Comments on: Failure To Warn: Glaxo, Paxil & Pregnancies

By: Amy Philo

Amy Philo — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:32:04 +0000

Stories like this highlight the danger of programs to push drugs on women… particularly pregnant, and postpartum women who are at a high risk of becoming pregnant…
See: http://www.uniteforlife.org re: The (Drug The) MOTHERS Act…

By: Jaynesday

Jaynesday — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:51:02 +0000

JiM,
Sorry my post was confusing, I was referring to Truthman’s comment about Ford Motor Company and other auto manufacturers that have hidden critical defects. Mitsubishi Motors was almost destroyed by hiding quality defects in Japan about 6 years ago.
They have just now begun to post a profit.

The point is that in other industries failures have led to improved ways of doing business and corporate responsibility. Pharma has chosen another path to the peril of all of us.

By: Justice in Michigan

Justice in Michigan — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:12:19 +0000

Jaynesday writes: “They got caught and were severely punished. But here’s the key point - after they were caught and punished they revised their way of doing business and in the end continued on with a much better product. Lessons were learned …”

I devoutly with that were true, and I believe it is in some instances. In other instances, however, the consequences were relatively minor and easy to file under “cost of doing business.” For example, Warner Lambert was (in my view and the view of some of their own scientific team) pushing fudged Rezulin data more or less at the same time the Neurontin scam was beginning to unravel. Stock price continued to soar. And Pfizer was more than willing to buy them (in hostile take-over), given that they got Lipitor as part of the deal.

I also believe there are instances where the King of Torts is a real beast. I know of instances where industry people were prepared to speak out against illicit company practices but refrained because of the wider unfairness of a suit itself. I don’t blame them.

So it ain’t simple. We need multi-faceted policy solutions that best balance the claims of patients, industry, FDA, et. al. - that is, that minimize exploitation on several sides.

Essy to say!

By: truthman30

truthman30 — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:22:01 +0000

“But now you have the pharma industry picking up the preemption crutch because according to them, they can’t afford to make a quality product. Instead of lessons learned about how to improve the product you will see continual consumer harm and a stringing out of disasters until the consumer eventually revolts. But in the mean-time many will lose their life and health”

I know its is a diabolical situation…
Preemption is being used as a shield for the pharmaceutical industry and an axe and hatchet against consumer rights..

By: Jaynesday

Jaynesday — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:46:41 +0000

Truthman,
It’s true that there have been other cases where a company knew that their product was faulty but continued to produce. They got caught and were severely punished. But here’s the key point - after they were caught and punished they revised their way of doing business and in the end continued on with a much better product. Lessons were learned and ultimately the consumer was given a product that was safer. The cost of the product did not increase to an unacceptable level.

But now you have the pharma industry picking up the preemption crutch because according to them, they can’t afford to make a quality product. Instead of lessons learned about how to improve the product you will see continual consumer harm and a stringing out of disasters until the consumer eventually revolts. But in the mean-time many will lose their life and health.

By: Shelly Hart

Shelly Hart — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:58:49 +0000

Its no secret that my daughter was born and was almost lost to Paxil. My Paxil dose was actually INCREASED when I was pregnant in the first semester (to avoid weepiness) If any one wants to share their story, contact Amy Philo at Madnap or myself at hart.shelly@yahoo.com. Amy is writing a chapter in my book about Paxil withdrawal/babies

By: HorusCat

HorusCat — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:23:19 +0000

So what’s the story with the non-paroxetine SSRIs? Since only Paxil got the PC D rating…

I know when we got questions about Zoloft and pregnancy we punted and told the docs, “No data, can’t do studies, there is a registry, only you and the patient can make that kind of decision, the risks of not-treating have to be very great, talk to the OB, contact our Medical Affairs office…” In other words, WE aren’t going to tell you it’s ok…we don’t need the business that badly.

By: Sabine Bowles

Sabine Bowles — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:28:34 +0000

I am a 42 year old woman who took an SSRI before and through the entire pregnancy with my now almost 5 year old daughter. She was born with a congenitial heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot. I have two older children 17 and 15 and they are perfect but during their pregnancy at that time was even scared to drink a sip of caffeine. There is no doubt in my mind the SSRI caused my daughter’s heart issues and the Pharmaceutical Industry was and is completely aware of it.

By: Vince

Vince — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:26:13 +0000

What little accountability there is in this industry will descend even further if the principle of preemption takes root. Imagine where that will take us.

By: truthman30

truthman30 — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:05:45 +0000

What really saddens me about this whole thing is..
I really feel that Pharmaceutical companies know these drugs cause this damage and they know the truth eventually comes out some time in the future, but they consider it a viable option because they know the pittance they eventually might pay out on lawsuits will never even dent the profits they make on the life time of the drug. This seems to have become standard pharma practice now, and i think that it a really really tragic state of affairs for all consumers..

And also what amazes me is the individuals in these pharma corporations, the CEO’s and Executives who make the decisions , they all know this is going on, how can they live with themselves? And do they not realize that by encouraging a culture of suppressing bad data could affect someone they know, their loved ones or even themselves in the future, it really is truly beyond comprehension, the lengths some people will go to make a living.. Do they think they are immortal and immune? Do they think it couldn’t happen to them?

Or in the case of a lot within pharma nowadays ..

“they make their living off killing”…

the drugs industry should never be permitted to behave like used car salesmen, but thats what it amounts to nowadays…

There is an article about Ford from 2000 , apparently it also knew a model of its car was defective yet continued to sell it, suppressing data for years, you know the usual story.. it is very interesting , because I believe this has become the standard business practice within pharma.. unfortunately the stakes are higher with drugs than with cars…

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9502EFD91638F931A2575AC0A9669C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all