor etc. My (inbox) cup flowed over today.....

I gladly would have traded all the news to have been there in Philly. :-(

Lots of great coverage don't you think and then these 200 docs how wrote a letter to the FDA, up 5 times from last year?

I LOVED the pics and the banner. Still one more day to go.