CSPI Urges Removal of FDA Panelists on SSRIs

[Guest guest]

" CSPI Urges Removal of FDA Panelists on SSRIs "

http://www.cspinet.org/new/200402012.html

For release Feb. 1, 2004

CSPI Urges Removal of FDA Panelists on SSRIs

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been urged to remove three

of 11 scientists on one of its advisory boards evaluating the link

between serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and suicide in youths

because they have been paid consultants for the companies that make

the drugs under investigation.

In a letter to the FDA, Merrill Goozner, director of the Integrity in

Science Project at CSPI, wrote that the three scientists have

financial conflicts of interest that run afoul of the Federal Advisory

Committees Act.

The three scientists were identified in a Center for Science in the

Public Interest (CSPI) investigation into the make-up of the FDA

advisory committees that will meet Monday to discuss the possible link

between suicide and the use of SSRIs in children.

The FDA in the past two weeks has added eight new members to the

Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee, which along with the

Pediatric Subcommittee will be evaluating the drugs.

The industry-funded scientists on the committee include:

Dr. Wayne K. Goodman, chairman of the Department fo Psychiatry at the

University of Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Goodman has studied

sertraline (Zoloft) on a grant from Pfizer, its manufacturer.

Dr. Neil D. , professor of psychiatry at the University of

Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. is a consultant for

GlaxoKline, maker of paroxetine (Paxil), and has studied suicide

data on behalf of Glaxo.

Dr. Philip S. Wang, association physician in the department of

pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women's

Hospital. Dr. Wang served as an expert witness for Glaxo in a wrongful

death suit involving Paxil.

Another three scientists on the committee have received funding for

their research from the pharmaceutical industry, but, as far as the

CSPI investigation could determine, not to study SSRIs.

" Appointing scientists to an drug advisory committee who may have

preconceived notions based on their previous industry-funded studies

of the drugs is like asking a defendant to serve on a jury, " said

Merrill Goozner, director of the Integrity in Science Project at CSPI.

" The FDA should not grant these scientists waivers to serve on the

committee. It should find scientists who can offer a fair and

impartial opinion on possible problems associated with these drugs. "

The backgrounds on many of the scientists serving on the FDA panels

can be found in the Integrity in Science database at http://cspinet.

org/integrity/database.html. While the database may not be complete,

all data on scientists in the database has been checked against

publicly available records.

[Guest guest]

" CSPI Urges Removal of FDA Panelists on SSRIs "

http://www.cspinet.org/new/200402012.html

For release Feb. 1, 2004

CSPI Urges Removal of FDA Panelists on SSRIs

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been urged to remove three

of 11 scientists on one of its advisory boards evaluating the link

between serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and suicide in youths

because they have been paid consultants for the companies that make

the drugs under investigation.

In a letter to the FDA, Merrill Goozner, director of the Integrity in

Science Project at CSPI, wrote that the three scientists have

financial conflicts of interest that run afoul of the Federal Advisory

Committees Act.

The three scientists were identified in a Center for Science in the

Public Interest (CSPI) investigation into the make-up of the FDA

advisory committees that will meet Monday to discuss the possible link

between suicide and the use of SSRIs in children.

The FDA in the past two weeks has added eight new members to the

Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee, which along with the

Pediatric Subcommittee will be evaluating the drugs.

The industry-funded scientists on the committee include:

Dr. Wayne K. Goodman, chairman of the Department fo Psychiatry at the

University of Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Goodman has studied

sertraline (Zoloft) on a grant from Pfizer, its manufacturer.

Dr. Neil D. , professor of psychiatry at the University of

Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. is a consultant for

GlaxoKline, maker of paroxetine (Paxil), and has studied suicide

data on behalf of Glaxo.

Dr. Philip S. Wang, association physician in the department of

pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women's

Hospital. Dr. Wang served as an expert witness for Glaxo in a wrongful

death suit involving Paxil.

Another three scientists on the committee have received funding for

their research from the pharmaceutical industry, but, as far as the

CSPI investigation could determine, not to study SSRIs.

" Appointing scientists to an drug advisory committee who may have

preconceived notions based on their previous industry-funded studies

of the drugs is like asking a defendant to serve on a jury, " said

Merrill Goozner, director of the Integrity in Science Project at CSPI.

" The FDA should not grant these scientists waivers to serve on the

committee. It should find scientists who can offer a fair and

impartial opinion on possible problems associated with these drugs. "

The backgrounds on many of the scientists serving on the FDA panels

can be found in the Integrity in Science database at http://cspinet.

org/integrity/database.html. While the database may not be complete,

all data on scientists in the database has been checked against

publicly available records.

[Guest guest]

" CSPI Urges Removal of FDA Panelists on SSRIs "

http://www.cspinet.org/new/200402012.html

For release Feb. 1, 2004

CSPI Urges Removal of FDA Panelists on SSRIs

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been urged to remove three

of 11 scientists on one of its advisory boards evaluating the link

between serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and suicide in youths

because they have been paid consultants for the companies that make

the drugs under investigation.

In a letter to the FDA, Merrill Goozner, director of the Integrity in

Science Project at CSPI, wrote that the three scientists have

financial conflicts of interest that run afoul of the Federal Advisory

Committees Act.

The three scientists were identified in a Center for Science in the

Public Interest (CSPI) investigation into the make-up of the FDA

advisory committees that will meet Monday to discuss the possible link

between suicide and the use of SSRIs in children.

The FDA in the past two weeks has added eight new members to the

Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee, which along with the

Pediatric Subcommittee will be evaluating the drugs.

The industry-funded scientists on the committee include:

Dr. Wayne K. Goodman, chairman of the Department fo Psychiatry at the

University of Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Goodman has studied

sertraline (Zoloft) on a grant from Pfizer, its manufacturer.

Dr. Neil D. , professor of psychiatry at the University of

Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. is a consultant for

GlaxoKline, maker of paroxetine (Paxil), and has studied suicide

data on behalf of Glaxo.

Dr. Philip S. Wang, association physician in the department of

pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women's

Hospital. Dr. Wang served as an expert witness for Glaxo in a wrongful

death suit involving Paxil.

Another three scientists on the committee have received funding for

their research from the pharmaceutical industry, but, as far as the

CSPI investigation could determine, not to study SSRIs.

" Appointing scientists to an drug advisory committee who may have

preconceived notions based on their previous industry-funded studies

of the drugs is like asking a defendant to serve on a jury, " said

Merrill Goozner, director of the Integrity in Science Project at CSPI.

" The FDA should not grant these scientists waivers to serve on the

committee. It should find scientists who can offer a fair and

impartial opinion on possible problems associated with these drugs. "

The backgrounds on many of the scientists serving on the FDA panels

can be found in the Integrity in Science database at http://cspinet.

org/integrity/database.html. While the database may not be complete,

all data on scientists in the database has been checked against

publicly available records.

[Guest guest]

" CSPI Urges Removal of FDA Panelists on SSRIs "

http://www.cspinet.org/new/200402012.html

For release Feb. 1, 2004

CSPI Urges Removal of FDA Panelists on SSRIs

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been urged to remove three

of 11 scientists on one of its advisory boards evaluating the link

between serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and suicide in youths

because they have been paid consultants for the companies that make

the drugs under investigation.

In a letter to the FDA, Merrill Goozner, director of the Integrity in

Science Project at CSPI, wrote that the three scientists have

financial conflicts of interest that run afoul of the Federal Advisory

Committees Act.

The three scientists were identified in a Center for Science in the

Public Interest (CSPI) investigation into the make-up of the FDA

advisory committees that will meet Monday to discuss the possible link

between suicide and the use of SSRIs in children.

The FDA in the past two weeks has added eight new members to the

Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee, which along with the

Pediatric Subcommittee will be evaluating the drugs.

The industry-funded scientists on the committee include:

Dr. Wayne K. Goodman, chairman of the Department fo Psychiatry at the

University of Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Goodman has studied

sertraline (Zoloft) on a grant from Pfizer, its manufacturer.

Dr. Neil D. , professor of psychiatry at the University of

Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. is a consultant for

GlaxoKline, maker of paroxetine (Paxil), and has studied suicide

data on behalf of Glaxo.

Dr. Philip S. Wang, association physician in the department of

pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women's

Hospital. Dr. Wang served as an expert witness for Glaxo in a wrongful

death suit involving Paxil.

Another three scientists on the committee have received funding for

their research from the pharmaceutical industry, but, as far as the

CSPI investigation could determine, not to study SSRIs.

" Appointing scientists to an drug advisory committee who may have

preconceived notions based on their previous industry-funded studies

of the drugs is like asking a defendant to serve on a jury, " said

Merrill Goozner, director of the Integrity in Science Project at CSPI.

" The FDA should not grant these scientists waivers to serve on the

committee. It should find scientists who can offer a fair and

impartial opinion on possible problems associated with these drugs. "

The backgrounds on many of the scientists serving on the FDA panels

can be found in the Integrity in Science database at http://cspinet.

org/integrity/database.html. While the database may not be complete,

all data on scientists in the database has been checked against

publicly available records.