Bait and switch data Lawyers in California are going after GlaxoSmithKline over multiple cases of suicides and attempted suicides that have been linked to Glaxo's anti- depressant, Paxil.
It's yet another disgusting example of a classic cover-up. It seems GlaxoSmithKline knew of this deadly link, but shuffled the data around to make it look like everything was just fine in order to ensure that their billion-dollar drug made it to market. One of the most pathetic excuses I've heard in a long time is that their researchers may have misunderstood the data. Misunderstood? Reporting data is their job! How can they misunderstand? I find that hard to believe. It's also not a very clever cover-up from where I sit. If your researchers are that stupid, why would anyone use your products? Regardless, I'm not buying their story, and neither is Congress. One senator has already written GSK asking that they supply the missing portions of a report that a judge had felt it best to withhold. The question is: when did you know what you knew before you decided to come clean. At present, it appears that they've known for about 15 years that their drug led to an 700 percent increase in the risk of suicide. GSK's entire data "misunderstanding" revolves around a phase in the trial called the "washout" period. Just before participants enter into a drug trial, they must first stop taking any drugs they're currently on so as not to muddy the results. Makes sense. Now, during this time frame, participants hadn't yet been assigned to the drug or placebo group, so any medical event that happens during this time wouldn't be included in the trial. Unfortunately, what may be common sense to you and me was manipulated to protect a profitable opportunity. The researchers actually included data on suicides and attempted suicides during that period, and assigned these results to the placebo group, even though those participants could have been placed in either the drug or the placebo group. So any suicide attempts during the washout period were recorded as attempts made by the placebo group. See the balance tipping? Suddenly, Paxil looks terrific, because look how much better it performs when compared to placebo! That's not sloppy science and it's not a misunderstanding—it's an outrage. To add insult to injury, a GSK spokesperson nonchalantly said sure, they meant to do it that way. It's being portrayed as a quite reasonable thing to do, though it defies common sense and any rules of science. I can tell you from my clinical experience, I find this drug is the harshest SSRI I've ever encountered in my work. So I'm not especially surprised at this new data. There's no doubt that serious depression requires treatment. But it's downright impossible for your doctor to find the best treatment when the truth is being hidden outright. If you're on Paxil, call your doctor immediately and see what he can recommend as your next course of action. Of all the SSRI's, I have found Paxil inevitably diminishes both men's and women's sex drives, may cause oversedation and memory problems—especially in the elderly—and is the most difficult to taper off of. Despite the serious problems with this overused drug, I don't recommend immediate withdrawal, because that has its own host of dangerous problems associated with it. Work closely with your doctor. You might even consider working closely with your doctor to "wash it out" safely—and for good. Dr. Alan Inglis **************It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms, and advice on AOL Money & Finance. (http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolprf00030000000001)
