Posted by Jasper Ollins on March 11, 2004, at 14:27:34
In reply to Re: effexor lawsuit, posted by PoohBear on January 20, 2004, at 14:12:11
I really don't know if anyone is even reading this string anymore, but I have to get this out of my system.
The point has been danced around repeatedly but never truly addressed here. The issue is NOT to sue a big pharmacorp in order to pull a drug that is inconvenient for a few people to stop taking. The issue IS that Wyeth has been grossly negligent in their representation of this product and the risks associated with reduction of dose or complete cessation. And I do not exaggerate when I say it is a horrific and traumatic experience for MANY of us, enough so that some have taken their lives.
I would never suggest pulling this drug from the market - It obviously helps some and that's great - so does ECT, but come on! No one gets treated with ECT without knowing exactly what they are in for. Wyeth has acted in bad faith. They knew the severity of the side effects well before XR ever went to market and they did nothing about it except to put the same limp warnings on their label that accompanies every antidepressant.
Our civil laws in the United States are in place to protect individuals from just this type of abuse. Punitive lawsuits have proven highly affective against corporations who disregard the safety of the community in this way. And I really take exception to anyone criticizing the U.S. in this respect. If European and Canadian drug laws were more stringent we never would have seen the Thalidomide disaster come to pass...
Pull the drug? No way. Sue the rats? Absolutely. Maybe next time they won't play so loose with peoples lives. And if you think I am over reacting read some of the signatures on this petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/effexor/petition.html
poster:Jasper Ollins
thread:53462
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040308/msgs/323276.html