If paying out over $3 billion in fines for their scandalous behaviour and disregard for patients, GlaxoSmithKline, the British company that claim to help people do more, feel better and live longer, find themselves under the spotlight again with yet more offences and disregard for human health.
Forbes are reporting that two leading US attorneys, Michael Baum [Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, P.C.] and Sean Tracey [Tracey Law Firm] have more irons in the fire where Glaxo are concerned.
The Forbes article, 'GlaxoSmithKline's $3 Billion Hit: Deterrent or Business Expense?' throws out some interesting observations regarding Glaxo's recent guilty plea over it's off-label promotion of many of its best selling drugs.
Where this article, penned by Rob Waters, excels more than most I've read is that it gathers the opinion of a former Paxil user and two US leading attorneys. A pseudonym, given to the former Paxil user because she wishes to remain anonymous, writes, “I think it’s despicable what they did and I think a $3 billion fine is pathetic,” adding, “No specific individual executive has been prosecuted or punished or fined; there’s nothing to take away the incentives for huge drug companies to commit fraud. I’m infuriated.”
She's right and kudos must go to the author of this piece for allowing someone to voice their opinion who knows exactly what it feels like to be on the brink of suicide caused by Glaxo's drug, Paxil.
Baum goes further...
“Their admissions in the plea agreement and the information puts GSK’s experts and corporate representatives in a corner,” adding, “It makes it difficult for them to say they did not hide information from physicians.”
Both Baum and Tracey are well equipped when it comes to litigation against Glaxo. In 2001 Baum Hedlund represented more than 3,000 people across the United States in personal injury cases against GSK. More recently, The Tracey Law Firm were successful in showing a jury how Glaxo failed to properly warn doctors and pregnant users of Paxil’s risk. Lyam Kilker was born with heart defects, his mother took Paxil during her pregnancy.
More To Come
Glaxo, it appears, are desperately trying to keep Avandia documents under lock and key. “They’re fighting us on releasing these documents that show what really happened. They should allow the press and the public to see them,” Baum told Forbes.
Tracey added to the Glaxo onslaught with, “If pharma companies can flout the law and then simply write a check when they get caught, they’re never going to stop. “The money is too large. Until and unless someone’s liberty comes to jeopardy, they simply consider this the cost of doing business.”
They're right.
Glaxo have had their behinds kicked severely by Michael Baum and Sean Tracey. One would think that they would have learned their lesson. But Glaxo being Glaxo will continue to suppress which is why their CEO's recent statement on the $3 billion settlement is more laughable today than it was when he and his company first released it.
Witty blamed an era of GlaxoSmithKline, kind of a perverse comment considering he played a major role in marketing Glaxo's products during that era.
Both Baum and Tracey continue to seek damages for children born with heart defects as a result of their mothers ingesting antidepressant medication. Today, Pfizer are on their radar, more specifically their product, Zoloft [known as Lustral in the UK] Baum Hedlund have over 400 Zoloft birth defect cases and The Tracey Law Firm are representing another 150 clients.
Meanwhile, in the UK, the Legal Services Commission [LSC] have been presented with evidences to extend further the funding for the Seroxat litigation. A decision by the LSC is imminent.
According to the British drug regulator's yellow card reporting system there have been 33,142 reports of reactions to patients when taking Seroxat, 10,597 have been adverse reactions whilst there have been 178 reported deaths in the UK related to Seroxat.
The drug remains on the market and Glaxo have no intention of settling the UK litigation.
I'm glad they don't want to. I can't wait to talk about this particular case... and I will once it's over... regardless of the outcome.
When I grow up I want to become a lawyer - Bob Fiddaman 47
Fid
ORDER THE PAPERBACK 'THE EVIDENCE, HOWEVER, IS CLEAR...THE SEROXAT SCANDAL' By Bob Fiddaman US and CANADA HERE OR UK HERE
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