Today was an interesting day regarding litigation against GSK and its brain pellet, paroxetine. GSK markets this product as Seroxat in the UK and Paxil in the US. It is also sold by GSK using other names to include Aropax n Australia and New Zealand. It's likely that pharma companies benefit by giving the same product different names in various countries because it makes it more difficult for consumers to search for and find relevant adverse drug effects as experienced by users across the globe. The average Aussie likely had no idea that Aropax is Paxil in the US, etc.
But back to the paroxetine court cases. Today the Supreme decided to hold off making their decision regarding the Dolin case. A previous case, Merck, Sharp & Dohme Corp. v. Albrecht has similarities to Dolin v GSK. That is, Merck's defence, like GSK's is that the FDA is responsible for changes in the labelling and not drug companies.
In the Dolin vs. GSK case, a Chicago court found in favour of Wendy Dolin in 2017. Not only did the jury determine that GSK failed to warn of the risks posed by paroxetine, they determined paroxetine caused Stewart Dolin's suffering and demise. An Illinois Seventh Circuit court later overturned the jury's decision and that decision was appealed to the Supreme Court where it now remains. It's never easy going up against GSK, despite the fact that they are officially criminals (See The United States Justice Department). I assume that the Supreme Court has decided to hold their decision on Dolin v GSK until the Merck matter is sorted.
Here in the UK, the long-awaited group action trial against GSK kicked off more than a decade after it was filed. The trial is estimated to last three months. I am one of more than 100 plaintiffs and will not be reporting on the trial just yet. But, stay tuned because I'm certain there will eventually be much to say when the dust settles.
As many of you know, I've been writing about GlaxoSmithKline and Seroxat for more than 13 years. Restrictions prevent me from writing about the current trial but I can still write about GSK's not-so-pretty sordid history, which I intend to do over the coming three months.
I will be attending some of the trial and will surely take notes because one never knows if there's another book I might write, my previous book, The Evidence, However, is Clear, the Seroxat Scandal, is quite old now and much has happened since I wrote it some 8 years ago.
For all of those who have contacted me today, these are the reasons why I am not covering the case as it presently unfolds.
It's frustrating given that Truthman and I likely know more about GSK's shady business and their Seroxat-labelled brain pellets than anyone else on the planet.
For now, we will both remain silent.
For now.
Bob Fiddaman.
