Further Email to GlaxoSmithKline Nigeria

Uchenna Uwechia, GSK Consumer Nigeria Plc's Legal Director and Company Secretary

Following on from Glaxo's denial that any of their employers were involved in the recent allegations coming out of Nigeria regarding a promotional lottery scam.

Basically, three employees of GlaxoSmithKline Nigeria PLC have been accused of  running a promotional scam for its energy drink, Lucozade, and its soft drink, Ribena.

The ten count criminal charge number FHC/L/478C/15 was filed before a Federal high court in Lagos by the Police Legal Officer from Force Criminal Investigation Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja, and named Dayanand Thandalam Siram, Jonathan Murray, Uche Uwechia (all of GlaxoSmithKline Nigeria) who, along with GlaxoSmithKline Nigeria are due to be arraigned before the court next month.

I wrote to Glaxo, they told me...

"We have been advised that charges contained in the publication are unsustainable and we are taking appropriate legal steps to address the issue."

As some of you will know, I researched this alleged scam for quite a while. My research found that one of the accused, namely, Uche Uwechia, aka Uchenna Uwechia, is the current Legal Director for GlaxoSmithKline Nigeria. Further research showed that Uwechia was previously employed by the Gulf Bank of Nigeria PLC and had been arraigned on a 21 count charge that had implicated him with various fraudulent activities during his time at the bank.

Despite endless hours of research I was unable to find the outcome of that particular trial, it seems to have vanished into thin air, which would suggest that a deal was struck with the prosecution. (Complete back story here)

So, I have put the following to Noah Falana, Consumer Relations Specialist, GSK South Africa, who wrote to me regarding the alleged lottery scam.

Dear Noah Falana,

Thank you for issuing this statement.

Just one more question that you may or may not know the answer to?

In 2014 GSK Nigeria's Legal Director, Uchenna Uwechia, was arraigned on a 21 count charge with regard to his previous employment at the Gulf Bank of Nigeria.

Could you tell me the outcome of this trial? Presumably Mr. Uwechia either had the charges dropped or entered into a plea bargain with the prosecution.

Source here - How Massive Fraud Liquidated Gulf Bank - http://theunion.com.ng/crime/how-massive-fraud-liquidated-gulf-bank/

Sincerely,

Bob Fiddaman

 As yet, Glaxo have failed to respond.


Bob Fiddaman

Statement from GSK Regarding "Fake Lottery Promo"

The following is a statement sent to me from GlaxoSmithKline Nigeria PLC with regard to recent reports in the Nigerian press that three of its employees have had a ten count criminal charge (number FHC/L/478C/15) filed before a Federal high court in Lagos by the Police Legal Officer from Force Criminal Investigation Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

Back story at the foot of this statement.

Dear Bob Fiddaman,

Thank you for your email and for bringing this matter to our attention.

It has come to our notice from the Management Team that the names mentioned below are not on suspension.

Please find herewith the response from our management team:

T. S. Dayanand (Managing Director); Jonathan Murray (Finance Director) and Uchenna Uwechia (Legal Director) of GSK Nigeria are not on suspension. No charge has been served on GSK or any of its employees to date. 

We have been advised that charges contained in the publication (link embedded) are unsustainable and we are taking appropriate legal steps to address the issue.

GSK continues to take steps to ensure that its operations in Nigeria are in compliance with existing laws and regulations.

Best Regards Noah Falana. Consumer Relations Specialist GSK South Africa

Back story here.

Bob Fiddaman.

Glaxo's Profits Down 4%

British pharmaceutical giant, GlaxoSmithKline, have reported profit for 2012, however, the £7.64bn is 4% down on the previous year.

European sales of Glaxo's products were also down by 7% , probably down to news that their revolving door "in and out" of courtrooms in the US filtered through to overseas consumers.

Glaxo CEO, Andrew "All part of an era" Witty, described the current climate as "challenging". He should try withdrawing from Seroxat, now that IS a challenge!

Glaxo, writes the BBC, are "carrying out a review of its "iconic" consumer drinks brands Lucozade and Ribena, looking at "the best ways to ensure their continued growth".

I've wrote about both Ribena and Lucozade in the past on this blog.

"It was the shelves your Honour!"

Back in 2007 it emerged that two Kiwi school girls carried out a science experiment as part of a school project. They wanted to find out exactly how much vitamin c was contained in Ribena. Glaxo had promoted it as containing 7mg of vitamin C per 100ml, or 44 per cent of the recommended daily intake. The two school girls, however, found something completely different. In actual fact there was no vitamin c found in Ribena. [Back story]

How did Glaxo react?

Well, they didn't blame themselves for lying [no surprise there] instead they opted to blame shelves. Yup, the excuse at the time was as laughable then as it is today. This after they were fined a measly $217,000 after pleading guilty to 15 breaches of the Fair Trading Act.

After the court decision, a spokeswoman for GlaxoSmithKline in London told the Daily Telegraph that the problem arose when Ribena in Australia and New Zealand was left on shop shelves for too long, causing the vitamin C to degrade. [Back story]

Regarding Lucozade see the following"

Glaxo's Lucozade Sport Fails Miserably

Glaxo's Lucozade Linked to Hyperactivity

Good old Glaxo and its "iconic" brands.

GSK's shares were up 10.50 yesterday and closed at 1,453.00

Meantime, Glaxo are defending a High Court action against them in the UK regarding their controversial antidepressant, Seroxat.

The Genius Marketing of Glaxo's Facebook Squad

I have to take my hat off to the marketing team at GlaxoSmithKline. Never one to miss a trick in advertising by proxy sees their current Facebook page cover them in garlands with the post "Take a Swipe | Malaria No More UK – Ending Malaria Deaths" Their page, which can only be viewed if you use Facebook's "Like" button, can be accessed HERE

Whoever moderates Glaxo's page, be it a highly paid member of their marketing team or a student on an internship have deemed it fit to add the following comment to the 'Take a Sripe' post:

Take a swipe at malaria by buying GlaxoSmithKline products such as Lucozade, Ribena, Panadol and Beechams from participating Esso service stations during September 2011. For every GSK product purchased, 5p will be donated to Malaria No More UK.

Here's the thing about the first product of theirs they advertise - Lucozade


Back in July last year I reported on an article run by The Independent. Glaxo, along with A.Barr, manufacturers of every Scots persons favorite drink, Irn Bru, were forced warn parents that the drinks may cause hyperactivity.

Their second product advertised [by proxy] on their Facebook post is Ribena

Here's part of a story from an article that appeared in The Guardian in 2007.

Schoolgirls rumble Ribena vitamin claims

Two New Zealand schoolgirls humbled one of the world's biggest food and drugs companies after their school science experiment found that their ready-to-drink Ribena contained almost no trace of vitamin C.


Students Anna Devathasan and Jenny Suo tested the blackcurrant cordial against rival brands to test their hypothesis that cheaper brands were less healthy.


Instead, their tests found that the Ribena contained a tiny amount of vitamin C, while another brand's orange juice drink contained almost four times more.


"We thought we were doing it wrong. We thought we must have made a mistake," Anna told New Zealand's Weekend Herald. The girls were both 14 and students at Pakuranga College in Auckland when they did the experiment in 2004.


Given Ribena's advertising claims that "the blackcurrants in Ribena have four times the vitamin C of oranges"



So, Glaxo's concerted, or should that be conceited, effort to show what a caring company they are via Facebook seems a pretty decent exercise but, as usual, they aren't giving the consumer all the facts. I just thought I'd address the balance with this blog post of mine.

Incidently, I added a comment to the Glaxo Facebook post. It was a genuine question that, for the moment, has not been answered by the Glaxo Facebook moderator.

Click on image to enlarge

I'll keep you posted should they respond.





Fid 


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2012 Olympics - Team Glaxo

Scientists at GlaxoSmithKline have teamed up with the World Anti-Doping Agency [WADA] to investigate medicines that could having performance enhancing potential in sport.

I just love seeing the word doping in the same sentence as GlaxoSmithKline.

It amazes me that a sporting event, which brings nations together, would opt for help from a pharmaceutical company who have, let's just say, a rather tainted history when it comes to helping people.

Paxil and Avandia are just two of their products that spring to mind, not to mention their best selling fruit drink, Ribena, the drink that wasn't really full of the vitamin C that they proclaimed.

The Mirror mobile writes:

GSK will supply WADA with confidential information about medicines in early stage development that could be abused by athletes once they are licensed for use.

Excuse me while I change my underwear...I've just pissed myself laughing.

GSK providing confidential information about drugs in early stage development?

Have I awoken this morning in another dimension?

Would it be ethical for a depressed athlete, who is taking Seroxat [Paxil in US] to enter the archery competition? Look out spectators, that arrow may just be coming in your direction [see Tobin v GSK]

Maybe an advantage will be gained by Pole Vaulters if they are taking Paxil? If memory serves me correct [difficult when you've been on Paxil for a number of years] Paxil keeps the wolf from the door but the blood in the pole...if you catch my drift. **Winks.

Maybe Glaxo can provide WADA with information on beta blocker type drugs, those types that slow the heart rate down and give an advantage to sports men and women? Speaking of matters of the heart, maybe WADA are comfortable working alongside a company whose own suppression of information regarding their diabetes drug, Avandia, put lives at risk of those taking it. [U.S. Senate Investigation of Avandia]

Or maybe WADA are perfectly happy working hand in hand with a company who were fined for code violations in regard to three doctors' conferences sponsored by the company? [Medicines Australia Code of Conduct Violations]

Perhaps Glaxo could provide the soft drinks to the athletes. The gruelling marathon runs can be testing for the long distance runners - Never fear, they can always refresh themselves with Glaxo's Ribena, the nutritional drink that is full of vitamin C... or so we thought?

Two New Zealand schoolgirls humbled one of the world's biggest food and drugs companies after their school science experiment found that their ready-to-drink Ribena contained almost no trace of vitamin C.

Students Anna Devathasan and Jenny Suo tested the blackcurrant cordial against rival brands to test their hypothesis that cheaper brands were less healthy.

Instead, their tests found that the Ribena contained a tiny amount of vitamin C, while another brand's orange juice drink contained almost four times more.

The outcome of this saw Glaxo fined [New Zealand fines GlaxoSmithKline for misleading ads]

If Ribena isn't on the agenda for the athletes then maybe Glaxo could branch out into the bottled water market...then again, maybe not. In 2008 Glaxo were one of three companies who were each fined for system failures that led to the release of trichloroethylene, TCE, into the public drinking water system in Scottsdale, Arizona. Trichloroethylene is a colorless liquid which is used as a solvent for cleaning metal parts, should come in handy for the javelin throwers.

In fact GSK have a history of pollution.

According to the Factory Watch website, GSK’s chemical plant in Ulverston is one of the most carcinogenic polluters in the UK. Factory Watch’s information, compiled from Environment agency data, looked at over 1,500 factories nation-wide. The Ulverston site was ranked number three on Factory Watch’s list, emitting 773 tonnes of carcinogens in 2001, 10 per cent of the national total.

In September 1992 the Ulverston site (then owned by Glaxo Wellcome) dumped several toxic chemicals in the river Leven, without authorisation. The chemicals included trichloroethylene [again], chloroform, and chlorobenzene. [Friends of the Earth, Factory Watch press release, 8 February, 1999]

Also, in May 1994, the Ulverston site discharged, again without authorisation, 1,350m3 of “ineffectively treated effluent” into M. The company was required by law to notify the authorities within 24 hours, but they didn’t until six days later.[ENDS Report 292, May 1999, pp. 33-34]

I'm sure the Olympic Committee must be delighted to have on board a company who were fined back in 2006 for tax evasion too. GlaxoSmithKline agreed to pay approximately $3.4 billion to settle charges by the IRS that the company under-reported profits to avoid paying U.S. taxes. The Internal Revenue Service accused GSK of a practice called "transfer pricing," by which a company claims most of its earnings belong in a country where taxes are low. The transactions at issue, which concerned the way GSK priced drugs for sale through its U.S. subsidiary, occurred between the years 1989 and 2005. [Underreporting Profits]

Yes, I, for one, am so happy that Glaxo are part of the breath-taking spectacle that is the Olympic Games.

Memo to the Olympic committee: Perhaps you could entice some bank robbing prisoners from Wormwood Scrubs to work in your financial department.

Good old Glaxo - flying under the radar yet again.

I have asked WADA to comment on this article. I shall let readers know if they decide to answer.

FDA Flex Muscles on Elderberry Manufacturer

If ever one needed evidence regarding how medicine's health officials around the globe prioritise what's regulated and what's not then look no further than the American medicines regulator, the Food and Drug Administration.

The latest victim of the FDA's crackdown on business trying to make a buck is Wyldewood Cellars, Inc. Their apparent crime? Well, their website violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Way to go FDA, where would we be without you.

Wyldewood Cellars, Inc were sent a letter from the FDA back in 2006, the crux of which was the FDA bitching about Wyldewood Cellars Elderberry-Juice Concentrate.

In a letter to John A. Brewer, Ph.D., Owner of Wyldewood Cellars, District Director of the Public Health Service for the Food and Drug Administration, John W. Thorsky, writes:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed your firm's website at http://www.elderberry.net. Our review of your website found violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act...

It appears the FDA were pissed because of the various claims made by Wyldewood Cellars about their Elderberry-Juice Concentrate, such claims included that various cultures, including the Native Americans, had used the elderberry plant to treat colds, asthma diabetes, rheumatism, and nervous disorders such as insomnia and migraines. They also claimed that one teaspoon of Elderberry Juice Concentrate provided a daily preventative dose for most colds and it was a medically proven strong antiviral.

The FDA took umbrage to these claims:

Because your product is not generally recognized as safe and effective when used as labeled, it is also a new drug as defined in section 201(p) of the Act [21 U.S.C. 321(p)]. Under section 505 of the Act (21 U.S.C. 355), a new drug may not be legally marketed in the United States without an approved New Drug Application (NDA). This drug is also misbranded under section 502(f)(1) of the Act [21 U.S.C. 352(f)(1)], in that its labeling does not bear adequate directions for use.

The above violations are not meant to be an all-inclusive list of deficiencies in your products and their labeling. It is your responsibility to ensure that all products marketed by your firm comply with the Act and its implementing regulations.

Wyldewood Cellars made adjustments to their labelling and thought no more of it. Imagine their surprise when the FDA recently sent US Marshalls on a mission to the Wyldewood Cellars warehouse, where they duly confiscated the said product.

One moment whilst I wipe the tears of laughter from my eyes...

Here we have the FDA pulling out all the stops to make sure a product is not making false claims. You know where I'm going with this, right?

The FDA, which is basically akin to a pharmaceutical agent, are surely barking up the wrong tree here by going after a piddling wine-maker, doncha think?

Let's take a look at some of the claims that the FDA and other medicines regulators have stood by over the years for various pharmaceutical products.

Cipramil, known as Celexa in the US
"Now indicated for panic disorder"
Panic disorder cannot be diagnosed using 21st century technology.
The FDA/MHRA see no problem with this claim.

Seroxat, known as Paxil in the US, Aropax in Australia.
Early promotion of Seroxat saw the manufacturer claim that it 'corrected a chemical imbalance'
Public pressure and basic common sense saw GSK later remove this claim. They were never charged by the FDA or MHRA for this false claim.
Glaxo also promoted this drug for use in children by way of a ghost-written paper, when they knew it was not safe for children.
After a four year investigation by the MHRA, Glaxo were sent a letter saying they had been naughty and not to do it again.

Ribena "contains four times as much vitamins as oranges"
It took two New Zealand schoolgirls to debunk this claim made by Glaxo. They were effectively doing the job of the food and drug regulators. Glaxo were fined a pittance and told not to do it again. Their manufacturing plants were never raided.

The list of psychiatric medications that are promoted for fixing or helping this and that is quite large. Both the FDA and MHRA have made no attempt to debunk any of the claims made by the manufacturers of these products.

Unlike Wyldewood Cellars, I can't think of one pharmaceutical company who have had their production plants raided by the police because of the claims made on packets. Maybe Wyldewood Cellar Inc should have touted the 'benefit vs risk ratio' at the FDA or maybe they should have told them that their Elderberry Juice Concentrate was thought to correct a chemical imbalance in the big toe of those who drank it. I hardly think the FDA would have been in a position to dispute any such claim seeing as they have, for years, stood by the claims of the pharmaceutical industry.

Difference with Wyldewood Cellars juice and pharmaceutical products is crystal clear. Their juice has never made anyone feel suicidal or homicidal. Their juice can be stopped without withdrawal problems. Their juice does not claim to fix something that does not exist.

Your move pharma.

Hat-tip - Natural News

Fid

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Glaxo's Ribena Berries Return to Screens

Marketing week has announced that GlaxoSmithKline are bringing back "Berries" characters to front an £11m integrated ad campaign.

The "Berries" cartoon characters can be heard singing about how Ribena contains a daily dose of Vitamin C.

The 30 second ad, which can be seen here, comes after GlaxoSmithKline were hauled over the coals regarding Ribena by two New Zealand schoolgirls back in 2007.

Schoolgirls Jenny Suo and Anna Devathasan, who carried out a science project in 2004, said they were brushed off when they took their findings to the company, the Advertising Standards Authority and marketing organisation Brandpower. They had found, through their own project, that Glaxo's boast about Ribena being full of vitamin C was false. In fact, GlaxoSmithKline later admitted that its ready-to-drink Ribena, which its labelling said contained 7mg of vitamin C per 100ml, in fact had no detectable vitamin C content.

The judge fined Glaxo a total 227,500 New Zealand dollars for misleading advertising.

GlaxoSmithKline told the court it had not deliberately set out to mislead consumers, and the fault lay with its testing methods.

Interesting transcript of a radio interview with the two students who busted Glaxo back in 2004 here.

Hopefully the "Berries" in the new advertising campaign with be full of the Vitamin C that Glaxo claim they are.

Fid

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