ABC show to discuss Pittman case

[Guest guest]

This might be a good way to discuss the Childrens Medication Safty Act that Sen.

Kennedy is holding up.

http://www.heraldonline.com/local/story/3788492p-3395610c.html

ABC show to discuss Pittman case

By Cato The Herald

(Published September 2, 2004)

Less than two weeks after landing on the front page of The New York Times, the

story of a boy charged with murdering his grandparents in Chester County will be

told Friday on " Good Morning America. "

The show can be seen locally on cable Channel 4 from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. An ABC

employee said the segment could be four to five minutes long and should appear

around 7:30 a.m., barring any major breaking news that could pre-empt the

appearance.

Andy Vickery and Menzies, attorneys for Pittman, as well as

the boy's maternal grandmother, Del Duprey, will fly to New York today for the

appearance.

The trio plans to discuss what they believe, and will try to prove in court, is

that an adverse reaction to antidepressant medication caused Pittman to

allegedly shoot and kill his grandparents in their rural Chester County home in

November 2001. Police say the boy shot Joe Pittman and Joy Pittman

both in the head while they were in bed and then set the house on fire before

fleeing in a family vehicle. He was 12 at the time, but will be tried as an

adult and could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted.

Over a five-week period prior to the killings, Pittman had been on Paxil and

then Zoloft -- both of which are prescription antidepressants classified as

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs.

Duprey said she's making the trip in order to get the word out about what the

drugs did to her grandson.

" That's the only reason I'm doing the show, " said Duprey, who lives in central

Florida. " I'm hoping it will bring awareness to the world, at least to the

United States, about these drugs and their dangers. "

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will hold a two-day hearing this month to

release the findings of a months-long review of SSRIs and their potential to

cause children and teens to become suicidal. It has been widely reported in

recent weeks that the FDA's review will conclude that there is an increased risk

of suicidal thoughts or behavior in children taking these drugs during

company-sponsored clinical trials compared to children given a placebo.

The British government late last year all but banned SSRIs from being prescribed

to children. Prozac, the only SSRI with FDA approval to treat depression in

children, was the lone exception.

Pittman's attorneys are seeking confidential Pfizer documents they say will help

prove that Zoloft can produce side effects that include violence. The drug

company denies this and is fighting the effort to have these materials made

available. A hearing on the matter has not been scheduled.

Duprey believes the documents will prove that such problems exist with the drug

and thinks it's unfair that the public has not been informed.

" How can we make decisions about our children's medicines if we don't have all

the information? " Duprey asked. " It's so unfair we have to make decisions about

our children's health without it. Sometimes that information is not known. But

that's not the case here. The information is known. "

Cato . 329-4071

jcato@...

[Guest guest]

This might be a good way to discuss the Childrens Medication Safty Act that Sen.

Kennedy is holding up.

http://www.heraldonline.com/local/story/3788492p-3395610c.html

ABC show to discuss Pittman case

By Cato The Herald

(Published September 2, 2004)

Less than two weeks after landing on the front page of The New York Times, the

story of a boy charged with murdering his grandparents in Chester County will be

told Friday on " Good Morning America. "

The show can be seen locally on cable Channel 4 from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. An ABC

employee said the segment could be four to five minutes long and should appear

around 7:30 a.m., barring any major breaking news that could pre-empt the

appearance.

Andy Vickery and Menzies, attorneys for Pittman, as well as

the boy's maternal grandmother, Del Duprey, will fly to New York today for the

appearance.

The trio plans to discuss what they believe, and will try to prove in court, is

that an adverse reaction to antidepressant medication caused Pittman to

allegedly shoot and kill his grandparents in their rural Chester County home in

November 2001. Police say the boy shot Joe Pittman and Joy Pittman

both in the head while they were in bed and then set the house on fire before

fleeing in a family vehicle. He was 12 at the time, but will be tried as an

adult and could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted.

Over a five-week period prior to the killings, Pittman had been on Paxil and

then Zoloft -- both of which are prescription antidepressants classified as

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs.

Duprey said she's making the trip in order to get the word out about what the

drugs did to her grandson.

" That's the only reason I'm doing the show, " said Duprey, who lives in central

Florida. " I'm hoping it will bring awareness to the world, at least to the

United States, about these drugs and their dangers. "

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will hold a two-day hearing this month to

release the findings of a months-long review of SSRIs and their potential to

cause children and teens to become suicidal. It has been widely reported in

recent weeks that the FDA's review will conclude that there is an increased risk

of suicidal thoughts or behavior in children taking these drugs during

company-sponsored clinical trials compared to children given a placebo.

The British government late last year all but banned SSRIs from being prescribed

to children. Prozac, the only SSRI with FDA approval to treat depression in

children, was the lone exception.

Pittman's attorneys are seeking confidential Pfizer documents they say will help

prove that Zoloft can produce side effects that include violence. The drug

company denies this and is fighting the effort to have these materials made

available. A hearing on the matter has not been scheduled.

Duprey believes the documents will prove that such problems exist with the drug

and thinks it's unfair that the public has not been informed.

" How can we make decisions about our children's medicines if we don't have all

the information? " Duprey asked. " It's so unfair we have to make decisions about

our children's health without it. Sometimes that information is not known. But

that's not the case here. The information is known. "

Cato . 329-4071

jcato@...

[Guest guest]

This might be a good way to discuss the Childrens Medication Safty Act that Sen.

Kennedy is holding up.

http://www.heraldonline.com/local/story/3788492p-3395610c.html

ABC show to discuss Pittman case

By Cato The Herald

(Published September 2, 2004)

Less than two weeks after landing on the front page of The New York Times, the

story of a boy charged with murdering his grandparents in Chester County will be

told Friday on " Good Morning America. "

The show can be seen locally on cable Channel 4 from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. An ABC

employee said the segment could be four to five minutes long and should appear

around 7:30 a.m., barring any major breaking news that could pre-empt the

appearance.

Andy Vickery and Menzies, attorneys for Pittman, as well as

the boy's maternal grandmother, Del Duprey, will fly to New York today for the

appearance.

The trio plans to discuss what they believe, and will try to prove in court, is

that an adverse reaction to antidepressant medication caused Pittman to

allegedly shoot and kill his grandparents in their rural Chester County home in

November 2001. Police say the boy shot Joe Pittman and Joy Pittman

both in the head while they were in bed and then set the house on fire before

fleeing in a family vehicle. He was 12 at the time, but will be tried as an

adult and could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted.

Over a five-week period prior to the killings, Pittman had been on Paxil and

then Zoloft -- both of which are prescription antidepressants classified as

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs.

Duprey said she's making the trip in order to get the word out about what the

drugs did to her grandson.

" That's the only reason I'm doing the show, " said Duprey, who lives in central

Florida. " I'm hoping it will bring awareness to the world, at least to the

United States, about these drugs and their dangers. "

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will hold a two-day hearing this month to

release the findings of a months-long review of SSRIs and their potential to

cause children and teens to become suicidal. It has been widely reported in

recent weeks that the FDA's review will conclude that there is an increased risk

of suicidal thoughts or behavior in children taking these drugs during

company-sponsored clinical trials compared to children given a placebo.

The British government late last year all but banned SSRIs from being prescribed

to children. Prozac, the only SSRI with FDA approval to treat depression in

children, was the lone exception.

Pittman's attorneys are seeking confidential Pfizer documents they say will help

prove that Zoloft can produce side effects that include violence. The drug

company denies this and is fighting the effort to have these materials made

available. A hearing on the matter has not been scheduled.

Duprey believes the documents will prove that such problems exist with the drug

and thinks it's unfair that the public has not been informed.

" How can we make decisions about our children's medicines if we don't have all

the information? " Duprey asked. " It's so unfair we have to make decisions about

our children's health without it. Sometimes that information is not known. But

that's not the case here. The information is known. "

Cato . 329-4071

jcato@...

[Guest guest]

This might be a good way to discuss the Childrens Medication Safty Act that Sen.

Kennedy is holding up.

http://www.heraldonline.com/local/story/3788492p-3395610c.html

ABC show to discuss Pittman case

By Cato The Herald

(Published September 2, 2004)

Less than two weeks after landing on the front page of The New York Times, the

story of a boy charged with murdering his grandparents in Chester County will be

told Friday on " Good Morning America. "

The show can be seen locally on cable Channel 4 from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. An ABC

employee said the segment could be four to five minutes long and should appear

around 7:30 a.m., barring any major breaking news that could pre-empt the

appearance.

Andy Vickery and Menzies, attorneys for Pittman, as well as

the boy's maternal grandmother, Del Duprey, will fly to New York today for the

appearance.

The trio plans to discuss what they believe, and will try to prove in court, is

that an adverse reaction to antidepressant medication caused Pittman to

allegedly shoot and kill his grandparents in their rural Chester County home in

November 2001. Police say the boy shot Joe Pittman and Joy Pittman

both in the head while they were in bed and then set the house on fire before

fleeing in a family vehicle. He was 12 at the time, but will be tried as an

adult and could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted.

Over a five-week period prior to the killings, Pittman had been on Paxil and

then Zoloft -- both of which are prescription antidepressants classified as

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs.

Duprey said she's making the trip in order to get the word out about what the

drugs did to her grandson.

" That's the only reason I'm doing the show, " said Duprey, who lives in central

Florida. " I'm hoping it will bring awareness to the world, at least to the

United States, about these drugs and their dangers. "

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will hold a two-day hearing this month to

release the findings of a months-long review of SSRIs and their potential to

cause children and teens to become suicidal. It has been widely reported in

recent weeks that the FDA's review will conclude that there is an increased risk

of suicidal thoughts or behavior in children taking these drugs during

company-sponsored clinical trials compared to children given a placebo.

The British government late last year all but banned SSRIs from being prescribed

to children. Prozac, the only SSRI with FDA approval to treat depression in

children, was the lone exception.

Pittman's attorneys are seeking confidential Pfizer documents they say will help

prove that Zoloft can produce side effects that include violence. The drug

company denies this and is fighting the effort to have these materials made

available. A hearing on the matter has not been scheduled.

Duprey believes the documents will prove that such problems exist with the drug

and thinks it's unfair that the public has not been informed.

" How can we make decisions about our children's medicines if we don't have all

the information? " Duprey asked. " It's so unfair we have to make decisions about

our children's health without it. Sometimes that information is not known. But

that's not the case here. The information is known. "

Cato . 329-4071

jcato@...