The drug biz brings in the "ringers"

[jumperconway 0]

I know I've talked a lot about the Cox-2 inhibitors (Vioxx and company) prescription painkiller scandal in the last 10 months, but what can I say? It's an important news story that refuses to go away - one that's indicative of the deep, pervasive flaws in our drug approval and oversight system. And in yet another stunning development that shows just how deep this rabbit-hole of government-sanctioned deception and death goes...

According to a recent Associated Press report, a special advisory panel or 32 "experts" convened by the FDA to determine whether or not 3 specific medications in this class of painkillers (Cox-2s) should continue to be sold voted to allow these drugs to stay on the market. The actual votes were:
31 to 1 in favor of keeping Pfizer's Celebrex on the market
17 to 13 (2 abstained from the vote) in favor of Pfizer's Bextra
17 to 15 in favor of continuing to allow the sale of proven killer Vioxx
As if it isn't bad enough that a panel of supposedly objective authorities in the field voted to allow these deadly drugs to remain on sale, here's the really scandalous part: 10 of the 32 members of this committee had financial ties to either Pfizer or Merck, or both! Yep, you read that right - nearly one third of the members of the very body entrusted by the FDA to advise on the safety of this class of drugs had at one point or another been paid speaking honorariums, consultation fees, or had received research support from the very companies who make the drugs being scrutinized.

And guess what? This 10-member contingent voted almost unanimously to keep all three of these drugs on the market. According to the AP piece, their "unbiased" votes broke down like this:
10-0 in favor of Vioxx
10-0 in favor of Celebrex
9-1 in favor of Bextra.
Without these supporting votes, the panel vote might have turned out a little differently. Absolutely outrageous, isn't it? It's especially so when the death toll for Vioxx alone is as high as 139,000 and climbing, according to blackballed FDA scientist David Graham, the man who blew the whistle on the scandal back in September of last year.

It's not the first time something like this has happened, either. Back on March 4th, I wrote about how a group of 9 "big wigs" in the cholesterol control field had all voted as part of a similar advisory panel in support of a proposal to offer statin drugs in over-the-counter forms - a move which would have netted their makers billions in sales. ALL of these doctors had been in the pockets of the drug business in one way or another.

The point is this: Drug companies spray so much easy money around the modern medical community that it's almost impossible to convene an objective panel anymore. The result is that those whom we're entrusting to be objective are actually double-agents bullying our limp-wristed regulatory system into serving the greed of Big Pharma...

While tens of thousands (maybe millions) of people die because of it.

************************
The Fat Cats' pet project

Bet you didn't know that there's a fast-growing new market segment for drug sales. It isn't third-world and developing nations (maybe this is, too, but that's not what I'm talking about here), it's OUR PETS. Apparently, it isn't enough to poison every man, woman, and child in the U.S. with prescription chemicals, but now they've got to go after Felix and Fido as well.

Of course, we're all familiar with things like antibiotics and heart-worm medications for our beloved companions, but I'll bet you didn't know that there are prescription-level pet medications for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, allergies - even depression!

In just the last decade, the number of "people" drugs for pets has quadrupled. And along with this expansion has come many the same downsides people endure from taking ever more drugs. That includes side effects, adverse drug reactions (24,000 of these per year are reported), and sudden death. In fact, last year the FDA had to enforce punitive measures against one major pharmaceutical company's animal drug division after 14 cats died in a painkiller study...

Interestingly enough, the drug in question (called Deramaxx) is none other than an arthritis drug of the Cox-2 Inhibitors class, like Vioxx, blamed for as many as 139,000 human deaths in the U.S. alone. Currently, this drug IS approved for use in dogs...

Hope yours isn't one of them, if the Cox-2 track record on humans is any indication.

Blowing the whistle on regulation gone to the dogs,

William Campbell Douglass II, MD

[Ncrowe 0]

Speakers Corner?

"Don't Mess Around With the Guy in Shades- Oh No!!! "

[lisamariewillbe 1]

agree

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[jumperconway 0]

Quote

Speakers Corner?

What for?

[Gravitymaster 0]

Quote

Quote

Speakers Corner?

What for?

Because of a question like this:
Who is forcing your Doctor or Veterinarian to prescribe them? If you know they are dangerous and your Doc or Vet prescibes them anyway, why not find one who has more concern for you or your animals safety?
Who is forcing people to take these medications? Who is forcing you to give them to an animal?

[jtval 0]

well even though those questions may arise, jumper conway feels that He would like to shed some light on this subject to many of us.

and while this will probably end up in SC, he know's that more people visit bonfire and the word will spred.


conway didnt really add any poloitics he merely siad it was inportant to him and posted some articles.

My photos

My Videos

[Gravitymaster 0]

Quote

well even though those questions may arise, jumper conway feels that He would like to shed some light on this subject to many of us.

and while this will probably end up in SC, he know's that more people visit bonfire and the word will spred.


conway didnt really add any poloitics he merely siad it was inportant to him and posted some articles.

And I appreciate the post because I and others are not always able to keep up with this type of information. My questions are still valid, though.

[Lindsey 0]

While I agree with parts of your rant, I think you could find a very good reason to pull MOST of our medications off the market. Just a few...

Birth control pills--much higher risk of pulmonary embolism (high rate of mortality)

Allegra--may cause arrhythmias, cardiovascular collapse, seizures

Albuterol--may cause QT prolongation, hypertension, hypokalemia

ACE Inhibitors (antihypertensives)--may casue renal failure

Beta Blockers (antihypertensives)--may cause congensive heart failure

Pepcid--may casue seizures, AV block

Statins (cholesterol lowering)--can cause pancreatitis and rhabdomyolysis.

Most of our medications (like COX-2 inhibitors) do much more good than harm. I don't know why people shouldn't be allowed to make informed decisions about whether the benefits outweigh the risks for themselves....

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[jtval 0]

Quote

And I appreciate the post because I and others are not always able to keep up with this type of information. My questions are still valid, though.

oh, I wasnt sure if those were rhetorical or not.

but I won't answer them. this is conways thread LOL

My photos

My Videos

[Ncrowe 0]

Quote

Quote

Speakers Corner?

What for?

Because it's bound to start some sort of argument with someone....

"Don't Mess Around With the Guy in Shades- Oh No!!! "

[ChrisL 2]

I'm not in the least bit concerned about potentially dangerous products being left on the market.

I'm far more concerned about beneficial products being REMOVED from the market for idiotic reasons.

Ephedra products. pro hormone products, etc

I should have the right to chose it I want to use them. They should be clearly labeled as to potential side effects and MADE AVAILABLE for sale
to adults.

Whether its vioxx, stacker 2, creatine, andro, or whatever.

STOP TAKING AWAY MY RIGHT TO CHOSE

The most lethal drug in the world, the one that is responsible for more deaths every year than all the others combined isnt in any danger of being taken away. I'm talking about alcohol.

Gimme a break.

Label them clearly. Dont just take them away "for our own good"

Give us the facts and let us chose.

If you believe that they should take beneficial producs off the market because there is a small risk in some cases, then you would have to agree that they should make skydiving illegal.

__

My mighty steed