If they'd just unschedule it I'm SURE they'd find a niche amongst mildly depressed/lethargic/overworked adults!!! Hell, I'd buy it! Bill. ============================================================= Lawsuits Allege Conspiracy in Ritalin Use; Congressman Urges Probe of Abuses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- By Karen Pallarito WESTPORT, Sep 15 (Reuters Health) - Novartis AG is denying allegations that the company conspired with the American Psychiatric Association to create the disease known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in order to fuel the market for its product Ritalin. The charges against the Swiss drugmaker were leveled in class action lawsuits filed in California and New Jersey on Wednesday. Novartis said in a statement on Thursday that it had not seen the lawsuits and could not respond directly. But the company dismissed an allegation that Novartis conspired to invent the disorder as "unfounded and preposterous." The complaint alleges that Ciba-Geigy Corp., now part of Novartis, colluded with the American Psychiatric Association to create and promote the diagnoses of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and ADHD in an effort to boost Ritalin sales. As a result, it says, ADD was first listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1980, while ADHD was recognized in 1987. "This disease is described even earlier. It was described by psychiatric societies. It was described in a lot of the best medical journals and we are not the only ones on the market," a Novartis spokesman told Reuters. Methylphenidate, the active ingredient in Ritalin, is available in generic form through Celltech Group Plc's Medeva unit. Shire Pharmaceuticals Group Plc has a rival product to treat ADHD called Adderall. Shares of all three companies were down in Thursday trade. Celltech moved 1-5/16 lower to 36-15/16 and Novartis AG edged 3/8 lower to 36-3/4 on the New York Stock Exchange. Shire slipped 13/16 to 53-1/4 on NASDAQ. Gina Moran, a Novartis spokeswoman, told Reuters Health that the charges seem to echo allegations in a suit filed in Texas earlier this year. Novartis said that the allegation that it improperly influenced either the American Psychiatric Association, the National Institutes of Health, or the US Food and Drug Administration "has no merit." In related action, the chairman of the US House Judiciary Committee on Thursday asked for a government probe of Ritalin abuse in the nation's schools. Rep. Henry J. Hyde also expressed support for legislation requiring states to certify that they have guidelines in place for ensuring against prescription drug abuse on school premises. In a letter to US Comptroller General David Walker, Rep. Hyde and Rep. Bill McCollum (R-FL) asked the General Accounting Office to investigate the prevalence of psychostimulant abuse in the elementary and secondary schools. They proposed that the investigation look at the theft and sale of such medications and identify "systematic factors" contributing to the abuse, such as inadequate state laws. ADHD diagnoses have swelled in recent years, fueling a heated debate over the use of stimulants such as Ritalin. In 1996, 10% to 12% of all American school-age boys were prescribed Ritalin, according to Hyde. "We manufacture Ritalin for use in the treatment of ADHD and we want it to be used appropriately," Moran told Reuters Health. "So if there are issues with appropriate use, we welcome whatever investigations are undertaken to solve those problems," she said. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
