A Brilliant Piece of Investigative Journalism

I urge you all to share this far and wide. It's a documentary that was recently aired in Ireland. It will make you sad, it will make you angry. Hopefully it will make you realize that the pharmaceutical companies who feature in this documentary need to be held accountable for the heinous acts they have committed by allowing antidepressants on to the market when they knew all along that they could cause some people to carry out crimes of violence on others.

The FDA and MHRA should also watch. Then, hang their heads in shame.

Bob Fiddaman

MHRA CEO, Paxil and Suicide

Much has been said about the conflict of interest between the British drug regulator, (MHRA), and GlaxoSmithKline. It's obvious to those who know the history of GSK and the MHRA that there is a huge conflict of interest that just cannot be ignored and while such a conflict exists patients will not be safeguarded from the likes of Paxil, a drug marketed and manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline.

I've met with the MHRA are a number of occasions, at one stage I offered to help them with their out of date and deeply flawed yellow card reporting system, a system where adverse events are collected and...well, basically nothing is ever done.

Communications between me and their then CEO, Kent Woods, broke down due to his refusal to acknowledge that Paxil, known as Seroxat in the UK, should be classed as a teratogen. A teratogen is an agent or factor that causes malformation of an embryo.

Much of my communication with the MHRA is in my book, 'The evidence however, is clear, the Seroxat scandal' [1]

In 2013 Kent Woods retired and the MHRA appointed Dr Ian Hudson (pic above) as their new CEO.

Hudson, who after leaving Glaxo in 2001, became the MHRA's Licensing Director, responsible for overseeing the benefits and risks of drugs before they hit the market.

Yup, the man in charge of the agency who have the job of keeping tabs on the drugs you and I take is a former employee of GSK - then known as SmithKline Beecham.

Hudson, whilst working for GSK, was a witness for the defence [GSK] during the Tobin v SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals. In 1998 Donald Schell was put on Paxil [Seroxat]. Forty-eight hours later he put three bullets from two different guns through his wife's head, as well as through his daughter's head then through his granddaughter's head before shooting himself through the head.

Hudson's deposition has been online for sometime in text form, a copy of it can be viewed here.

Sadly, it's been difficult trying to obtain the actual video footage of Hudson being depoed by US attorneys representing Tobin.

We do, however, have a small segment of his video deposition.

In 2002 Investigative journalist Shelley Jofre launched her first installment into the whole Paxil debacle. BBC Panorama's 'The Secrets of Seroxat' was aired and it prompted over 67,000 calls and emails from concerned consumers.

During the documentary Shelley touched on the case of  Donald Schell. The footage in the documentary revealed part of Dr Ian Hudson's video deposition. Remember, at the time, Hudson was a GSK employee.

Watch.... (Hudson was depoed in 2000)

**If the video starts with Andy Vickery talking then click the bar to end of video then press play**

In 2008 the MHRA concluded a four year investigation of GlaxoSmithKline, the crux of which was to find out whether GlaxoSmithKline withheld paediatric safety data pertaining to suicide related to its antidepressant Seroxat. They decided not proceed to criminal prosecution. It's unknown if they interviewed their own Dr Ian Hudson during their four year investigation. [2]

As I said, Dr Ian Hudson is now the Chief Executive of the MHRA, the agency that purportedly protects British consumers of prescription drugs.

I don't know about you but this doesn't really fill me with a sense that I am being protected from dangerous drugs. Does it you?

All four Paxil videos will soon be available in their entirety on Rxisk. 

Bob Fiddaman

[1] 'The evidence however, is clear, the Seroxat scandal' [US] [UK]

[2] GSK investigation concludes [Link]

Former Glaxo Safety Officer Becomes Head of MHRA

Ex Glaxo Employee Ian Hudson. Now in charge of  the safety and well-being of the British public.

Former Glaxo [then SmithKline Beecham] World Safety Officer Director Dr Ian Hudson has took over the role of Chief Executive at the MHRA.

Hudson, who after leaving Glaxo in 2001, became the MHRA's Licensing Director, responsible for overseeing the benefits and risks of drugs before they hit the market.

It is unknown why Former MHRA chief, Kent Woods, whom I've had much correspondence with over the years, retired.

Hudson, whilst working for GSK, was a witness for the defence [GSK] during the Tobin v SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals. Donald Schell was put on Paxil [Seroxat]. Forty-eight hours later he put three bullets from two different guns through his wife's head, as well as through his daughter's head then through his granddaughter's head before shooting himself through the head.

Hudson was appointed GSK's World Safety Officer in 1999. His department was responsible for adverse events that were sent in by health professionals and members of the public.

Whilst under oath Hudson told Andy Vickery, attorney for Tobin, about his role in reviewing the link between Paxil and aggression.

"We reviewed the topic of aggression last year. At that time we said that we would keep aggression under review.  In addition, there was considerable noise in the media earlier this year about Fluoxetine.  So having said that we would keep this topic under review, we rereviewed this topic this year and it was also prompted by considerable concern being expressed, considerable noise being expressed in the media.  There were a series of articles in the "Guardian". [British Newspaper]

Hudson was then asked by Vickery what he intended to do with the report once it was finalised, adding; Do you intend to submit it to any governmental agency?

Hudson replied:

"If a Government agency requests information on aggression and Paroxetine, we would, but we do not intend to proactively send it to them at this stage.  This was an internal review. We do many internal reviews on many topics."

This doesn't really install confidence in informed consent. If Hudson was back then stating that his findings would not be reported to the drug regulator then one can only assume that he still holds the belief that pharmaceutical companies are entitled to hold on to information that could endanger the public.

Later in the deposition Andy Vickery put the following to Ian Hudson:

"Dr. Hudson, are you aware of the body of literature concerning the relationship between serotonin and suicide?"

Hudson replied with...

"In general.  I've seen some summary information on that.  I've not reviewed that information in detail.  I would, again, delegate that to people within my department and also other psychiatrists within the company who are more closely involved in Paroxetine then I am, people such as Dr. Wheadon."

Pushing Hudson for an answer Vickery then asked...

"Let me just ask you this:  Do you know whether or not there is any association between levels of serotonin or the serotonin metabolite 5-HIAA and suicidal behavior?"

Hudson answered...

Yes, I believe there is a correlation. I have seen in the literature summary
information that implies that there is a correlation between low levels of serotonin or 5-HIAA in patients' suicidal activity.


Vickery later asked Hudson:

"Do you believe that it is possible that Paxil has caused any person, worldwide, to commit an act of homicide or suicide?"

Hudson answered:

"I have seen no evidence to suggest that at all."



Hudson's deposition can be viewed in full here.


Now Ian Hudson is the head honcho at the MHRA. If you take the time to read the complete deposition of Hudson you will see how he [whether under instruction or not] clearly deflects the blame of suicide and aggression onto other 'factors' rather than implicating Paxil.

And now this guy is in charge of regulating medicines in the UK. Do you think his presence will alter the MHRA's stance on the safety and efficacy of SSRi type medications?

Well, I have seen no evidence to suggest that at all.


Bob Fiddaman

Judge Rules That Prozac Induced Murder

The ruling from the Judge who stated that Prozac adverse drug effects drove a 16-year-old boy to stab a friend to death is now online via Peter Breggin's website.

Breggin was an expert witness in the trial and his evidence prompted the Judge, Robert Heinrichs, to conclude, "Dr. Breggin's explanation of the effect Prozac was having on C.J.P.'s behavior both before that day and in committing an impulsive, inexplicable violent act that day corresponds with the evidence"


Breggin's written report in the case stated, "At the time of the assault, [C.J.P] was suffering from a Prozac-Induced Mood Disorder (292.84) with manic features (especially extreme irritability) caused by Prozac." Breggin went on to emphasize that, within a reasonable degree of medical certainty, he would not have become violent without the exposure to Prozac, and he will not become violent again."

Full story HERE

Pete Breggin, I salute you.



Fid


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