GlaxoSmithKline, David Healy & Shelley Joffre

On the 1st November 2007 Panorama reporter Shelley Jofre discussed her investigations into the effects of psychiatric drugs and questioned how much faith we should put in the medicines we take. This took place at Coventry University here in the UK and is available via a podcast.

Very interesting podcast it is too, where you will learn much about what Shelley Jofre and David Healy have saw with their own eyes but for legal reasons are not allowed to disclose. Who told them not to? GlaxoSmithKline did!

Shelley became intrigued with Seroxat when she read a small piece in a newspaper in the year 2000, the article was about patients complaints with Seroxat - almost 8 years ago people! Even back then people were complaining that it was difficult to withdraw from and were suggesting that it was addictive.

She goes on to tell the audience that the filming of the first Panorama Seroxat 'Special' Secrets of Seroxat took 8 months to finish. She states that the first programme pretty much relied on the testimony of one man who was Dr David Healy and what was unique about his position was tha he, through a series of legal actions in the United States, had actually been given access to GlaxoSmithKlines 'secret archives', a wealth of confidential material.

All the results of trials they had run before Seroxat had been licensed were in huge vaults and Healy, through American litigation, was granted 3 days to look through the records.

The rest, as you all know is history. Healy's evidence at the Tobin v. GlaxoSmithKline trial , No. 00-CV-0025 (D. Wyo. June 6, 2001) was pretty damning for Glaxo. It resulted in GlaxoSmithKline being found 80% guilty of causing the deaths of Donald Schell's wife, daughter and granddaughter.

David Healy could only relay to Shelley Jofre what he had relayed in the United States courtroom. What he spoke about in court opened Shelley's eyes. Glaxo were of course in a position to argue that it was the illness that had caused Schell to murder his wife, daughter and granddaughter but Healy had found that that Glaxo had done tests on normal, healthy people, even their own employees. These tests seperate out the effects of the illness from the effects of the drug, ie; if you're not depressed why would you then become suicidal or have homicidal thoughts if given a course of Seroxat?

What Healy had found in the healthy volunteer studies was that it was making some people have suicidal thoughts and become aggressive and also the some of the healthy volunteers were having trouble when withdrawing from Seroxat. Compelling evidence I'm sure you'll agree.

Shelley also mentions her 3 interviews with Glaxo mouthpiece, Alistair Benbow. One thing I never spotted before, and kudos to Shelley's observation skills here, was the second programme where Benbow (obviously briefed by Glaxo's lawyers and PR Team) was seen to have a more laid back approach. Head tilted to one side, his collar open, speaking in a sympathetic voice. Watching the video again I can see exactly what she means.

Shelley also speaks of the MHRA - It's a fascinating interview and one that no doubt I will play over and over. The woman deserves honours of the highest order for cracking open GSK... as does David Healy

The podcast can be downloaded here

Fid