Dear Members,The Dallas Morning News reported this week that key Dr. Karen Wagner, a psychiatrist and key
researcher at the University of Texas was the latest target caught in the net of U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley in his
ongoing war against drug company corruption and undue financial influence on the U.S. Health industry and those
who are supposed to administer and oversee it.
The ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, Grassley's corruption investigation lead him to the
University of Texas in September where he reported that the psychiatrist (Wagner), had not properly disclosed her
financial connections with drug companies. The report was then sent the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of
the Inspector General for further action on Tuesday, March 5th.
Grassley's investigators found that pharmaceutical giant, GlaxoSmithKline paid the psychiatrist more than
$160,000.00 between 2000 and 2005 while she was the director of child and adolescent psychiatry at the
University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Wagner however, never reported more than $600.00.
But this is not just a story of mere accounting errors or even intentional tax evasion.... No, while this particular
psychiatrist was being paid by
GlaxoSmithKline she co-authored and then promoted a major study on the company's wonder drug, Paxil, which
GlaxoSmithKline wanted to "re-package" for a brand new market - children!
And to be very clear, Paxil, also known as Paroxetine, is a heavy duty anti-depressant used to treat major
depression, obsessive-compulsive, panic and social anxiety disorders in adult patients.
Hold on - it gets worse...
adults.
In fact, the "Paxil for Kids" research study Dr. Wagner co-authored had been widely criticized for its over-promotion of fictitious and
ludicrously positive findings while downplaying the heightened suicidal thoughts and behaviour in adolescents participating in the study.
Five research participant children did attempt suicide.
Interesting as well, Wagner's research co-author, psychiatrist Martin Keller was replaced last month as chairman of psychiatry at Brown
University
It is important to note that their study helped the GlaxoSmithKline drug company promote the myth that Paxil was "safe and effective" for
use in children as early as 1998. In fact, in a poster presentation, Wagner claimed "The results of this study demonstrate the safety of
paroxetine (Paxil) in the treatment of adolescent depression. Side effects were modest with paroxetine."
that clearly acknowledged that company officials were aware that the study was negative. See, GSK document at: http://www.ahrp.
org/risks/SSRI0204/GSKpaxil/pg5.html
The published report by Wagner and her cohort misrepresented the research data and failed to state that Paxil showed no benefit for
adolescents when compared to placebos, while the data actually did show that adolescents taking Paxil had a significant increased risk of
suicide:
So far, the University of Texas system has not bothered to discipline Wagner, but Vice Chancellor and General Counsel for the university,
Barry Bergdorf, said Wagner has been under investigation for the last two weeks, but while she will remain at work throughout the
investigation, the University of Texas Board of Regents has been notified.
"We've taken all reasonable steps and will continue to do so," Bergdorf said. The fact that Grassley made the report to the inspector
general "isprobably of concern to Dr. Wagner."
Ya think?
Senator Grassley's research into doctor-drug company connections has lead him to file a Federal bill to force drug companies to report
gifts, travel and any payments made to doctors and other relevant groups.
Not letting much slip by, Grassley's report also included information on several other research proposals filled out by Wagner during those
years where she claims she had no financial interest in the drug companies she was working with.
This story won't go away and it will be interesting to see what else Wagner was paid to promote while in her position at the University of
Texas.
For the full article in the Dallas Morning News go to:
http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/05/federal-investigator-could-rev.html
Editor's Note: Award winning filmmaker and documentarian, Kevin P. Miller invested an incredible amount time, money and effort to bring
to light a situation of truly epidemic proportions - the drugging of millions of our children merely for profit.
This film is not about drug pushers on the streets - it's about the business of re-marketing powerful psychiatric medications and prescribing
them to children as little as 2 and 3 years old for symptoms and diseases successfully treated without them. It's about the drug company
and FDAs pre-knowledge of the dangerous side effects and the innumerable suicides and murders that resulted from children being on
these drugs.
Take a new look at this problem and find out who and what lays behind it. Watch Generation Rx simply go to: www.generationrxfilm.com
Key Consumer Actions:
Let your government representatives know YOUR position
Get involved
Help support WINHS
And review the WINHS web site periodically for updates and to keep you up to speed with what the WINH and our associated campaign
organizations have been doing to protect freedom of choice in 2009.
Thank you,
Rudi C. Loehwing
Managing Director
World Institute of Natural Health Sciences
www.winhs.org
The "Business" of Drugs - The Money Behind Falsified Drug Research |
Page created 5/10/09
7/5/09 Carl Watts, Nutrition Response Testing Certified, Nutritionist, Artist, Designer, Problem Solver, Author, Publisher, Philosopher, PO Box 285,
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