FDA Accused of Silencing Vioxx Warnings

[Tangledog]

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20041008/D85J0GLO0.html

<snip>
Dr. David J. Graham, associate director for science in the FDA Drug Center's Office of Drug Safety, told Senate investigators he faced stiff resistance within the regulatory agency to his findings.

"Dr. Graham described an environment where he was 'ostracized,"subjected to veiled threats' and 'intimidation,'" Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a statement after Finance Committee investigators interviewed the researcher Thursday.
</snip>

Pretty obscure discussion and a lot of he-said-she-said, but another nail in B*'s "respect for life" cred.

[madmax]

1. I've been taking Vioxx for 4 years

I first heard on news a few weeks ago about heart attacks and strokes. My Mom had a stroke - told my dr. I'd rather die or be in pain than have a stroke. But even before I saw him I just stopped taking it.

My trust in everything from the USSC, Presidency, FDA, and all the rest of the alphabet agencies is now down to minus nil.

[cthrumatrix]

7. when corporations own our govt...... this shit is the result

[Thurston Howell IV]

2. FDA sides with the drug companies a lot

Another recent case was the suppression of studies related to the use of anti-depressants in kids. The LA Times did a good muckraking series of stories on the FDA a few years back, showing how they drag their feet in cases like this. With billions in sales on the line, there are some powerful forces at work. Although the FDA seems to get more corrupt with every passing year, it is not isolated to the Bush administration.

[rucky]

4. The GAO has plenty to say about them as well.

and from my personal experience, the FDA is simply a marketing arm of the pharmaceutical industry.

[MsConduct]

3. Once again, more

proof that human life is nothing compared to the almighty dollar. I guess the capitalist pigs haven't realized that if they kill us all off, who's going to buy their stuff?


Peace

[teryang]

5. Such study findings for approved drugs always result

...in a power struggle. Every day the results are driven down some rabbit trail means millions in additional profits for the drug companies.

The medical/pharmaceutical community is highly political and there are millions of dollars involved in every decision. The medical community in many cases are little more than drug salesmen. When is the last time you met a doctor who tried to encourage you to use as few drugs as possible?

My wife went to a workers comp othopedist yesterday with complaints of pain. She came home with three powerful drugs, enough to last thirty days at the prescribed rate of dosage, even though one is cautioned on an internet medical information site, "don't take for more than 5 days," and another "don't take for more than fifteen days." Why does a doctor prescribe more than one powerful pain killer at a time? Why does a doctor prescribe a powerful pain killer known to be habit forming for more than the recommended treatment period? My wife was instructed to take the standard adult dosage, even though she weighs 108 lbs. Got insurance? Here's some more drugs!

[BiggJawn]

6. Sounds like my ex-doctor....

4 meds for Diabetes, one of which was recommended by the Harvrad Medical Revue as being more suited for "closely supervised clinical triels" and even then, only with constant liver function checks. Did *I* ever get a liver test the time I was on this pill? Uh, no.....

And 3 meds for hypertension....

Mr present doctor has me on 2 meds for each condition, no "Ask your Doctor" un-proven wonder drugs, either.

The clinic I go to now has a sign on the door leading back to the exam rooms "No Drug Reps beyond this point."
even though, last time I was there, a couple of drug reps came in, laden with trays of cookies and "goodie bags", all festooned with logo stickers for the latest money-maker....

Oh, they were HOT, too...Great legs, nice tushes....Wouldn't have needed the cookies to sell ME....:7

[PATRICK]

8. Thought the Brit flu doses were peachy too

This sort of slid in through the dark curtain of silence as to HOW the British came to shut down the company providing half of our nation's flu shots. I remember listening to rumblings and worries months ago, yet stoically our Bushie health officials were set to forge ahead with God knows what(not US until November 3rd!) dangerous doses from our "allies" overseas. The Canadians, flush with doses because of the SARS danger, got some of theirs from France, a more distinguished source.

Every time something public is punted through with little detail on the responsibility end, but panic in the streets, you MUST be suspicious. Our lives at stake again and this administration focused on their task of being asleep at the switch. Did they balk at demanding safety from the Brits and the Brits grimly shut it down on their own- knowing how many thousands of deaths would be laid at THEIR door by this administration.

This is not an obvious question that American journalism would even contemplate. A pre-emptive vacuum before it even reaches the memory hole.

meanwhile, as usual, the plebeians here are too busy scrambling to cope as the media cheers on the disorganized fear without offering any substantial assistance.

Meanwhile, back at Mt. St. Helen's....

[goddess40]

9. That's all our insurance company would approve

I've taken celebrex since 6 months after it came out, my Dr. doesn't like to give out the new drugs until they've been on the market awhile. It really helped, but in Jan. we switched insurance companies, not our choice but the employers. All we were 'allowed' was Vioxx, I had tried that crap for two weeks in the past and it ate up my stomach. That wasn't good enough, they wanted you to take it for 2 months, document everything and then they would think about it (really think of another way to deny you the meds you need)

Too me that is practicing medicine without a license.