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BAD BOY BOOGIE - AC/DC

**NEW ALBUM COMING SOON - CAN'T WAIT :-)

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Reply from Patient UK's Hilary Cole

I have had a response from Patient UK after I alerted them to a post about them I wrote a few days ago.

I have replied to the email (see blue txt)

----- Original Message -----
From: Hilary Cole
To: fiddaman64
Cc: Patient Webmaster
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 2:21 PM
Subject: RE: patient.co.uk - site feedback - SSRIs

Dear Bob

Further to your feedback, I have passed your comments to the author of the leaflet. At the time of writing (June 2006) all the information would have been based on fully evidence-based reference sources. When he gets back from leave (he is away at present) I’m sure the author will respond to you direct with regard to the specific comments on your blog.

In the meantime you suggest a number of times that Patient UK receives funding from drug companies, eg “Is this site/organisation funded by Pharma?”, “This just has to be funded by pharma in some way?” and “Are they funded by pharma? Is this what is known as Astroturfing?”

Patient UK is not, and never has been, funded externally in any way. The following is taken from the ‘About Us’ page, see http://www.patient.co.uk/about.asp, which I suggest you should have read before posting your highly emotive blog:

Advertising and Funding
Independent editorial control of Patient UK and site construction are wholly funded by EMIS. Patient UK makes no user charge and receives no funding from external sources, for example drug companies.

Advertising banners and skyscrapers on the site provide income revenue by means of page display or 'click thru'. Adverts are provided by external sources and are not endorsed by Patient UK. All revenue from this source is passed to EMIS.

So please would you remove this spurious suggestion from your blog.

Something we do on Patient UK is encourage people to post their own experiences of medical conditions and drugs on our sister site – the Patient UK Experience Forum, http://experience.patient.co.uk. I suggest you go to this site and search on seroxat to see the vast number of postings that have been received on this topic. We use as many opportunities that we can think of to get the messages posted in the forum across to interested parties, eg health trusts and pcts, government agencies, NHS departments etc.

It’s interesting that you have the Unite Against Bullying.com logo on your website and yet to my mind your posting about the SSRI leaflet on Patient UK is of an extremely bullying nature.

Regards
Hilary ColeContent Manager
Tel: 01329 828564
Email: hilary.cole@kbs.e-mis.co.ukwww.patient.co.uk
www.mentor-online.com

MY REPLY

Bullying nature?

The advice given on your page is, at best, shoddy!

4 weeks to come off an SSRi? Are you criminally insane?

Thanks for your reply Hilary. Where as I merely make suggestions your website hands out advice that is outdated, wrong and could cause serious harm to patients tapering from SSRi's. I see no question marks on any of the lines written by your team of withdrawal experts, therefore I assume you believe their advice to be correct?

I visited the forum you suggested - a mish mash of patients saying yes it's fine and some saying no it's not.

The point of my blog Hilary is to raise awareness. The point of Patient UK, it seems, is to offer advice to patients withdrawing from SSRi's [at least a certain section of it is]

Talk to the experts on this matter Hilary, those poor sods whose lives have been blighted because of information, such as is given on Patient UK sings straight from the book of Pharma.

Yes, I do have a Unite Against Bullying logo on my page, well spotted. I don't like bullying Hilary. I also don't like it when I read so called experts on SSRi's touting the now defunct chemical imbalance theory, or when so called experts make no mention of the FACT that antidepressants [SSRi's] should not really be used in mild to moderate depression [they are as useful as a placebo]. Nor do I take kindly to the claim that 'Most people have either minor, or no, side-effects.' Where did your 'experts' do their homework? Nor do I like it when your 'experts' claim 'The leaflet that comes in the drug packet gives a full list of possible side-effects.' - The list on the PIL DOES NOT include a full list, certainly not in the case of Seroxat.

I also found the advice on SSRi withdrawal contradictory with the statement 'SSRIs are not tranquillisers, and are not thought to be addictive. (This is disputed by some people, and so this is a controversial issue. If addiction does occur, it is only in a minority of cases.)'

Now, they are either addictive or they are not. When giving advice it's best not to sit on the fence Hilary!

You excelled yourselves with "...Most people can stop an SSRI without any problem. At the end of a course of treatment you should reduce the dose gradually over about four weeks before finally stopping."

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DANGEROUS THIS INFORMATION IS?

Don't talk to me about bullying when you practically are putting patients lives at risk Hilary.

Do your research, talk to patients, read the readily available files on the internet then amend your advice on SSRi's accordingly.

Regards

Bob


Seroxat Sufferers
http://fiddaman.blogspot.com

cc - To campaigners and other interested parties

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Total Antidepressant Prescriptions Rise By 16 Million, USA

Source: Medical News Today

Prescriptions filled for antidepressant drugs increased from 154 million in 2002 to 170 million in 2005, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Among the prescriptions (not including refills) which were written after patients talked with doctors in-person or over the phone. AHRQ data found that in 2005:

-- Psychiatrists - medical doctors who specialize in the treatment of mental disorders - prescribed 29 percent.

-- General practitioners - physicians who provide primary care but are specialty-trained - prescribed 23 percent.

-- Family practitioners - primary care physicians who complete a residency in family medicine -- prescribed 21 percent.

-- Internal medicine specialists - physicians who complete a residency in internal medicine and who focus on the diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of illnesses in adults that are often difficult to diagnose or manage - prescribed 10 percent.

AHRQ, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, works to enhance the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care in the United States. The data in this AHRQ News and Numbers summary are taken from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a detailed source of information on the health services used by Americans, the frequency with which they are used, the cost of those services, and how they are paid. For more information, go to Antidepressants Prescribed by Medical Doctors in Office-Based and Outpatient Settings for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2002 and 2005.

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

[Patient UK] UK Doctors being given false and misleading information.

During recent correspondence with Janice Simmons of the Seroxat User Group a website was brought to my attention regarding information given to doctors in the UK regarding SSRi antidepressants.

The site in question is Patient UK, their tag line being "The same information as provided by GP's to patients during consultations".

Let's see what they have to say about SSRi's [bear in mind that Doctors probably use this site, if Patient UK's tag line is to be believed]

SSRI antidepressants are used to treat depression and some other conditions. They take 2-4 weeks to work fully. Treatment usually lasts six months or more. Side-effects may occur, but are often minor. At the end of course of treatment, you should gradually reduce the dose as directed by your doctor before stopping completely.

This opening para is vague to say the least.

...used to treat depression and some other conditions?

Firstly, Patient UK does not state what level of depression SSRi's should be used for and secondly, what are the 'other conditions' SSRi's are used to treat?

...treatment usually lasts six months or more

Um... try six years in my case and I've read many stories where patients have been on SSRi's for much longer than six years too!

...Side-effects may occur, but are often minor

Is this site/organisation funded by Pharma?

...you should gradually reduce the dose as directed by your doctor before stopping completely.
No advice to the doctor about a tapering programme? Why? - Because there isn't one!

How do antidepressants work?

...An altered balance of serotonin and other neurotransmitters is thought to play a part in causing depression and other conditions.

Ah, the old chemical imbalance theory touted yet again. Nice to see they at least drop the word 'thought' in to cover themselves!

Antidepressants and depression

...Sometimes a life problem such as bereavement, redundancy, illness, etc, triggers a depression. Sometimes there is no apparent cause for a depression. However, antidepressants treat the symptoms of depression, whatever the cause.

No mention of the Kirsch study here? Why? Antidepressant use in people with mild to moderate depression is useless - a placebo is as effective!

But wait... Patient UK tell you in the next para how you know you are depressed.

...Symptoms of depression include: low mood, feelings of sadness, sleep problems, poor appetite, irritability, poor concentration, decreased sex drive, loss of energy, guilt feelings, headaches, aches, pains, and palpitations. If symptoms are eased, you not only feel better, but you may also be able to cope better with any problems or difficult circumstances.

Oh come on! This just has to be funded by pharma in some way?

How effective are SSRI antidepressants?

...About 5-7 in 10 people with depression improve within a few weeks of starting treatment with antidepressants. However, up to 3 in 10 people improve with dummy tablets (placebo) as some people would have improved in this time naturally. So, you are roughly twice as likely to improve with antidepressants compared to taking no treatment.

"...up to 3 in 10 people improve with dummy tablets (placebo) as some people would have improved in this time naturally."

Which begs the question - why take SSRi's?

The following para could have been written by the genius marketing team at GSK [though I'm not suggesting it was]

...If you find that the treatment is helpful after 3-4 weeks, it is usual to continue. A normal course of antidepressants lasts up to six months or more after symptoms have eased. If you stop the drug too soon, your symptoms may rapidly return. Some people with recurrent depression need longer courses of treatment.

How does one know when one is better? When one comes off the drug because he/she thinks they are better, withdrawal kicks in. The GP cannot recognise withdrawal [because the truth has been kept from him/her because of shoddy advice given to them such as the advice from Patient UK]

When you are taking SSRI antidepressants

...It is important to take the medication each day at the dose prescribed. Do not stop taking them abruptly. The dose is usually gradually reduced before stopping completely at the end of a course of treatment. But don't do this yourself - your doctor will advise on dosage reduction when the time comes. It is best not to stop treatment or change the dose without consulting a doctor.

Your doctor will advise you on a dosage reduction? Who advises the doctor? Have they learned this at med school? Perhaps Patient UK can shed some light on this? They seem to know an awful lot about SSRi's yet so very little about withdrawal. Are they funded by pharma?

Is this what is known as Astroturfing?

What about side-effects?

...Most people have either minor, or no, side-effects.

WHAT? - May I suggest, if they have balls big enough, for Patient UK to visit Paxil Progress or to download a section of the Paxil Protest petition where patients have left comments about the horrendous withdrawal effects they have experienced!

...The most common ones [side effects] include: diarrhoea, feeling sick, vomiting, and headaches.

Forgive me for sounding cynical here. Let me quote Alistair Benbow, Head of European Psychiatry for GlaxoSmithKline. "The side effects [of Paxil "discontinuance"] are things like dizziness, nausea, headache, um, and are clearly labeled in the information made available to doctors and patients."

Coincidence?

...It is worth keeping on with treatment if side-effects are mild at first.

Of course it is. It was designed that way. Try to come off, find the side effects intolerable so remain on it. GSK, in the case of Seroxat, wins - Everybody is happy, particularly those counting the pound notes and GSK investors!

...Minor side-effects may wear off after a week or so.

Shades of GlaxoSmithKline spokeswoman here: "If ‘discontinuation reactions’ occur in patients stopping [Paxil], the majority will experience symptoms that are mild to moderate in intensity, and are usually limited to two weeks." - Mary Anne Rhyne GlaxoSmithKline spokesperson

...The leaflet that comes in the drug packet gives a full list of possible side-effects.

No mention of suicidal thoughts, no mention of severe aggression, no mention of short term memory loss, no mention of an intolerance to sudden loud noises, no mention of electric shock sensations that rip through your body and make you want to lash out at anyone standing/sitting near to you.

...do not drive or operate machinery if you become drowsy whilst taking one.

Are the RAC or AA aware of this? What about motor insurance companies up and down the UK. So, in essence Patient UK are saying that if I worked in a factory on a lathe, I would not... sorry should not operate that lathe. What about if I was on this drug for 6 years or more? Would Patient UK expect my employer to wait until I had finished taking my SSri?

SSRI antidepressants and suicidal behaviour

...In recent years there have been some case reports which claim a link between taking SSRI antidepressants and feeling suicidal. The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) has recently reviewed the evidence on whether there is such a link. They were unable to find any convincing evidence of this link. The CSM has stated that it will continue to monitor this issue.

Because of this possible link, see your doctor promptly if you become restless, anxious or agitated, or if you have any suicidal thoughts. In particular, if these develop in the early stages of treatment or following an increase in dose.

I've got a better idea for Patient UK's readers, if you become restless, anxious or agitated, or if you have any suicidal thoughts download this and this. Once you have read how you have been duped check out the archives on this blog!

Are SSRI antidepressants addictive?

...SSRIs are not tranquillisers, and are not thought to be addictive. (This is disputed by some people, and so this is a controversial issue. If addiction does occur, it is only in a minority of cases.)

This is a very interesting statement by Patient UK, particularly the last line, "If addiction does occur, it is only in a minority of cases.)"

Wait a minute, it's either addictive or it isn't. That's like labelling cigarettes or cocaine addictive in a minority of cases. This is totally absurd, talk about sitting on the fence!

The following advice given by Patient UK, I believe, is false and misleading and, dare I say it, dangerous advice!

They write: "...Most people can stop an SSRI without any problem. At the end of a course of treatment you should reduce the dose gradually over about four weeks before finally stopping."

Four weeks? This advice is scandalous. Who are these people? What training, if any, have they been given? Have they ever witnessed Seroxat withdrawal first hand? Four weeks? How naive and unprofessional to offer such advice to people tapering from, what I deem, a highly addictive drug [in some people]

Finally, Patient UK offer the pharmaresque advice:

...An option if they do occur [withdrawal symptoms] is to restart the drug and reduce the dose even more slowly.

Who wins? Pharma!

I shall be contacting Patient UK, I suggest readers of this blog do as well. Air your grievances at them, tell them they are more or less quoting the likes of Benbow and Rhyne. Tell them your personal stories but more importantly tell them that THEY ARE WRONG and the information they are providing for GP's is causing unneeded hardship for patients taking SSRi's.

To kill two birds with one stone I hereby award Patient UK the Seroxat Sufferers Dumbass Award and wish for them to know that I will be digging a little deeper to see who funds their organisation. I notice from the content of the webpage that they include a link to Depression Alliance. You can read about Depression Alliance here, here and here and you can see how the former CEO of Depression Alliance sent me a series of emails that I found rather intimidating, maybe it's just me though you can judge for yourselves by reading them here, here , here, here, here and finally, here.

Patient UK can be contacted via the online web email here

A copy [url] of this post will be sent to Pateint UK and also the MHRA

Fid

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Unethical Drug Promotion - A GSK Example

You have to check out Consumers International, a highly informative website that shows how misleading Pharma can be. I think we all know how misleading GSK have been in the past with some of their products. The Ribena farce where they were busted by two 14 year old school children was classic. Two school girls actually found that Ribena wasn't full of Vitamin C, it left GSK red faced [Pardon the pun] and as usual, GSK came out in defence with some classic quotes.

Advertising Aropax on the Delphi Centre webpage also slipped under the radar until yours truly stuck a spanner in the works.

Blatant advertising in the popular Mr. Men children's books was a new gutter level to stoop to for GSK.

I'm sure if they would have had their way with Ofsted so that school children would have been targeted by some popular shy or diet pill - alas Blackburn resigned so we will never know.

Consumers International explains how drug promotion can take on many forms, they write "...we are increasingly seeing more subtle, inconspicuous forms of promotion."

There is a great example of unethical advertising by GSK with their product Flutibact: HERE

Inappropriate indications
Depending on the price, Flutibact is an acceptable option for infected eczema. However, it is NOT appropriate for the other promoted indications: atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis because unnecessary use of antibiotics promotes the development of resistant bacteria. Promotion of inappropriate indications is in breach of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) code.

Omission of required information
The advertisement does not disclose any adverse effects or precautions. The IFPMA Code states that 'Particular care should be taken that essential information as to pharmaceutical products' safety, for example, contra-indications, precautions and side effects, is appropriately and consistently communicated, subject to the legal, regulatory and medical practices of each nation.'

Claim of remarkable safety
The advertisement asserts that Flutibact is 'remarkably safe'. The IFPMA Code states that 'The word "safe" should not be used without qualification' and 'Claims should not be stronger than scientific evidence warrants, and every effort should be made to avoid ambiguity.' This also contravenes WHO Ethcial Criteria.

Ouch - spanked again hey GSK?

I guess it's now down to the patients to convince the regulators that whatever GSK claims about the safety and efficacy of their wonder drug, Seroxat, is pure bullshit... then again, having took four years to investigate GlaxoSmithKline I am sure that the MHRA are already aware how unethical Witty & Co can be.

Thanks to The Truthman for alerting me to Consumers International

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

The Wit of Witty - GSK's New Saviour!

Andrew Witty has been speaking to investors today.

I've just read what he had to say.

I had sick in my mouth.

Andrew Witty now appears on youtube.

I watched the video.

I had sick in my mouth.

The guy blinks a hell of a lot when 'bigging up' his own company - count them.

I wonder if he blinked uncontrollably when telling investors today of his plans?

“Our aspiration to improve the lives of patients and consumers is intrinsically aligned to the requirements of our shareholders,”

Improve the lives of patients?

Check this out Mr Witty!

Oh, I'm Fid, by the way

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Dan Troy appointed as Senior Vice President and General Counsel for GlaxoSmithKline

Is this a case of you scratch our back... and we will scratch yours?


Source: GSK Website

Dan Troy has been appointed as Senior Vice President and General Counsel for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and will join the company on 2nd September 2008

Dan was formerly Chief Counsel for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where he served as a primary liaison to the White House and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). While leading an office of attorneys who reviewed and approved all major regulations, Dan oversaw the legislative implications of many of the most important issues facing the pharmaceutical industry today, including the reform of the Hatch-Waxman Act and subsequent legislative ratification. His office also approved and managed all agency litigation, and Dan established new procedures for the FDA legal team to follow in preparing and then litigating high-profile cases.

Dan is currently a Partner at the Washington law firm Sidley Austin LLP, where he represents pharmaceutical companies and trade associations on matters related to the FDA and government regulations.

MORE HERE

Hat Tip - Steph Gatchell

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Sara Carlin R.I.P. 21st July

I could never even begin to imagine what it would feel like to lose one of my children, in fact the mere thought of it upsets me deeply, so much so that the following story rips at my heart and saddens me whilst at the same time it angers me and fills my heart with hatred.

To lose a child through natural causes is tough, to lose a child through an accident even tougher but to lose a child because at such an early age they thought suicide was a solution must be one of the worst experiences any parent must go through.

Quite what that 'experience' feels like, will hopefully be unknown to many of the readers of this blog.

Unfortunately for Neil and Rhonda Carlin, they no longer have the option of wondering what it would feel like to lose a child. Their daughter, Sara, had her whole life ahead of her. She was looking forward to finishing university to pursue a career in dermatology. Instead, on Sunday, May 6, 2007, Sara, suffering from the side effects of a powerful anti-depressive drug, [Seroxat]grabbed a piece of electrical wiring, made a noose and hanged herself in the basement of family home.

Sara began to experience anxiety and visited a doctor in an effort to alleviate it, explained her mom, Rhonda. The doctor prescribed Sara, then 17, Seroxat.

In 2003 and 2004 Health Canada had stated that the drug should not be given to children and adolescents under 18 years of age due to a possible increased risk of suicidal events. Sara's parents were unaware of this and, I suspect, was Sara's doctor. Why else would a doctor prescribe a potential suicide pill to a child?

Neil and Rhonda Carlin both noticed a considerable change in Sara's behaviour after she began taking the Seroxat. They both strongly agree that the change in Sara was due to the drug she was taking.

Sara missed several doses in the days leading up to her death because her medication had been stolen. Her parents believe that Sara made up for her missed dosages later by taking more than what she should have. "She had no idea what that would do to her, how potent and how dangerous these drugs are," said Rhonda.

On Sunday, May 6, 2007 Sara Carlin was found hanging by a piece of electrical wiring in the basement of her parents house.

"We thought this has to be murder. This girl would never do that," said Neil. "How could someone so beautiful and brilliant, who had so much going for her want to end her life?"

Today [21st July] would have been Sara's 20th birthday. Her parents should have been celebrating, watching her unwrap her presents, watching her smiling face as her friends gathered around her. Instead, Neil and Rhonda Carlin will be grieving. Their hearts will be full of sadness. Their heads full of questions as to why this was allowed to happen.

Had GlaxoSmithKline said from the offset that Seroxat should not be given to children then maybe Sara would be around today, maybe her parents could have helped her blow out all 20 candles on her birthday cake.

My heart aches today - I celebrate my 44th birthday in 10 days time. I can sit with my family and friends. I can feel warm inside when my father and sisters hug me to wish me a happy birthday.

I contacted Neil on Sunday and he wrote back to me and offered me a letter that his wife, Rhonda, had wrote to her daughter, a special letter for her 20th birthday.

Both Neil and Rhonda have gave me permission to publish the letter on here.

I sincerely hope the letter opens the conscience minds of all those involved in the suppression of Seroxat data.

It begs the question why any company would want to hold back data that endangered our children.. and hold back that data they certainly did.

This letter hurts.

This letter goes out to the scientists and employees of GlaxoSmithKline whom were part of the suppression of data.

How many more candles will be unused Glaxo?

Rhonda's letter:


July 16 2008

My Darling Sara,

Happy Birthday Baby.

July 21 1988 was such a happy day for us. You were such a gift and remained a gift for 18 short years. I guess that counting the birthdays you will never celebrate lets me age you in my mind;but the pictures and the memories all stay the same, no new ones to add. You only lived 18 years and nothing will ever change that. I miss you so much ‐ we all miss you so much. The pain is really not speak able, the intense longing unbearable. Your family, friends, and teachers they all are in shock at losing you. Even strangers wrote on your face book: “Sara, you probably don’t remember me, but you tutored me in Math, you were so beautiful and smart and made me feel so good about myself”. Your math teacher and the students you helped talked about your gifted nature in teaching others not as fortunate as yourself Your school hockey team had a service for you and Mr. Mac and your team was stunned in sorrow. You were so excited your last year of high school. You took calculus the summer before so that you could get top marks in your remaining courses. You got 98% on that calculus and you were so proud of yourself. You got accepted into Western Health Sciences and were set you go after your dreams. But you got a bit anxious in your last semester and went to the doctor about your anxiety. I didn’t agree that you should take Paxil® but you said the doctor said it would make you feel better. You told you sister that it made you “not worry about things”. It seemed to me that you became unwell when you started this antidepressant you had bad dreams, had trouble sleeping, started to go out more and stay up late, quit hockey. Then in the summer you became so tired and lethargic we found by September that you had mononucleosis affected by the medication you were taking. You told your doctor you had trouble sleeping and were not feeling well so she gave you sleeping pills, and when you couldn’t sleep through the night she gave you another antidepressant to take along with the Paxil® to help you stay asleep. When we questioned this you said the doctor knew best and didn’t agree that you should come off the Paxil®; and in fact doubled the dosage. Well, a few months later, you hung yourself in desperation. Afraid to go to sleep and face your dreams, sitting at your computer half way through taking off you make‐up, you decided to cut a length of electrical cord that your dad had left out to wire some lights, and you ended your life in an instant. Oh my God Sara, I am so sorry that I didn’t realize the depth of your pain, that I didn’t take you away and get you off these prescription drugs. We found out after, when we looked into the drugs that we had trusted to your doctors – that there was a Health Canada Warning about Paxil® to not prescribe the drug to anyone under 19 years of age, and to carefully take them off if they were currently on the drug. You were only 17 and you were prescribed this drug. If only we knew this before, but no one told you or us about the hazards of these drugs. Your dad is doing everything he can to help other families – there are so many others who are suffering as you did. Your dad’s life purpose now is to do everything he can to warn others of the dangers of these drugs.

We have some of you friends coming over on Sunday to celebrate the beautiful life you lived.

Wish you were here too.

With All My Love, Mom XXX OOO

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

GSK - A history of malpractice

I've recently rehashed an old post of mine entitled 'When the rot set in at GlaxoSmithKline'. I know from viewing my webstats that many pharmaceutical companies logged in to gloat at this blog having a go at their rivals.

I intened to shame them again with this post. Many stories have slipped under the radar and need resurfacing. I don't like GlaxoSmithKline and my guess is they don't like me, that I can live with. What I cannot live with is the fact that they continue to defend Seroxat, in my opinion, a highly addictive drug. This post is dedicated to the life of Sara Carlin, you can see how Sara took her own life after taking Seroxat here. She was 18.

UK babies given toxic vaccines, admits Glaxo
British drug giant GlaxoSmithKline has finally admitted that thousands of babies in this country were inoculated with a batch of toxic whooping cough vaccines in the 1970s. [MORE]
----

Read more in the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Sara Carlin: A life cut way too short... Paxil Suicide

Source: Oakville Beaver

Sara Allison Carlin was an active, enthusiastic and academically successful student in high school. But all that changed in her final high school semester when she was prescribed the anti-depressant drug, Paxil, for anxiety. What followed was a downward spiral that ended in suicide. In order to prevent other parents from experiencing such a tragedy, Sara's parents contacted The Oakville Beaver to tell her story.

Read heartbreaking story HERE

"Sara, suffering from the side effects of a powerful anti-depressive drug, grabbed a piece of electrical wiring, fashioned a crude noose and hanged herself in the basement of her parents's house."

In response to queries from the Oakville Beaver, Peter Schram, of Corporate Communications, GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Paxil, issued this statement:

"Any suicide is tragic and the greatest risk for suicide is untreated depression.

"Paroxetine has been used by tens of millions of patients and has been proven to be a safe and effective treatment since its launch more than 15 years ago".

"The label contains instructions regarding the use of paroxetine and important safety information about the product".

"If patients have questions regarding the use of paroxetine, or the management of their depression, they should contact their health-care professional".

"Also, it is very important that patients do not stop taking paroxetine without first consulting with their doctor."

Perhaps Peter Schram, of Corporate Communications, GlaxoSmithKline should have added that his company knew years ago that Paxil caused children to have suicidal thoughts but decided not to release that information. HERE

Rest in Peace Sara

Fid

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

GSK & MR. SNEEZE

GSK & MR. SNEEZE

Trawling through the numerous archives of articles written about GlaxoSmithKline and children I stumbled upon this old favourite of mine. I remember when I first read it some years back that I was quite shocked that they had been allowed to team up with the Mr.Men team.

For those of you that don't know, Mr.Men was a popular childrens animation back in the 1970's here in the UK. From that came the books written by Roger Hargreaves. The audio clip above is the theme tune to the popular Mr. Men series.

Back in 2003, Roger Hargreaves son, Adam, wrote a book entitled 'Mr. Sneeze and His Allergies'.
It told how Mr Sneeze starts to sneeze "in the middle of summer". His friend Little Miss Sunshine suggests he may have hayfever.

Mr. Men educating our children it seemed.

It continued by telling the reader [Children] that Miss Sunshine discovered that he was allergic to the feathers in his pillow. All good educational stuff one would assume but why tell childrren about allergies? Was there some sort of motive behind this?

Step forward the genius that is GSK.

The story was followed by four pages of information on allergies from Allergy UK and two pages promoting the use of GSK products Piriteze and Piriton.

Over 50,000 copies of the book were printed in 2003 and many were sent to holders of Tesco clubcards.

Apparently the MHRA were unaware of the book and stated at the time that they "will investigate urgently."

I wonder what the outcome of that investigation was? I won't bother the MHRA with a FOI request as I know they read this page. Maybe one of my readers will want to learn more of the outcome of this investigation?

According to this source the book was paid for by GlaxoSmithKline.

I see it as a flagrant form of advertising and yet again we have GSK targetting the vulnerable [Our children]

Piriton is sold by GlaxoSmithKline and this from their own webpage - "Trusted by generations of mums, Piriton provides fast relief from hayfever and other allergies. Piriton also relieves the itchy skin rash of chickenpox, and can be taken as syrup or tablets."

Piriteze is also sold by GlaxoSmithKline and the blurb for this reads: - "From the makers of Piriton, an effective, once-a-day treatment for hayfever and skin allergies. And as Piriteze does not normally cause drowsiness, it can help you and your family enjoy life outdoors."

More can be read about GSK and Mr. Sneeze here, here and here - the last link being from the British Medical Journal.

I may write to Adam Hargreaves at some point and ask him if he wants to create an new Mr. Man, let's say Mr. Blogger, an average man harmed by Pharmaceutical drugs who goes on a mission to find out why this was allowed to happen. Maybe Adam would be so kind as to put a link in to this blog and numerous other ones set up to create awareness about the underhand activities of GlaxoSmithKline.

Fid

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Seroxat Sufferers Dumbass Award

A little bit of fun here. Sometime ago I offered out a Dumbass Award for companies, doctors and generally people who had dropped one almighty clanger or acted irresponsibly.

There are two whom I would like to award today. Firstly, Ofsted.

Their hiring and firing of GSK Senior Vice President President, Paul Blackburn, was, at best, naive in the sense that they never anticipated the public outcry that would ensue. They never did their homework on Mr Blackburn's company who have a tainted history when it comes to the safeguard of children. Click on the relevant links for news stories regarding Mr Blackburns's hiring and subsequent resignation.

OFSTED YOU ARE A DUMBASS!

Secondly, the Dumbass Award must go to Dr. Fahd Chaudhry of the University Physicians Adult Medicine Clinic in Arizona.

According to patient, Shelly Hart, Chaudhry fought with her and yelled in her face that he was "unwilling to learn" and educate himself more about Paxil or Klonopin. All this while Shelly Hart was having a seizure!

Shelly pleaded with him to watch a video regarding Paxil withdrawal, she writes:

"I asked him to watch my YOUTUBE video and he refused. Note the video lasts about 3 minutes but he fought with me about watching it for over 15 minutes. We actually argued over a telemetry strip over whether or not it was v-tach....he says no, three cardiac nurses say yes. He is not a cardiologist. I asked for a cardiac consult and was not given one! I've read telemetry for well over 6 years! He said he didn't want to take care of me because i was a psych patient. He said he doesn't feel qualified. I asked him to watch the video and expand what he knows to be more qualified and understand as he will be seeing more and more patients coming off Paxil and benzos. He said, "I don't want to know about it". I told him "IT IS YOUR DUTY TO YOUR PATIENTS TO EDUCATE YOURSELF ON THE MATTER AND I AM ONE OF YOUR PATIENTS BUT YET YOU CANNOT TAKE TWO MINUTES TO EVEN WATCH WHAT ONE OF MY MYOCLONIC EVENTS LOOK LIKE" He said, "nope .I won't watch it, i don't' want to learn more either..." Now mind you this man was arguing and yelling IN MY FACE DURING my myoclonic event to the point where my husband had to step between us three times and put his arms out, while the nurse was giving me Morphine".

More can be read here

Dr. Chaudhry. You are a Dumbass!

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

What Are We Working For?

I just read Dr Aubrey Blumsohn's message on Scientific Misconduct entitled 'A crooked scientist'

With the current state of affairs going on at Brown University, Aubrey's message was simple:

There was a crooked man,
And he walked a crooked mile.
To confer with his crooked neighbor,
Who wore a crooked smile.
The crooked man's neighbor,
Lived in a crooked nook.
Both being crooked people,
They read a crooked book.
Inside were crooked tales,
Of other crooked men.
'Twas a crooked man's dream,
Shared with a crooked friend.

The following video by Big Country kind of sells the same message.

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Sen.Grassley, GSK, Paxil and Martin Keller

Many Seroxat campaigners have previously written about Martin Keller. It's hard to pin down the point in which Keller was caught out... but caught out he was.

For those who don't know, Keller was the 'lead author' of the Paxil 329 study. The upshot of which was that "Paxil was generally well tolerated and effective for major depression in adolescents.”

We now know that isn't true

No prosecution for Keller, in fact he seems to have escaped the justice system... until now.

Sen. Grassley is hot on Keller's heels, and not before time. Grassley seems to have his fingers in many 'hot' pies in the States. He seems to be actually working for the public. A politician with empathy.

There are many stories about Keller out in cyberspace, my only surprise is that it has taken this long to start probing him for answers.

Fingers crossed that Grassley has the staying power because he will be duped, stalled and frustrated if he wants to know the real truth about Keller, Paxil 329 and GlaxoSmithKline.

To read more on Grassley targeting Keller nip over to Pharmalot

Keller is a psychiatrist at Brown University. Dr Aubrey Blumsohn (Scientific Misconduct Blog) knows more about Brown University than most people. Many stories feature on his blog. This link should provide all you need to know about Keller and Brown University.

Matt Holford also writes about Keller and Brown University at the following links:

The Life and Times of Martin B Keller, MD - Part I
The Life and Times of Martin B Keller, MD - Part II
The Life and Times of Martin B Keller, MD - Part III: Brown trousers

A thoroughly insightful read about Keller can be found at the Clinical Psych Blog and I wrote a post entitled, 'Martin B. Keller Good or Evil' back in August last year. Seeing as Grassley is probing I will add it again for the purpose of Grassley's researchers.

Martin B. Keller - Good or Evil?

Sources - Black (1) Red (2)

Dr.Keller is the Mary E. Zucker Professor and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Brown University School of Medicine.

Brown University professor who was forced last year to forfeit hundreds of thousands of dollars in state grant money was paid more than $500,000 in consulting fees in 1998, most of it from pharmaceutical companies whose drugs he touted in medical journals and at conferences.

He is also Executive Psychiatrist-in-Chief at the seven Brown University affiliated hospitals.

Dr. Martin Keller of Newton earned more than $842,000 in 1998 while serving as chief of the psychiatry department at Brown, according to financial records. More than half of his compensation came from the pharmaceutical industry, including companies such as Pfizer Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb, Wyeth-Ayerst, and Eli Lilly, all of which market antidepressants that Keller lauded in a series of medical research reports.

Dr. Keller received his medical training at Cornell University, and completed a medical internship at Bellevue Medical Center in New York City and a psychiatric residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

In addition, Keller did not disclose the extent of his financial ties with the companies to the medical journals that published his research in 1998, or to the American Psychiatric Association, which sponsored the meetings at which Keller presented his findings.

His research interests include investigation of nosology and long-term course of psychiatric illnesses, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders and eating disorders, and the effect of treatment of neuropsychopharmacologic compounds and psychotherapy on the short-and long-term clinical course of these illnesses in children, adolescents and adults.

Several ethicists contacted by the Globe say Keller's unusually large consulting fees - he pulled in a total of $556,000 in 1998 and $444,000 in 1997 - constitute the most serious potential conflict they've heard of yet.

Dr. Keller has received over 20 research grants from the National Institute of Health and numerous grants from research foundations and pharmaceutical industry. He serves on numerous professional committees and editorial boards, published over 240 articles for peer-reviewed journals, and has been the recipient of several prestigious awards in recognition of making major contributions to the understanding and treatment of mood disorders.

Keller, meanwhile, is a valuable resource for Brown University, attracting millions in research grants and donations. According to the psychiatry department's annual report and other documents, Keller has brought in about $14.4 million in research funding from pharmaceutical companies and federal agencies since 1993. Approximately $8.4 million has come from the National Institute for Mental Health for research on mental illness.

The most recent honor he received is the 2001 American College of Psychiatrists (ACP) Mood Disorders Lifetime Research Award which he received in February, 2001.

In 1998, Brown was forced to return $300,170 Keller's psychiatry department had collected from Massachusetts for research that state officials say the department never performed. Brown returned the money shortly after the Massachusetts attorney general's office filed a civil lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court, accusing Brown of breaching research contracts with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health.

Keller and Study 329:

(3) GlaxoSmithKline conducted a study, numbered 329, in which it examined the efficacy and safety of paroxetine versus placebo in the treatment of adolescent depression. Keller was the lead author on the article (J American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2001, 762-772) which appeared regarding the results of this study.

(1) - Good?

(2) - Evil?


----

I hope these little snippets of information prove useful to Grassley and his team of investigators.

Fid

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Email from Ofsted Confirms Blackburn was asked to resign...

... I think?

I had to chuckle to myself as Ofsted have just sent me the following email.

They actually named me Mr. Silverman instead of Mr. Fiddaman.

I guess Ed over at Pharmalot has been making enquiries too.


----- Original Message -----
From: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
To:fiddaman
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 8:08 PM
Subject: Re: Appointment of GSK Vice President to Ofsted


Dear Mr Silverman

In response to your previous email regarding Paul Blackburn; we have checked and can confirm that it was agreed in discussions that Paul would resign.

It is also not standard practice for Ofsted to send a press release out relating to resignations of its board members.

If you wish to make a request for information from Ofsted under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act, we will require a written request detailling the information you require, this will then be passed to the attention of the Information Manager and dealt with accordingly.

I hope this is of help, however if you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us.


Regards

Kathryn Aylett
Customer Service Team Leader
Ofsted - National Business Unit

Read More in The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal [The Ebook]
Chipmunka Publishing ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
Paperback coming soon

Clearing up the mess for GlaxoSmithKline

A Fiddy Rant

It seems that GlaxoSmithKline will never acknowledge that Seroxat has addictive qualities in some patients - my guess is that they know that it does but to admit it would be corporate disaster and would open the floodgates to them being sued by the thousands of patients who have suffered horrendous addiction problems with their 'miracle pill'.

Some of the comments by GlaxoSmithKline employees over the years just add fuel to the fire for those suffering addiction and a GP is more likely to believe a GSK sales rep who has just wined and dined him/her or given him/her gifts than he/she is to believe a patient complaining of symptoms that they normally would hear from a Heroin user.

So if GlaxoSmithKline won't... or can't do anything about it then I think it's high time campaigners such as myself did.

Will the MHRA help?

Up until the investigation 'result' I would have said no. But I am of the opinion that the MHRA are so pissed off with GlaxoSmithKline for making them look incompetent that the possibility of acknowledging and tackling this addiction problem may well be feasible. Am I living a false hope?

I am not the biggest fan of the MHRA, they would be the first to acknowledge that the 'Fiddaman' guy has been writing on his blog again, slagging us off. If it makes them aware then I have achieved something. I know GlaxoSmithKline pay regular visits to this little old blog , as have Ofsted and a whole bunch of vastly overpaid lawyers.

It is easy to turn the other cheek and ignore critics slamming you - GlaxoSmithKline are used to it and to an extent so are the MHRA but there has been a change, at least with the MHRA. They recently had a meeting with Seroxat campaigners regarding the four year investigation into GlaxoSmithKline and their liaising skills are getting better. Far be it for me to 'big-up' the MHRA, they have a huge mountain to climb before they regain any confidence from me and no Mori -Poll will make me think that they have reached the point where they have my utmost respect.

I do, however, believe that the tide is turning for the second biggest Pharmaceutical Company in the world. For too long they have had things their way. One only has to look at people blogging about them. This corporate company is slowly but surely being pinned down. They or their fat cat lawyers may read this and smirk, they may feel they are untouchable but there is a new breed of bloggers out in the blogsphere these days - these people, like me, are pissed off and they are not afraid to say so.

So back to the point, which is pretty much the title of this rant, 'Clearing up the mess for GlaxoSmithKline'.

There are people in the UK that are suffering with withdrawal/addiction problems with Seroxat. If this were not true I would be served some sort of threatening letter by GlaxoSmithKline's lawyers to ask me to retract that statement. For a sufferer to watch a Glaxo employee play down risks on Panorama or to read the words of a Glaxo employee playing down the withdrawal effects is quite torturous.

I want the following:

• Acknowledgement that there is an addiction problem with Seroxat
• Special clinics to be set up to help those suffering with addiction
• GlaxoSmithKline to pay for the up keep of these clinics
• The clinics to be manned by people that know about the horrors of withdrawal
• A withdrawal program to be written and verified by former Seroxat sufferers

This may seem like some sort of patient Utopia but it is something that needs to be done and it need to be done RIGHT NOW!

So, there you have it. I may not get what I want, but at least GlaxoSmithKline and their lawyers know exactly what it is I want now.

This would cut out patients having to go through the courts only to be given a paltry payment and then a gagging order for all the shit they have had to endure at the hands of, what I deem, a defective drug.

Ball is in their court

Fid

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Dear Ofsted....

Still waiting for reply from Ofsted regarding the 'hiring & firing' of Glaxo Senior Vice President, Paul Blackburn.

Something just does not sit right with me and I feel certain questions need to be answered.

If I get no joy I will use the FOI Act.

Fid


-------Original Message--------
From: fiddaman
To: enquiries
CC: Sent: 10/07/2008 13:41:44
Subject: Re: Appointment of GSK Vice President to Ofsted

Dear Mr. O'Neal,

Thank you for getting back to me on this matter.

I am quite surprised that there was no press release about this... unless of course I have missed it?

Do Ofsted plan to make a press release?

I have also just read a statement of Paul Blackburn from the GlaxoSmithKline webpage.

It appears that it was at Ofsted's request that he resigned... can you confirm this?

Could you also tell me whom I make enquiries to at Ofsted regarding requesting information under the FOI Act?

Many thanks

Bob Fiddaman

Read More in The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal [The Ebook]
Chipmunka Publishing ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
Paperback coming soon

Glaxo to pay up to $3 billion for sleep-disorder drug

LONDON (MarketWatch) - GlaxoSmithKline on Monday announced a deal to pay as much as $3 billion to Switzerland's Actelion to license a sleep-disorder drug in yet another example of a major drug firm turning to a smaller rival to build out pipelines. FULL STORY

I wonder if the sleep disorder tablet will be of any use to me? Since I stopped taking Seroxat my sleep is all over the place!

It's no fun sleeping in phone boxes, cabs, trains, buses and no fun waking at 3am knowing that I have no chance getting back to sleep!

Oh I wish I had the power of hindsight. I would never had taken Seroxat!

I also wish I had as much money to throw around as GlaxoSmithKline do!

Fid

Hat tip: Pharmagossip

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

GlaxoSmithKline Sponsored Trial - 12 Babies Die!

This news coming in today from tradingmarkets.com.

Last Sunday I was shocked to read Ofsted had elected GlaxoSmithKline Senior Vice President, Paul Blackburn to its board (he has since resigned). This Sunday I am shocked yet again by yet another clinical trial involving GlaxoSmithKline.. yet another trial where there seems to have been a complete disregard for human life.

This breaking story is truly shocking. If this news filtering in from Argentina is true then any children's charity whom are sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline should take a good look at themselves and maybe look up the word 'Hypocrite' in any standard dictionary.

It will be interesting to see if the mainstream press get hold of this story - it's another one I ask all bloggers to publish. This just CANNOT continue - Enough is enough!

Fid


12 Babies die during vaccine trials in Argentina

The study was sponsored by global drug giant GlaxoSmithKline and uses children from poor families, who are "pressured and forced into signing consent forms,"

Buenos Aires, Jul 10, 2008

At least 12 babies who were part of a clinical study to test the effectiveness of a vaccine against pneumonia have died over the past year in Argentina, the local press reported Thursday.

The study was sponsored by global drug giant GlaxoSmithKline and uses children from poor families, who are "pressured and forced into signing consent forms," the Argentine Federation of Health Professionals, or Fesprosa, said.

"This occurs without any type of state control" and "does not comply with minimum ethical requirements," Fesprosa said.

The vaccine trial is still ongoing despite the denunciations, and those in charge of the study were cited by the Critica newspaper as saying that the procedures are being carried out in a lawful manner.

Colombian and Panama were also chosen by GSK as staging grounds for trials of the vaccine against the pneumococcal bacteria.

Since 2007, 15,000 children under the age of one from the Argentine provinces of Mendoza, San Juan and Santiago del Estero have been included in the research protocol, a statement of what the study is trying to achieve.

"Only 12 have died throughout the country, which is a very low figure if we compare it with the deaths produced by respiratory illnesses caused by the pneumococcal bacteria," pediatrician Enrique Smith, one of the lead investigators, said.

In Santiago del Estero, one of the country's poorest provinces, the trials were authorized when Enrique's brother, Juan Carlos Smith, was provincial health minister.

According to pediatrician Ana Maria Marchese, who works at the children's hospital in the provincial capital where the studies are being conducted, "because they can't experiment in Europe or the United States, they come to do it in third-world countries."

"A lot of people want to leave the protocol but aren't allowed; they force them to continue under the threat that if they leave they won't receive any other vaccine," said Julieta Ovejero, great aunt of one of the six babies who died in Santiago del Estero.

Fesprosa's Juan Carlos Palomares said that "in most cases these are underprivileged individuals, many of them unable to read or write, who are pressured into including their children" in the trials.

According to Fesprosa, "the laboratory pays $8,000 for each child included in the study, but none (of that money) remains in the province that lends the public facilities and the health personnel for the private research."

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Message To GSK

I think the following video entitled 'Message To GSK' really sums up the frustrations we all feel regarding the suppression of Seroxat data.

I keep a close eye on the well being of Manie from America. I admire his mother, Julie, for her courage and strength, I admire his aunt, Cindy, for spreading the word but most of all... I admire the strength of little Manie whose daily routine should be remembered when we all, as human beings, complain of trivial matters.

Julie has offered this message to GSK on youtube. I hope one day both she and Manie get the answers to the questions raised in this video.

This one is for you Manie. You are touching many hearts, your strength and courage inspire me and many others.

Fid

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Grassley Probes Psychiatrists Over Ties To Pharma

Ed Silverman, author of the highly popular Pharmalot has exclusive news regarding the shenanigans going on between Pharma and psychiatrists.

Ed was sent an email that he has published on his website. It cites that the American Psychiatric Association [APA] received a letter from Senator Grassley requesting a complete accounting of APA revenues from pharmaceutical companies, starting in 2003.

The email and Ed's comment can be read in detail HERE

I'd just love it if Grassley probed Martin Keller, ghostwriter extraordinaire!

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

Financial Times cover Ofsted story

“GSK acts properly and responsibly in the conduct of all its clinical trials, including those related to children."


GSK executive forced to quit Ofsted
By Andrew Jack
Published: July 11 2008 02:37 Last updated: July 11 2008 02:37

A senior pharmaceutical executive has been forced by the schools inspectorate to resign as a top adviser only one month after he was appointed, in a move likely to damage efforts to bring private expertise to the public sector.

Paul Blackburn, senior vice-president and financial controller at GlaxoSmithKline, was asked to leave his part-time voluntary post as a member of Ofsted’s board of non-executives last weekend despite being appointed amid high praise at the start of June.

The decision follows criticism from campaigners highlighted in a Mail on Sunday article last weekend stressing GSK’s commercial interests and potential conflicts in medicines testing and use in children.

Some of the claims were disputed by GSK, and none was new. They did not im­pede Mr Blackburn’s initial selection after an application process that Ofsted said was “based on merit” for one of four vacancies on its board.

Ed Balls, secretary of state for children, schools and families, praised the GSK ex­ecutive and his fellow senior corporate nominees on June 3 for their “breadth of private sector experience and a passion to help improve the lives of children and learners.”

Ofsted confirmed on Thursday that Mr Blackburn had resigned, initially stressing that his departure was “agreed mutually” and “follows public concerns about the activities of his employer GSK”.

However, Mr Blackburn issued a statement through GSK saying: “At Ofsted’s request, I have resigned. This is very disappointing for me personally.”

Ofsted on Thursday night added: “His resignation follows public concerns about the activities of his employer GSK and some negative media coverage.

“Paul did not want any negative press interest to detract from Ofsted’s work and therefore resigned.”

The decision to ask him to resign – who was selected for his financial expertise and had no direct link to any of the claims made publicly about GSK – raises questions about how far other senior private sector figures can work with government.

Critics have raised concerns that GSK recently received a government contract to supply its cervical cancer vaccine to schoolgirls, and tested and produced drugs that have caused side-effects.

It was criticised by the medicines regulator for belatedly reporting side-effects in adolescents of anti-depressants under test.

Phil Frampton, a campaigner born and raised in care homes, also attacked Mr Blackburn’s appointment and called GSK “bodysnatchers” for supplying drugs for clinical trials of HIV medicines used in babies and toddlers at a New York City children’s home.

A GSK spokesman said: “Mr Frampton’s allegations have no foundation."

“GSK acts properly and responsibly in the conduct of all its clinical trials, including those related to children."

“The requested resignation of Mr Blackburn is very disappointing and we hope it will not dissuade others currently working in companies to consider roles in public bodies.”

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008

-----

“GSK acts properly and responsibly in the conduct of all its clinical trials, including those related to children."

Link: - GSK knew Seroxat wasn't 'effective' on children

Drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline knew that the anti-depressant Seroxat could not be proved to work on children in 1998, according to a leaked internal document....

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

My response to Ofsted

----- Original Message -----
From: fiddaman
To: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2008 12:03 PM
Subject: Re: Appointment of GSK Vice President to Ofsted

Dear Mr. O'Neal,

Thank you for getting back to me on this matter.

I am quite surprised that there was no press release about this... unless of course I have missed it?

Do Ofsted plan to make a press release?

I have also just read a statement of Paul Blackburn from the GlaxoSmithKline webpage.

It appears that it was at Ofsted's request that he resigned... can you confirm this?

Could you also tell me whom I make enquiries to at Ofsted regarding requesting information under the FOI Act?

Many thanks

Bob Fiddaman

Read More in The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal [The Ebook]
Chipmunka Publishing ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
Paperback coming soon

GSK transfers Paroxetine production to Brasov

Source: Ziarul Financiar

British giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), leader of the local pharmaceutical market, which acquired the Europharm plant in Brasov in 1998, will start exports of Paroxetine [Seroxat] this year, an antidepressant which will find its way from the Brasov plant to over 80 countries. According to company data, the new product is expected to boost production of the Brasov plant by 50%.

"We have proven that we can produce and we have been chosen to deliver an antidepressant, Paroxetine, to the whole international market. The programme is part of a global strategy to render our operations more efficient, because players on the pharmaceutical market are going through a rather tough period. We are trying to cut back on costs, and one way to do this is to consolidate production. We preferred to choose a cheaper location," said David Lechleiter, Vice-President and General Manager of GlaxoSmithKline Romania.

Currently, the drug is manufactured in France and the UK, with the transfer process to be completed in 2009, when Paroxetine will be produced at full capacity.

"We are currently working on the production lines. We will run some tests, and the first exports will start in the second half of the year. It is a long-running process, which entails terminating production in other states, which is not achieved easily," says the head of GSK Romania.

The investments scheduled to back these exports amount to 2.5 million pounds (3.1 million euros), with 2.2 million packs of Paroxetine estimated to be exported in 2009, and 15 million packs in 2011.

In terms of the volume produced in Brasov, the increase will exceed 50% in the next year.

The main export destinations for Paroxetine will be France, Germany, the UK and Italy, with the drugs manufactured in Brasov to also reach China, India and Brazil. Exports to the US will be produced at a different location.

Anyone know of any bloggers in France, Germany, Italy, China, India, Brazil and Romania?

Fid

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON

GSK Vice President - A Statement

Paul Blackburn, GSK's Senior Vice President has resigned from his position on the board at Ofsted. His full statement can be read here.

He states: “At Ofsted’s request, I have resigned. This is very disappointing for me personally and I hope it will not dissuade others currently working in companies to consider roles with public bodies. I wish to make it clear that this decision should in no way give credibility to the spurious allegations which have been reported regarding GlaxoSmithKline. These are entirely without foundation and have been previously addressed by the company. Rather, it is my desire that the work of Ofsted continue unhindered by negative media attention.”

Point 1 - Why did Ofsted request he resign?

Point 2 - What spurious allegations regarding GlaxoSmithKline?

The Daily Mail broke the story of his appointment, days after this story broke Blackburn resigns. In between, myself and many other bloggers protested against his appointment directly to Ofsted. Many others wrote about it on blogs and websites. This news went global and many people were not happy. Personally, I am pleased of the outcome and hopefully Ofsted can now concentrate on doing what they do best... protecting our children!

Fid

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


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GSK Vice President resigns from Ofsted!

Just had this email from Ofsted:


----- Original Message -----
From: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
To: fiddaman64
Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2008 1:22 PM
Subject: Fw: Appointment of GSK Vice President to Ofsted
Dear Mr Fiddaman

Further to my email to you this morning, please be advised as follows:

Paul Blackburn resigned as a non executive member of the Ofsted Board on 5th July. His resignation follows public concerns about the activities of his employer GSK. Paul did not want any negative press interest to detract from the excellent work of Ofsted and therefore resigned. As far as Ofsted is concerned the matter is now concluded.

Should you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards,

Alan O'Neal
Customer Service Advisor
Ofsted - National Business Unit

Read More in The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal [The Ebook]
Chipmunka Publishing ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
Paperback coming soon

Integrity,Misconduct & Brown University

Dr Aubrey Blumsohn over at Scientific Misconduct is on a mission, a mission to seek the truth.

He has wrote to the recently appointed new Chairman of Medicine at Brown Medical School, Professor Ed Wing.

Wing was announced as Chairman of Medicine at the start of July and there was some controvosy about the manner in which he was appointed.

Blumsohn writes... "In particular there were concerns that the process was designed to limit the field to particular insiders (see here, and here). Perhaps choosing an insider was not the best idea for an institution with a growing integrity stain."

In his letter he writes of two major scandals that have rocked Brown University, those of the cases of Dr David Kern, Professor of Occupational Medicine, and the many problems involving Professor Martin Keller.

If Wing has anything about him he should take Dr. Aubrey Blumshon's letter seriously. If he chooses to ignore the shit floating around Brown University then it will ultimately be his own downfall.

Read the letter HERE

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


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OFSTED SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES!

Email I have just wrote to Ofsted:

I'm Angry!

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to you to air my disgust at the recent appointment of Paul Blackburn to the board of education at Ofsted.

Here, you are appointing someone from a company whose history regarding the safety of children is quite appalling. I could give you a list... or links to websites where GSK have disregarded children's health but I am sure you already know this don't you?

Read More in The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal [The Ebook]
Chipmunka Publishing ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
Paperback coming soon

Boss of drug firm behind cervical cancer jabs for schoolgirls is on board of Ofsted

Just what on earth is going on with our government? I urge people to write to their MP's regarding this breaking story in the Daily Mail.

...But critics fear GSK’s place on the Ofsted board has given it instant moral authority and has commercially strengthened its position at a time when children are being targeted by the pharmaceutical industry.

Source: Daily Mail

By Eileen Fairweather

Schools Secretary Ed Balls is at the centre of a controversy over the appointment of a top executive with a drugs company to the board of education watchdog Ofsted.

Paul Blackburn, 53, is a senior vice-president at GlaxoSmithKline, which is being sued by hundreds of parents and patients who claim its drugs have caused suicide and psychosis.

His appointment came two weeks before the company won a reported £100million contract to vaccinate all schoolgirls of 12 and 13 against the sexually transmitted virus linked to cervical cancer. Family campaigners argued that the jabs would ‘normalise’ childhood sex.

Mr Blackburn’s new role has been met with such disquiet that one childcare expert boycotted an Ofsted conference on Friday, and urged others to make a similar stand.

Announcing the appointment, Mr Balls, one of Gordon Brown’s closest advisers, said Mr Blackburn had a ‘passion’ for helping children.

But critics fear GSK’s place on the Ofsted board has given it instant moral authority and has commercially strengthened its position at a time when children are being targeted by the pharmaceutical industry.

They point to the rise in the use of prescription pills to improve behaviour and aid memory and concentration. Some have been linked to depression and violence in children.

Labour MP Graham Stringer said: ‘It (GSK) is looking at new markets to create and I am disturbed that someone from Glaxo is considered appropriate for a position with Ofsted.’

Others said the appointment demonstrated an unhealthily cosy relationship between the Government and GSK, the world’s second biggest pharmaceutical company, formerly known as Glaxo Wellcome.

Last year its chief executive Jean Pierre Garnier was appointed by Gordon Brown to his new Business Council, while Children’s Minister Margaret Hodge made the company’s chairman a member of the Higher Education Funding Council. But the latest appointment places the drugs multinational at the heart of childcare.

Labour and GSK are also linked through the cash-for-honours controversy. Although GSK stresses it does not make donations to political parties, it has invested heavily in a firm run by a man who has.

In 2004 Labour awarded a peerage to party donor Dr Paul Drayson, founder of vaccine firm PowderJect pharmaceuticals, and made him Minister for Defence Procurement. It later emerged that Glaxo Wellcome had invested £175million in PowderJect.

Mr Blackburn was one of four businessmen installed on the Ofsted board last month. ‘They bring with them a breadth of private sector experience and a passion to help improve the lives of children and learners,’ said Mr Balls.

As well as setting Ofsted’s ‘strategic priorities’, the 12-strong non-executive board is required to ‘safeguard and promote the rights and welfare of children’.

Mr Blackburn is financial controller at GSK. Mr Balls’s department insisted he was appointed to Ofsted on merit and was not representing GSK, but questions were last night raised about his suitability. Child protection expert Liz Davies asked whether he would understand ‘key childcare issues such as why new systems are failing to keep children safe from harm.’

As well as regulating education, Ofsted is responsible for monitoring children in care.

Outlining his reasons for pulling out of the Ofsted conference he was due to address, childcare expert Phil Frampton blamed GSK’s history of testing drugs on children in care.

The New York health authority recently investigated claims that drugs were tested on 100 babies and toddlers with HIV at the city’s Incarnation Children’s Centre. GSK was one of the firms that supplied the drugs.

At the time it insisted that all trials followed stringent standards and complied with local laws and regulations.

But Mr Frampton – who called Mr Blackburn’s appointment ‘really outrageous’ – said: ‘Drug trials using children in care are a modern form of child slavery, only more insidious.

'Do we want the modern Bodysnatchers at the heart of the care system using their position on Ofsted as a cover for their global exploitation of children in care?’

In 2000 Glaxo Wellcome was accused of extraordinary ‘obfuscation’ by Ireland’s senate after a commission unsuccessfully sought files concerning vaccine trials it conducted in the Sixties and Seventies on children in care homes. At the time the firm said: ‘Glaxo Wellcome regrets any distress that may have been caused to individuals involved in these trials.’

Last night GSK rejected criticism of Mr Blackburn’s appointment and described Mr Frampton’s comments as ‘without foundation’. It added: ‘GSK acts properly and responsibly in the conduct of all its clinical trials, including those related to children.’

GSK faces class actions in Britain and the US by hundreds of families whose children allegedly became suicidal, psychotic or addicted after taking its anti-depressant Seroxat. The company was accused of concealing its adverse effects on children for more than a decade.

Legal action in the US recently forced GSK to publish studies showing that children on Seroxat are twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts as those on a dummy pill. Although GSK says: ‘Seroxat has never been approved by EU or US regulators as a medicine for those under 18,’ many doctors legally give it to children in a practice known as ‘off label’ prescribing.

Schools and the state childcare boom present a lucrative market for drugs including those to treat obesity, unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

GSK markets an anti-ADHD drug in the United States – amphetamine Dexedrine – and may yet try to market it or a similar drug in Britain.

It recommends Dexedrine for ‘stabilising’ patients from three years to 16 who exhibit ‘distractibility, short attention span and hyperactivity’. Critics say this could describe any normal toddler or hormonal teen, and drugs should be a last resort.

Since 2006, the US Food and Drug Administration has made ADHD drugs manufacturers provide warnings of potentially fatal reactions in those with weak hearts, and the risk of ‘psychotic or manic symptoms, for example hallucinations, delusional thinking, or mania in children and adolescents without a prior history’.

The FDA has linked ADHD drugs to 25 deaths in the US, and they are allegedly linked to the deaths of seven in Britain.

Ofsted said in a statement: ‘The Ofsted Board determines the strategic direction for Ofsted and ensures that its functions are performed efficiently and effectively, but has no operational responsibilities.

‘Paul Blackburn was selected to become a non-executive member of the Ofsted Board for his financial expertise and experience. He is appointed as an individual and does not represent GlaxoSmithKline.’

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON