Two hopeful items have surfaced recently.
Reuters reported last month “French judges probe firms over vaccinations”
PARIS, Jan 31 (Reuters) – French authorities have opened a formal investigation into two managers from drugs groups GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi Pasteur over a vaccination campaign in the 1990s, a judicial source said late on Thursday.
Judge Marie-Odile Bertella-Geffroy also opened an investigation for manslaughter against Sanofi Pasteur MSD, a joint venture between Sanofi Aventis (SASY.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) and Merck (MRK.N: Quote, Profile, Research), the same source said.
The investigations follow allegations that the companies failed to fully disclose side effects from an anti-hepatitis B drug used in a vaccination campaign between 1994 and 1998.
There was no immediate comment from the companies or the two managers involved.
From 1994 to 1998, almost two thirds of the French population and almost all newborn babies were vaccinated against hepatitis B, but the campaign was suspended after concerns arose about possible secondary effects from the treatments.
Some 30 plaintiffs have launched a civil action in the case, including the families of five people who died after vaccination. (Reporting by Thierry Leveque; Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by David Holmes) RECENT CIVIL ACTIONS FOR DAMAGES AGAINST BIG PHARMA BY STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL IN THE USA REGARDING THE “ANTIPSYCHOTIC” DRUGS RACKET
by Justice Lover
The following report was emailed to me today by ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RESEARCH PROTECTION (AHRP):
Promoting Openness, Full Disclosure, and Accountability
Cong. Bart Stupak and Cong. John Dingell, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, threatened to hold Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt in contempt for refusing to turn over FDA briefing documents subpoenaed by the committee in its probe over an antibiotic and a blood thinner linked to four deaths.
Sec. Leavitt oversees the FDA and other health care agencies. The documents in question were used to prepare FDA Commissioner, Andrew von Eschenbach,MD, for his appearance before House lawmakers last year. The commissioner testified that FDA did not use the flawed safety study to approve Ketek. But Cong. Stupak called that statement untrue and subpoenaed von Eschenbach’s notes to determine if he lied under oath.The agency has said there was no intention to deceive the public.
Cong. Stupak called on Dr. von Eschenbach to step down because he has demonstrated “a total lack of leadership.”
Underscoring FDA officials’ disregard for the agency’s mission–which is to protect the public health, and ensure that scientifically validated information is disseminated about prescription drugs–the agency has just issued proposed guidelines that would overturn the prohibition against drug manufacturers disseminating information to encourage doctors to prescribe their drug for “off-label” unapproved uses.
In essence, top FDA officials are serving as industry’s handmaiden by attempting to legitimize illegal marketing activities.
Representative Henry Waxman, said the proposed rule “caters to the industry’s desire to market their products without adequate testing or review.” The Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics Act prohibits companies from promoting off-label uses of approved drugs.FDA would protect these manufacturers from deceptive marketing by accepting industry-sponsored and industry controlled articles containing false and misleading information. Such commercially sponsored articles have been shown to inflate the claimed benefits—while concealing the lethal risks.
The proposed FDA rule would legitimize the very activities that have led State Attorneys General and the Justice Department to sue Big Pharma companies.For example, 18 states are suing manufacturers of the so-called ‘atypical’ antipsychotic drugs–the most toxic harm-producing psychotropics–for off-label marketing:
9 states are suing Eli Lilly regarding Zyprexa: Alaska, Louisiana,Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia. 6 states are suing Janssen regarding Risperdal: Arkansas, Louisiana,Montana, South Carolina, Texas and Pennsylvania. 3 states are suing AstraZeneca regarding Seroquel: Pennsylvania, SouthCarolina, and now, Montana . See the complaint posted at http://www.helenair.com/extras/complaint.pdf
AHRP applauds Cong. Stupak for calling a spade a spade.We would further recommend calling for the removal of the top echelon of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER).These officials have systematically relegated scientific evidence to file drawers and lent the seal of approval to lethal drugs that caused tens of thousands of Americans to die. That is a colossal disservice of an agency mandated to protect the public health.
-END-
This is what happens when public pressure and education efforts are focused on Congress. Despite the huge amounts of money drug companies spend to buy Congress, when the offenses are hurting their constituents, and their constituents tell them so, or when the offenses are so outrageous that even Congress cannot ignore them, things CAN change.
The Natural Solutions Foundation works with Congress to educate them now. We would like to be able to lobby directly and, for that, need to set up a 501 (c) 4 organization so that we can do just that. Of course, that takes a bit of money, not a lot, really, when you consider what is at stake. If you want to help fund this activity, send an email to Ralph Fucetola, ralph.fucetola@usa.net with “Lobbying” as the subject line. We need about $5,000 to set up the organization and about $3,500 per month to cover expenses. Now is a ripe time for this activity: there is growing public and judicial action on our side. But, of course, we cannot do this important work without the funding necessary. When you think about it, the amounts are minuscule compared to what industry spends, yet our impact far outweighs the dollar input we need in order to make it.
To be clear, the reason that our impact, our footprint, as they say, is so large is because Natural Solutions Foundation supporters take the action steps that we recommend and write to Congress when we ask them to. that means that we are a known, and significant, force because constituents – you – are involved in these issues in large numbers. So between these two forces, we are a force to be reckoned with!
And don’t forget to set up your recurring tax deductible donation (http://drrimatruthreports.com/index.php?page_id=189) which gives us the financial life-blood we need to protect your health and health freedom.
Thanks!
Yours in health and freedom,
Dr. Rima
Rima E. Laibow, MD
Medical Director
Natural Solutions Foundation
www.HealthFreedomUSA.org
www.GlobalHealthFreedom.org
