Kurt Danysh took extra dose prozac whilst using marijuana

[Guest guest]

is the DA telling the truth here Jim ...........did Danysh use marijuana & if so how can he blame prozac for pulling the trigger & not the weed?

or is this another one of those "failure to warn suits"

have you got the writ?

extract

"That latter claim isn't true, said Susquehanna County District Attorney Legg, who called the Danysh case "fascinating." Legg, who has been fighting Danysh's criminal appeals, said Danysh's father had secured a protection-from-abuse order against his son.

On the day of the murder, the younger Danysh stole a gun from a friend's house and walked to his father's home, Legg said. He said Danysh made his father kneel and shot him in the back of the head.

Danysh claimed from the start that Prozac made him kill, Legg said, but inconsistencies in his accounts of how he used the drug have undermined his credibility.

Legg said Danysh has claimed that he took Prozac as prescribed, that he took an extra dose of the drug and that he took Prozac while using marijuana.

"I think the district attorney at the time considered all that" in allowing Danysh to plead to third-degree murder rather than pushing for a first-degree murder conviction, Legg said

"

>> http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/129100290816810.xml & coll=1> > > PROZAC LAWSUIT> > *Inmate says drug prompted him to kill father*> Monday, November 29, 2010> BY MATT MILLER mmiller@...> > For 14 years, Kurt Danysh has been sitting in prison, serving time for a > murder he claims Prozac prompted him to commit.> > The Susquehanna County man was 18 and had just started taking the > anti-depressant drug when he killed his father in 1996 by having him > kneel and shooting him in the back of the head.> > Danysh has claimed since his arrest that Prozac altered his mind and > made him a killer.> > Years of appeals to the state and federal courts have failed to overturn > the 221/2- to 60-year prison sentence he received after pleading guilty > to third-degree murder.> > Danysh now is waging a different kind of court fight. He is suing drug > giant Eli Lilly & Co., maker of Prozac, in federal court.> > Danysh claims that at the time of his father's slaying company officials > were hiding evidence that Prozac can cause suicidal and homicidal > thoughts in some users. He also contends that Eli Lilly officials lied > to state police, saying his Prozac use couldn't have played a role in > the slaying.> > Eli Lilly has issued a blanket denial of the charges leveled by Danysh, > who seeks more than $100,000 in damages on accusations of fraud and > negligence.> > "There is no credible scientific evidence that establishes a causal > connection between Prozac and violent behavior," said Sonja Popp-Stahly, > an Eli Lilly spokeswoman. "To the contrary, scientific evidence shows > that Prozac and other anti-depressant medications appear to reduce these > behaviors."> > Danysh originally filed suit in Dauphin County Court. Eli Lilly shifted > it to federal court, arguing that it is an interstate case because the > firm is based in the state of Indiana.> > The Danysh case is among scores of lawsuits across the nation regarding > the effects of Prozac and other anti-depressants. Most have involved the > now-established risk that such drugs can cause suicidal thoughts in some > patients.> > Danysh's suit is among a relative handful that claim an anti-depressant > prompted someone to kill, said Roseann B. Termini, an adjunct professor > and food and drug law expert at Widener Law School.> > Such cases are difficult for plaintiffs to make, she said, especially > since there is little, if any, medical means to link Prozac use to > violent behavior in a specific individual.> > "The results of these suits have been varied," Termini said.> > One of the most high-profile cases was fought in state court in Kentucky > over a mass killing committed by a Prozac user in September 1989.> > That patient, ph T. Wesbecker, who was on disability for mental > illness, fatally shot eight people at a Louisville printing company > where he had worked, then committed suicide.> > Survivors of the shooting sued Eli Lilly, but a jury ruled in favor of > the company. Years later it was learned that the company and the > plaintiffs had reached a confidential settlement just before the trial > ended.> > In his suit, Danysh, an inmate of the state prison at Frackville, > contends that he was prescribed Prozac just days before his father's > murder. He has always maintained that the drug put him into a homicidal > trance.> > That contention is the central theme of a website, www.kurtdanysh.com, > that espouses his cause.> > Danysh claims Eli Lilly officials had been getting reports since 1990 > that Prozac had in some cases "induced violence resulting in homicide," > yet didn't alert doctors or include warnings on packaging of the drug.> > Danysh claims he wasn't violent before being prescribed Prozac. He > claims he had a "non-adversarial" relationship with his father.> > That latter claim isn't true, said Susquehanna County District Attorney > Legg, who called the Danysh case "fascinating." Legg, who has been > fighting Danysh's criminal appeals, said Danysh's father had secured a > protection-from-abuse order against his son.> > On the day of the murder, the younger Danysh stole a gun from a friend's > house and walked to his father's home, Legg said. He said Danysh made > his father kneel and shot him in the back of the head.> > Danysh claimed from the start that Prozac made him kill, Legg said, but > inconsistencies in his accounts of how he used the drug have undermined > his credibility.> > Legg said Danysh has claimed that he took Prozac as prescribed, that he > took an extra dose of the drug and that he took Prozac while using > marijuana.> > "I think the district attorney at the time considered all that" in > allowing Danysh to plead to third-degree murder rather than pushing for > a first-degree murder conviction, Legg said.> > "In Kurt's case, he was given the benefit of the doubt," he said. "I > still think the resolution Kurt got was the right one."> > Still, he said, such cases are difficult since there is really no way to > prove or disprove a defendant's drug reaction claim.> > "Prosecutors who want to do the right thing always struggle with these > cases," Legg said. "If you buy what the defendant is saying, and you're > wrong, they could escape some level of justice."> > Prozac has been available in the U.S. since 1987. It was on the market > for more than a decade before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration > required that its labeling include a warning that anti-depressant drugs > can cause suicidal thoughts in some children and young adults.> > "Some people may have a particularly high risk of having suicidal > thoughts or actions," FDA warnings state.> > Sandy Walsh, an FDA spokeswoman, said all anti-depressants must be > dispensed with agency-approved medication guides outlining their risks.> > Lasher Todd, a spokeswoman for the American Medical Association, > said her group doesn't have any policy regarding Prozac.> > Termini said one reason suits such as Danysh's face daunting legal > obstacles is that the FDA has such a tough and thorough process for > vetting drugs before they are allowed on the market.> > Also, she said, a main issue that often arises in such suits is whether > the drug user was taking the medication exactly as prescribed or if they > took it improperly or with alcohol or other prescription or illegal drugs.> > The only certainty, Termini said, is that given the increasing use of > medications by Americans, more and more suits over prescription drug are > likely to be filed.>

[Guest guest]

is the DA telling the truth here Jim ...........did Danysh use marijuana & if so how can he blame prozac for pulling the trigger & not the weed?

or is this another one of those "failure to warn suits"

have you got the writ?

extract

"That latter claim isn't true, said Susquehanna County District Attorney Legg, who called the Danysh case "fascinating." Legg, who has been fighting Danysh's criminal appeals, said Danysh's father had secured a protection-from-abuse order against his son.

On the day of the murder, the younger Danysh stole a gun from a friend's house and walked to his father's home, Legg said. He said Danysh made his father kneel and shot him in the back of the head.

Danysh claimed from the start that Prozac made him kill, Legg said, but inconsistencies in his accounts of how he used the drug have undermined his credibility.

Legg said Danysh has claimed that he took Prozac as prescribed, that he took an extra dose of the drug and that he took Prozac while using marijuana.

"I think the district attorney at the time considered all that" in allowing Danysh to plead to third-degree murder rather than pushing for a first-degree murder conviction, Legg said

"

>> http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/129100290816810.xml & coll=1> > > PROZAC LAWSUIT> > *Inmate says drug prompted him to kill father*> Monday, November 29, 2010> BY MATT MILLER mmiller@...> > For 14 years, Kurt Danysh has been sitting in prison, serving time for a > murder he claims Prozac prompted him to commit.> > The Susquehanna County man was 18 and had just started taking the > anti-depressant drug when he killed his father in 1996 by having him > kneel and shooting him in the back of the head.> > Danysh has claimed since his arrest that Prozac altered his mind and > made him a killer.> > Years of appeals to the state and federal courts have failed to overturn > the 221/2- to 60-year prison sentence he received after pleading guilty > to third-degree murder.> > Danysh now is waging a different kind of court fight. He is suing drug > giant Eli Lilly & Co., maker of Prozac, in federal court.> > Danysh claims that at the time of his father's slaying company officials > were hiding evidence that Prozac can cause suicidal and homicidal > thoughts in some users. He also contends that Eli Lilly officials lied > to state police, saying his Prozac use couldn't have played a role in > the slaying.> > Eli Lilly has issued a blanket denial of the charges leveled by Danysh, > who seeks more than $100,000 in damages on accusations of fraud and > negligence.> > "There is no credible scientific evidence that establishes a causal > connection between Prozac and violent behavior," said Sonja Popp-Stahly, > an Eli Lilly spokeswoman. "To the contrary, scientific evidence shows > that Prozac and other anti-depressant medications appear to reduce these > behaviors."> > Danysh originally filed suit in Dauphin County Court. Eli Lilly shifted > it to federal court, arguing that it is an interstate case because the > firm is based in the state of Indiana.> > The Danysh case is among scores of lawsuits across the nation regarding > the effects of Prozac and other anti-depressants. Most have involved the > now-established risk that such drugs can cause suicidal thoughts in some > patients.> > Danysh's suit is among a relative handful that claim an anti-depressant > prompted someone to kill, said Roseann B. Termini, an adjunct professor > and food and drug law expert at Widener Law School.> > Such cases are difficult for plaintiffs to make, she said, especially > since there is little, if any, medical means to link Prozac use to > violent behavior in a specific individual.> > "The results of these suits have been varied," Termini said.> > One of the most high-profile cases was fought in state court in Kentucky > over a mass killing committed by a Prozac user in September 1989.> > That patient, ph T. Wesbecker, who was on disability for mental > illness, fatally shot eight people at a Louisville printing company > where he had worked, then committed suicide.> > Survivors of the shooting sued Eli Lilly, but a jury ruled in favor of > the company. Years later it was learned that the company and the > plaintiffs had reached a confidential settlement just before the trial > ended.> > In his suit, Danysh, an inmate of the state prison at Frackville, > contends that he was prescribed Prozac just days before his father's > murder. He has always maintained that the drug put him into a homicidal > trance.> > That contention is the central theme of a website, www.kurtdanysh.com, > that espouses his cause.> > Danysh claims Eli Lilly officials had been getting reports since 1990 > that Prozac had in some cases "induced violence resulting in homicide," > yet didn't alert doctors or include warnings on packaging of the drug.> > Danysh claims he wasn't violent before being prescribed Prozac. He > claims he had a "non-adversarial" relationship with his father.> > That latter claim isn't true, said Susquehanna County District Attorney > Legg, who called the Danysh case "fascinating." Legg, who has been > fighting Danysh's criminal appeals, said Danysh's father had secured a > protection-from-abuse order against his son.> > On the day of the murder, the younger Danysh stole a gun from a friend's > house and walked to his father's home, Legg said. He said Danysh made > his father kneel and shot him in the back of the head.> > Danysh claimed from the start that Prozac made him kill, Legg said, but > inconsistencies in his accounts of how he used the drug have undermined > his credibility.> > Legg said Danysh has claimed that he took Prozac as prescribed, that he > took an extra dose of the drug and that he took Prozac while using > marijuana.> > "I think the district attorney at the time considered all that" in > allowing Danysh to plead to third-degree murder rather than pushing for > a first-degree murder conviction, Legg said.> > "In Kurt's case, he was given the benefit of the doubt," he said. "I > still think the resolution Kurt got was the right one."> > Still, he said, such cases are difficult since there is really no way to > prove or disprove a defendant's drug reaction claim.> > "Prosecutors who want to do the right thing always struggle with these > cases," Legg said. "If you buy what the defendant is saying, and you're > wrong, they could escape some level of justice."> > Prozac has been available in the U.S. since 1987. It was on the market > for more than a decade before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration > required that its labeling include a warning that anti-depressant drugs > can cause suicidal thoughts in some children and young adults.> > "Some people may have a particularly high risk of having suicidal > thoughts or actions," FDA warnings state.> > Sandy Walsh, an FDA spokeswoman, said all anti-depressants must be > dispensed with agency-approved medication guides outlining their risks.> > Lasher Todd, a spokeswoman for the American Medical Association, > said her group doesn't have any policy regarding Prozac.> > Termini said one reason suits such as Danysh's face daunting legal > obstacles is that the FDA has such a tough and thorough process for > vetting drugs before they are allowed on the market.> > Also, she said, a main issue that often arises in such suits is whether > the drug user was taking the medication exactly as prescribed or if they > took it improperly or with alcohol or other prescription or illegal drugs.> > The only certainty, Termini said, is that given the increasing use of > medications by Americans, more and more suits over prescription drug are > likely to be filed.>

[Guest guest]

is the DA telling the truth here Jim ...........did Danysh use marijuana & if so how can he blame prozac for pulling the trigger & not the weed?

or is this another one of those "failure to warn suits"

have you got the writ?

extract

"That latter claim isn't true, said Susquehanna County District Attorney Legg, who called the Danysh case "fascinating." Legg, who has been fighting Danysh's criminal appeals, said Danysh's father had secured a protection-from-abuse order against his son.

On the day of the murder, the younger Danysh stole a gun from a friend's house and walked to his father's home, Legg said. He said Danysh made his father kneel and shot him in the back of the head.

Danysh claimed from the start that Prozac made him kill, Legg said, but inconsistencies in his accounts of how he used the drug have undermined his credibility.

Legg said Danysh has claimed that he took Prozac as prescribed, that he took an extra dose of the drug and that he took Prozac while using marijuana.

"I think the district attorney at the time considered all that" in allowing Danysh to plead to third-degree murder rather than pushing for a first-degree murder conviction, Legg said

"

>> http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/129100290816810.xml & coll=1> > > PROZAC LAWSUIT> > *Inmate says drug prompted him to kill father*> Monday, November 29, 2010> BY MATT MILLER mmiller@...> > For 14 years, Kurt Danysh has been sitting in prison, serving time for a > murder he claims Prozac prompted him to commit.> > The Susquehanna County man was 18 and had just started taking the > anti-depressant drug when he killed his father in 1996 by having him > kneel and shooting him in the back of the head.> > Danysh has claimed since his arrest that Prozac altered his mind and > made him a killer.> > Years of appeals to the state and federal courts have failed to overturn > the 221/2- to 60-year prison sentence he received after pleading guilty > to third-degree murder.> > Danysh now is waging a different kind of court fight. He is suing drug > giant Eli Lilly & Co., maker of Prozac, in federal court.> > Danysh claims that at the time of his father's slaying company officials > were hiding evidence that Prozac can cause suicidal and homicidal > thoughts in some users. He also contends that Eli Lilly officials lied > to state police, saying his Prozac use couldn't have played a role in > the slaying.> > Eli Lilly has issued a blanket denial of the charges leveled by Danysh, > who seeks more than $100,000 in damages on accusations of fraud and > negligence.> > "There is no credible scientific evidence that establishes a causal > connection between Prozac and violent behavior," said Sonja Popp-Stahly, > an Eli Lilly spokeswoman. "To the contrary, scientific evidence shows > that Prozac and other anti-depressant medications appear to reduce these > behaviors."> > Danysh originally filed suit in Dauphin County Court. Eli Lilly shifted > it to federal court, arguing that it is an interstate case because the > firm is based in the state of Indiana.> > The Danysh case is among scores of lawsuits across the nation regarding > the effects of Prozac and other anti-depressants. Most have involved the > now-established risk that such drugs can cause suicidal thoughts in some > patients.> > Danysh's suit is among a relative handful that claim an anti-depressant > prompted someone to kill, said Roseann B. Termini, an adjunct professor > and food and drug law expert at Widener Law School.> > Such cases are difficult for plaintiffs to make, she said, especially > since there is little, if any, medical means to link Prozac use to > violent behavior in a specific individual.> > "The results of these suits have been varied," Termini said.> > One of the most high-profile cases was fought in state court in Kentucky > over a mass killing committed by a Prozac user in September 1989.> > That patient, ph T. Wesbecker, who was on disability for mental > illness, fatally shot eight people at a Louisville printing company > where he had worked, then committed suicide.> > Survivors of the shooting sued Eli Lilly, but a jury ruled in favor of > the company. Years later it was learned that the company and the > plaintiffs had reached a confidential settlement just before the trial > ended.> > In his suit, Danysh, an inmate of the state prison at Frackville, > contends that he was prescribed Prozac just days before his father's > murder. He has always maintained that the drug put him into a homicidal > trance.> > That contention is the central theme of a website, www.kurtdanysh.com, > that espouses his cause.> > Danysh claims Eli Lilly officials had been getting reports since 1990 > that Prozac had in some cases "induced violence resulting in homicide," > yet didn't alert doctors or include warnings on packaging of the drug.> > Danysh claims he wasn't violent before being prescribed Prozac. He > claims he had a "non-adversarial" relationship with his father.> > That latter claim isn't true, said Susquehanna County District Attorney > Legg, who called the Danysh case "fascinating." Legg, who has been > fighting Danysh's criminal appeals, said Danysh's father had secured a > protection-from-abuse order against his son.> > On the day of the murder, the younger Danysh stole a gun from a friend's > house and walked to his father's home, Legg said. He said Danysh made > his father kneel and shot him in the back of the head.> > Danysh claimed from the start that Prozac made him kill, Legg said, but > inconsistencies in his accounts of how he used the drug have undermined > his credibility.> > Legg said Danysh has claimed that he took Prozac as prescribed, that he > took an extra dose of the drug and that he took Prozac while using > marijuana.> > "I think the district attorney at the time considered all that" in > allowing Danysh to plead to third-degree murder rather than pushing for > a first-degree murder conviction, Legg said.> > "In Kurt's case, he was given the benefit of the doubt," he said. "I > still think the resolution Kurt got was the right one."> > Still, he said, such cases are difficult since there is really no way to > prove or disprove a defendant's drug reaction claim.> > "Prosecutors who want to do the right thing always struggle with these > cases," Legg said. "If you buy what the defendant is saying, and you're > wrong, they could escape some level of justice."> > Prozac has been available in the U.S. since 1987. It was on the market > for more than a decade before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration > required that its labeling include a warning that anti-depressant drugs > can cause suicidal thoughts in some children and young adults.> > "Some people may have a particularly high risk of having suicidal > thoughts or actions," FDA warnings state.> > Sandy Walsh, an FDA spokeswoman, said all anti-depressants must be > dispensed with agency-approved medication guides outlining their risks.> > Lasher Todd, a spokeswoman for the American Medical Association, > said her group doesn't have any policy regarding Prozac.> > Termini said one reason suits such as Danysh's face daunting legal > obstacles is that the FDA has such a tough and thorough process for > vetting drugs before they are allowed on the market.> > Also, she said, a main issue that often arises in such suits is whether > the drug user was taking the medication exactly as prescribed or if they > took it improperly or with alcohol or other prescription or illegal drugs.> > The only certainty, Termini said, is that given the increasing use of > medications by Americans, more and more suits over prescription drug are > likely to be filed.>

[Guest guest]

is the DA telling the truth here Jim ...........did Danysh use marijuana & if so how can he blame prozac for pulling the trigger & not the weed?

or is this another one of those "failure to warn suits"

have you got the writ?

extract

"That latter claim isn't true, said Susquehanna County District Attorney Legg, who called the Danysh case "fascinating." Legg, who has been fighting Danysh's criminal appeals, said Danysh's father had secured a protection-from-abuse order against his son.

On the day of the murder, the younger Danysh stole a gun from a friend's house and walked to his father's home, Legg said. He said Danysh made his father kneel and shot him in the back of the head.

Danysh claimed from the start that Prozac made him kill, Legg said, but inconsistencies in his accounts of how he used the drug have undermined his credibility.

Legg said Danysh has claimed that he took Prozac as prescribed, that he took an extra dose of the drug and that he took Prozac while using marijuana.

"I think the district attorney at the time considered all that" in allowing Danysh to plead to third-degree murder rather than pushing for a first-degree murder conviction, Legg said

"

>> http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/129100290816810.xml & coll=1> > > PROZAC LAWSUIT> > *Inmate says drug prompted him to kill father*> Monday, November 29, 2010> BY MATT MILLER mmiller@...> > For 14 years, Kurt Danysh has been sitting in prison, serving time for a > murder he claims Prozac prompted him to commit.> > The Susquehanna County man was 18 and had just started taking the > anti-depressant drug when he killed his father in 1996 by having him > kneel and shooting him in the back of the head.> > Danysh has claimed since his arrest that Prozac altered his mind and > made him a killer.> > Years of appeals to the state and federal courts have failed to overturn > the 221/2- to 60-year prison sentence he received after pleading guilty > to third-degree murder.> > Danysh now is waging a different kind of court fight. He is suing drug > giant Eli Lilly & Co., maker of Prozac, in federal court.> > Danysh claims that at the time of his father's slaying company officials > were hiding evidence that Prozac can cause suicidal and homicidal > thoughts in some users. He also contends that Eli Lilly officials lied > to state police, saying his Prozac use couldn't have played a role in > the slaying.> > Eli Lilly has issued a blanket denial of the charges leveled by Danysh, > who seeks more than $100,000 in damages on accusations of fraud and > negligence.> > "There is no credible scientific evidence that establishes a causal > connection between Prozac and violent behavior," said Sonja Popp-Stahly, > an Eli Lilly spokeswoman. "To the contrary, scientific evidence shows > that Prozac and other anti-depressant medications appear to reduce these > behaviors."> > Danysh originally filed suit in Dauphin County Court. Eli Lilly shifted > it to federal court, arguing that it is an interstate case because the > firm is based in the state of Indiana.> > The Danysh case is among scores of lawsuits across the nation regarding > the effects of Prozac and other anti-depressants. Most have involved the > now-established risk that such drugs can cause suicidal thoughts in some > patients.> > Danysh's suit is among a relative handful that claim an anti-depressant > prompted someone to kill, said Roseann B. Termini, an adjunct professor > and food and drug law expert at Widener Law School.> > Such cases are difficult for plaintiffs to make, she said, especially > since there is little, if any, medical means to link Prozac use to > violent behavior in a specific individual.> > "The results of these suits have been varied," Termini said.> > One of the most high-profile cases was fought in state court in Kentucky > over a mass killing committed by a Prozac user in September 1989.> > That patient, ph T. Wesbecker, who was on disability for mental > illness, fatally shot eight people at a Louisville printing company > where he had worked, then committed suicide.> > Survivors of the shooting sued Eli Lilly, but a jury ruled in favor of > the company. Years later it was learned that the company and the > plaintiffs had reached a confidential settlement just before the trial > ended.> > In his suit, Danysh, an inmate of the state prison at Frackville, > contends that he was prescribed Prozac just days before his father's > murder. He has always maintained that the drug put him into a homicidal > trance.> > That contention is the central theme of a website, www.kurtdanysh.com, > that espouses his cause.> > Danysh claims Eli Lilly officials had been getting reports since 1990 > that Prozac had in some cases "induced violence resulting in homicide," > yet didn't alert doctors or include warnings on packaging of the drug.> > Danysh claims he wasn't violent before being prescribed Prozac. He > claims he had a "non-adversarial" relationship with his father.> > That latter claim isn't true, said Susquehanna County District Attorney > Legg, who called the Danysh case "fascinating." Legg, who has been > fighting Danysh's criminal appeals, said Danysh's father had secured a > protection-from-abuse order against his son.> > On the day of the murder, the younger Danysh stole a gun from a friend's > house and walked to his father's home, Legg said. He said Danysh made > his father kneel and shot him in the back of the head.> > Danysh claimed from the start that Prozac made him kill, Legg said, but > inconsistencies in his accounts of how he used the drug have undermined > his credibility.> > Legg said Danysh has claimed that he took Prozac as prescribed, that he > took an extra dose of the drug and that he took Prozac while using > marijuana.> > "I think the district attorney at the time considered all that" in > allowing Danysh to plead to third-degree murder rather than pushing for > a first-degree murder conviction, Legg said.> > "In Kurt's case, he was given the benefit of the doubt," he said. "I > still think the resolution Kurt got was the right one."> > Still, he said, such cases are difficult since there is really no way to > prove or disprove a defendant's drug reaction claim.> > "Prosecutors who want to do the right thing always struggle with these > cases," Legg said. "If you buy what the defendant is saying, and you're > wrong, they could escape some level of justice."> > Prozac has been available in the U.S. since 1987. It was on the market > for more than a decade before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration > required that its labeling include a warning that anti-depressant drugs > can cause suicidal thoughts in some children and young adults.> > "Some people may have a particularly high risk of having suicidal > thoughts or actions," FDA warnings state.> > Sandy Walsh, an FDA spokeswoman, said all anti-depressants must be > dispensed with agency-approved medication guides outlining their risks.> > Lasher Todd, a spokeswoman for the American Medical Association, > said her group doesn't have any policy regarding Prozac.> > Termini said one reason suits such as Danysh's face daunting legal > obstacles is that the FDA has such a tough and thorough process for > vetting drugs before they are allowed on the market.> > Also, she said, a main issue that often arises in such suits is whether > the drug user was taking the medication exactly as prescribed or if they > took it improperly or with alcohol or other prescription or illegal drugs.> > The only certainty, Termini said, is that given the increasing use of > medications by Americans, more and more suits over prescription drug are > likely to be filed.>

[Guest guest]

,

Sorry I don't have the writ. Apparently he cannot metabolize

Prozac, like your other post states.

Jim

On 12/1/2010 12:22 PM, jeremy9282 wrote:

is the DA telling the truth here Jim ...........did Danysh

use marijuana & if so how can he blame prozac for pulling

the trigger & not the weed?

or is this another one of those "failure to warn suits"

have you got the writ?

extract

"That latter claim isn't true, said Susquehanna County

District Attorney Legg, who called the Danysh case

"fascinating." Legg, who has been fighting Danysh's criminal

appeals, said Danysh's father had secured a

protection-from-abuse order against his son.

On the day of the murder, the younger Danysh stole a gun

from a friend's house and walked to his father's home, Legg

said. He said Danysh made his father kneel and shot him in the

back of the head.

Danysh claimed from the start that Prozac made him kill, Legg

said, but inconsistencies in his accounts of how he used the

drug have undermined his credibility.

Legg said Danysh

has claimed that he took Prozac as prescribed, that he took

an extra dose of the drug and that he took Prozac while

using marijuana.

"I think the district attorney at the time considered all

that" in allowing Danysh to plead to third-degree murder

rather than pushing for a first-degree murder conviction, Legg

said

"

>

>

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/129100290816810.xml & coll=1

>

>

> PROZAC LAWSUIT

>

> *Inmate says drug prompted him to kill father*

> Monday, November 29, 2010

> BY MATT MILLER mmiller@...

>

> For 14 years, Kurt Danysh has been sitting in prison,

serving time for a

> murder he claims Prozac prompted him to commit.

>

> The Susquehanna County man was 18 and had just started

taking the

> anti-depressant drug when he killed his father in 1996 by

having him

> kneel and shooting him in the back of the head.

>

> Danysh has claimed since his arrest that Prozac altered his

mind and

> made him a killer.

>

> Years of appeals to the state and federal courts have

failed to overturn

> the 221/2- to 60-year prison sentence he received after

pleading guilty

> to third-degree murder.

>

> Danysh now is waging a different kind of court fight. He is

suing drug

> giant Eli Lilly & Co., maker of Prozac, in federal

court.

>

> Danysh claims that at the time of his father's slaying

company officials

> were hiding evidence that Prozac can cause suicidal and

homicidal

> thoughts in some users. He also contends that Eli Lilly

officials lied

> to state police, saying his Prozac use couldn't have played

a role in

> the slaying.

>

> Eli Lilly has issued a blanket denial of the charges

leveled by Danysh,

> who seeks more than $100,000 in damages on accusations of

fraud and

> negligence.

>

> "There is no credible scientific evidence that establishes

a causal

> connection between Prozac and violent behavior," said Sonja

Popp-Stahly,

> an Eli Lilly spokeswoman. "To the contrary, scientific

evidence shows

> that Prozac and other anti-depressan! t medications appear

to reduce these

> behaviors."

>

> Danysh originally filed suit in Dauphin County Court. Eli

Lilly shifted

> it to federal court, arguing that it is an interstate case

because the

> firm is based in the state of Indiana.

>

> The Danysh case is among scores of lawsuits across the

nation regarding

> the effects of Prozac and other anti-depressants. Most have

involved the

> now-established risk that such drugs can cause suicidal

thoughts in some

> patients.

>

> Danysh's suit is among a relative handful that claim an

anti-depressant

> prompted someone to kill, said Roseann B. Termini, an

adjunct professor

> and food and drug law expert at Widener Law School.

>

> Such cases are difficult for plaintiffs to make, she said,

especially

> since there is little, if any, medical means to link Prozac

use to

> violent behavior in a specific individual.

>

> "The results of these suits have been varied," Termini

said.

>

> One of the most high-profile cases was fought in state

court in Kentucky

> over a mass killing committed by a Prozac user in September

1989.

>

> That patient, ph T. Wesbecker, who was on disability

for mental

> illness, fatally shot eight people at a Louisville printing

company

> where he had worked, then committed suicide.

>

> Survivors of the shooting sued Eli Lilly, but a jury ruled

in favor of

> the company. Years later it was learned that the company

and the

> plaintiffs had reached a confidential settlement just

before the trial

> ended.

>

> In his suit, Danysh, an inmate of the state prison at

Frackville,

> contends that he was prescribed Prozac just days before his

father's

> murder. He has always maintained that the drug put him into

a homicidal

> trance.

>

> That contention is the central theme of a website,

www.kurtda! nysh.com,

> that espouses his cause.

>

> Danysh claims Eli Lilly officials had been getting reports

since 1990

> that Prozac had in some cases "induced violence resulting

in homicide,"

> yet didn't alert doctors or include warnings on packaging

of the drug.

>

> Danysh claims he wasn't violent before being prescribed

Prozac. He

> claims he had a "non-adversarial" relationship with his

father.

>

> That latter claim isn't true, said Susquehanna County

District Attorney

> Legg, who called the Danysh case "fascinating." Legg,

who has been

> fighting Danysh's criminal appeals, said Danysh's father

had secured a

> protection-from-abuse order against his son.

>

> On the day of the murder, the younger Danysh stole a gun

from a friend's

> house and walked to his father's home, Legg said. He said

Danysh made

> his father kneel and shot him in the back of the head.

>

> Danysh claimed from the start that Prozac made him kill,

Legg said, but

> inconsistencies in his accounts of how he used the drug

have undermined

> his credibility.

>

> Legg said Danysh has claimed that he took Prozac as

prescribed, that he

> took an extra dose of the drug and that he took Prozac

while using

> marijuana.

>

> "I think the district attorney at the time considered all

that" in

> allowing Danysh to plead to third-degree murder rather than

pushing for

> a first-degree murder conviction, Legg said.

>

> "In Kurt's case, he was given the benefit of the doubt," he

said. "I

> still think the resolution Kurt got was the right one."

>

> Still, he said, such cases are difficult since there is

really no way to

> prove or disprove a defendant's drug reaction claim.

>

> "Prosecutors who want to do the right thing always struggle

with these

> cases," Legg said. "If you buy what the defendant is

saying,! and you're

> wrong, they could escape some level of justice."

>

> Prozac has been available in the U.S. since 1987. It was on

the market

> for more than a decade before the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration

> required that its labeling include a warning that

anti-depressant drugs

> can cause suicidal thoughts in some children and young

adults.

>

> "Some people may have a particularly high risk of having

suicidal

> thoughts or actions," FDA warnings state.

>

> Sandy Walsh, an FDA spokeswoman, said all anti-depressants

must be

> dispensed with agency-approved medication guides outlining

their risks.

>

> Lasher Todd, a spokeswoman for the American Medical

Association,

> said her group doesn't have any policy regarding Prozac.

>

> Termini said one reason suits such as Danysh's face

daunting legal

> obstacles is that the FDA has such a tough and thorough

process for

> vetting drugs before they are allowed on the market.

>

> Also, she said, a main issue that often arises in such

suits is whether

> the drug user was taking the medication exactly as

prescribed or if they

> took it improperly or with alcohol or other prescription or

illegal drugs.

>

> The only certainty, Termini said, is that given the

increasing use of

> medications by Americans, more and more suits over

prescription drug are

> likely to be filed.

>

[Guest guest]

,

Sorry I don't have the writ. Apparently he cannot metabolize

Prozac, like your other post states.

Jim

On 12/1/2010 12:22 PM, jeremy9282 wrote:

is the DA telling the truth here Jim ...........did Danysh

use marijuana & if so how can he blame prozac for pulling

the trigger & not the weed?

or is this another one of those "failure to warn suits"

have you got the writ?

extract

"That latter claim isn't true, said Susquehanna County

District Attorney Legg, who called the Danysh case

"fascinating." Legg, who has been fighting Danysh's criminal

appeals, said Danysh's father had secured a

protection-from-abuse order against his son.

On the day of the murder, the younger Danysh stole a gun

from a friend's house and walked to his father's home, Legg

said. He said Danysh made his father kneel and shot him in the

back of the head.

Danysh claimed from the start that Prozac made him kill, Legg

said, but inconsistencies in his accounts of how he used the

drug have undermined his credibility.

Legg said Danysh

has claimed that he took Prozac as prescribed, that he took

an extra dose of the drug and that he took Prozac while

using marijuana.

"I think the district attorney at the time considered all

that" in allowing Danysh to plead to third-degree murder

rather than pushing for a first-degree murder conviction, Legg

said

"

>

>

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/129100290816810.xml & coll=1

>

>

> PROZAC LAWSUIT

>

> *Inmate says drug prompted him to kill father*

> Monday, November 29, 2010

> BY MATT MILLER mmiller@...

>

> For 14 years, Kurt Danysh has been sitting in prison,

serving time for a

> murder he claims Prozac prompted him to commit.

>

> The Susquehanna County man was 18 and had just started

taking the

> anti-depressant drug when he killed his father in 1996 by

having him

> kneel and shooting him in the back of the head.

>

> Danysh has claimed since his arrest that Prozac altered his

mind and

> made him a killer.

>

> Years of appeals to the state and federal courts have

failed to overturn

> the 221/2- to 60-year prison sentence he received after

pleading guilty

> to third-degree murder.

>

> Danysh now is waging a different kind of court fight. He is

suing drug

> giant Eli Lilly & Co., maker of Prozac, in federal

court.

>

> Danysh claims that at the time of his father's slaying

company officials

> were hiding evidence that Prozac can cause suicidal and

homicidal

> thoughts in some users. He also contends that Eli Lilly

officials lied

> to state police, saying his Prozac use couldn't have played

a role in

> the slaying.

>

> Eli Lilly has issued a blanket denial of the charges

leveled by Danysh,

> who seeks more than $100,000 in damages on accusations of

fraud and

> negligence.

>

> "There is no credible scientific evidence that establishes

a causal

> connection between Prozac and violent behavior," said Sonja

Popp-Stahly,

> an Eli Lilly spokeswoman. "To the contrary, scientific

evidence shows

> that Prozac and other anti-depressan! t medications appear

to reduce these

> behaviors."

>

> Danysh originally filed suit in Dauphin County Court. Eli

Lilly shifted

> it to federal court, arguing that it is an interstate case

because the

> firm is based in the state of Indiana.

>

> The Danysh case is among scores of lawsuits across the

nation regarding

> the effects of Prozac and other anti-depressants. Most have

involved the

> now-established risk that such drugs can cause suicidal

thoughts in some

> patients.

>

> Danysh's suit is among a relative handful that claim an

anti-depressant

> prompted someone to kill, said Roseann B. Termini, an

adjunct professor

> and food and drug law expert at Widener Law School.

>

> Such cases are difficult for plaintiffs to make, she said,

especially

> since there is little, if any, medical means to link Prozac

use to

> violent behavior in a specific individual.

>

> "The results of these suits have been varied," Termini

said.

>

> One of the most high-profile cases was fought in state

court in Kentucky

> over a mass killing committed by a Prozac user in September

1989.

>

> That patient, ph T. Wesbecker, who was on disability

for mental

> illness, fatally shot eight people at a Louisville printing

company

> where he had worked, then committed suicide.

>

> Survivors of the shooting sued Eli Lilly, but a jury ruled

in favor of

> the company. Years later it was learned that the company

and the

> plaintiffs had reached a confidential settlement just

before the trial

> ended.

>

> In his suit, Danysh, an inmate of the state prison at

Frackville,

> contends that he was prescribed Prozac just days before his

father's

> murder. He has always maintained that the drug put him into

a homicidal

> trance.

>

> That contention is the central theme of a website,

www.kurtda! nysh.com,

> that espouses his cause.

>

> Danysh claims Eli Lilly officials had been getting reports

since 1990

> that Prozac had in some cases "induced violence resulting

in homicide,"

> yet didn't alert doctors or include warnings on packaging

of the drug.

>

> Danysh claims he wasn't violent before being prescribed

Prozac. He

> claims he had a "non-adversarial" relationship with his

father.

>

> That latter claim isn't true, said Susquehanna County

District Attorney

> Legg, who called the Danysh case "fascinating." Legg,

who has been

> fighting Danysh's criminal appeals, said Danysh's father

had secured a

> protection-from-abuse order against his son.

>

> On the day of the murder, the younger Danysh stole a gun

from a friend's

> house and walked to his father's home, Legg said. He said

Danysh made

> his father kneel and shot him in the back of the head.

>

> Danysh claimed from the start that Prozac made him kill,

Legg said, but

> inconsistencies in his accounts of how he used the drug

have undermined

> his credibility.

>

> Legg said Danysh has claimed that he took Prozac as

prescribed, that he

> took an extra dose of the drug and that he took Prozac

while using

> marijuana.

>

> "I think the district attorney at the time considered all

that" in

> allowing Danysh to plead to third-degree murder rather than

pushing for

> a first-degree murder conviction, Legg said.

>

> "In Kurt's case, he was given the benefit of the doubt," he

said. "I

> still think the resolution Kurt got was the right one."

>

> Still, he said, such cases are difficult since there is

really no way to

> prove or disprove a defendant's drug reaction claim.

>

> "Prosecutors who want to do the right thing always struggle

with these

> cases," Legg said. "If you buy what the defendant is

saying,! and you're

> wrong, they could escape some level of justice."

>

> Prozac has been available in the U.S. since 1987. It was on

the market

> for more than a decade before the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration

> required that its labeling include a warning that

anti-depressant drugs

> can cause suicidal thoughts in some children and young

adults.

>

> "Some people may have a particularly high risk of having

suicidal

> thoughts or actions," FDA warnings state.

>

> Sandy Walsh, an FDA spokeswoman, said all anti-depressants

must be

> dispensed with agency-approved medication guides outlining

their risks.

>

> Lasher Todd, a spokeswoman for the American Medical

Association,

> said her group doesn't have any policy regarding Prozac.

>

> Termini said one reason suits such as Danysh's face

daunting legal

> obstacles is that the FDA has such a tough and thorough

process for

> vetting drugs before they are allowed on the market.

>

> Also, she said, a main issue that often arises in such

suits is whether

> the drug user was taking the medication exactly as

prescribed or if they

> took it improperly or with alcohol or other prescription or

illegal drugs.

>

> The only certainty, Termini said, is that given the

increasing use of

> medications by Americans, more and more suits over

prescription drug are

> likely to be filed.

>

[Guest guest]

,

Sorry I don't have the writ. Apparently he cannot metabolize

Prozac, like your other post states.

Jim

On 12/1/2010 12:22 PM, jeremy9282 wrote:

is the DA telling the truth here Jim ...........did Danysh

use marijuana & if so how can he blame prozac for pulling

the trigger & not the weed?

or is this another one of those "failure to warn suits"

have you got the writ?

extract

"That latter claim isn't true, said Susquehanna County

District Attorney Legg, who called the Danysh case

"fascinating." Legg, who has been fighting Danysh's criminal

appeals, said Danysh's father had secured a

protection-from-abuse order against his son.

On the day of the murder, the younger Danysh stole a gun

from a friend's house and walked to his father's home, Legg

said. He said Danysh made his father kneel and shot him in the

back of the head.

Danysh claimed from the start that Prozac made him kill, Legg

said, but inconsistencies in his accounts of how he used the

drug have undermined his credibility.

Legg said Danysh

has claimed that he took Prozac as prescribed, that he took

an extra dose of the drug and that he took Prozac while

using marijuana.

"I think the district attorney at the time considered all

that" in allowing Danysh to plead to third-degree murder

rather than pushing for a first-degree murder conviction, Legg

said

"

>

>

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/129100290816810.xml & coll=1

>

>

> PROZAC LAWSUIT

>

> *Inmate says drug prompted him to kill father*

> Monday, November 29, 2010

> BY MATT MILLER mmiller@...

>

> For 14 years, Kurt Danysh has been sitting in prison,

serving time for a

> murder he claims Prozac prompted him to commit.

>

> The Susquehanna County man was 18 and had just started

taking the

> anti-depressant drug when he killed his father in 1996 by

having him

> kneel and shooting him in the back of the head.

>

> Danysh has claimed since his arrest that Prozac altered his

mind and

> made him a killer.

>

> Years of appeals to the state and federal courts have

failed to overturn

> the 221/2- to 60-year prison sentence he received after

pleading guilty

> to third-degree murder.

>

> Danysh now is waging a different kind of court fight. He is

suing drug

> giant Eli Lilly & Co., maker of Prozac, in federal

court.

>

> Danysh claims that at the time of his father's slaying

company officials

> were hiding evidence that Prozac can cause suicidal and

homicidal

> thoughts in some users. He also contends that Eli Lilly

officials lied

> to state police, saying his Prozac use couldn't have played

a role in

> the slaying.

>

> Eli Lilly has issued a blanket denial of the charges

leveled by Danysh,

> who seeks more than $100,000 in damages on accusations of

fraud and

> negligence.

>

> "There is no credible scientific evidence that establishes

a causal

> connection between Prozac and violent behavior," said Sonja

Popp-Stahly,

> an Eli Lilly spokeswoman. "To the contrary, scientific

evidence shows

> that Prozac and other anti-depressan! t medications appear

to reduce these

> behaviors."

>

> Danysh originally filed suit in Dauphin County Court. Eli

Lilly shifted

> it to federal court, arguing that it is an interstate case

because the

> firm is based in the state of Indiana.

>

> The Danysh case is among scores of lawsuits across the

nation regarding

> the effects of Prozac and other anti-depressants. Most have

involved the

> now-established risk that such drugs can cause suicidal

thoughts in some

> patients.

>

> Danysh's suit is among a relative handful that claim an

anti-depressant

> prompted someone to kill, said Roseann B. Termini, an

adjunct professor

> and food and drug law expert at Widener Law School.

>

> Such cases are difficult for plaintiffs to make, she said,

especially

> since there is little, if any, medical means to link Prozac

use to

> violent behavior in a specific individual.

>

> "The results of these suits have been varied," Termini

said.

>

> One of the most high-profile cases was fought in state

court in Kentucky

> over a mass killing committed by a Prozac user in September

1989.

>

> That patient, ph T. Wesbecker, who was on disability

for mental

> illness, fatally shot eight people at a Louisville printing

company

> where he had worked, then committed suicide.

>

> Survivors of the shooting sued Eli Lilly, but a jury ruled

in favor of

> the company. Years later it was learned that the company

and the

> plaintiffs had reached a confidential settlement just

before the trial

> ended.

>

> In his suit, Danysh, an inmate of the state prison at

Frackville,

> contends that he was prescribed Prozac just days before his

father's

> murder. He has always maintained that the drug put him into

a homicidal

> trance.

>

> That contention is the central theme of a website,

www.kurtda! nysh.com,

> that espouses his cause.

>

> Danysh claims Eli Lilly officials had been getting reports

since 1990

> that Prozac had in some cases "induced violence resulting

in homicide,"

> yet didn't alert doctors or include warnings on packaging

of the drug.

>

> Danysh claims he wasn't violent before being prescribed

Prozac. He

> claims he had a "non-adversarial" relationship with his

father.

>

> That latter claim isn't true, said Susquehanna County

District Attorney

> Legg, who called the Danysh case "fascinating." Legg,

who has been

> fighting Danysh's criminal appeals, said Danysh's father

had secured a

> protection-from-abuse order against his son.

>

> On the day of the murder, the younger Danysh stole a gun

from a friend's

> house and walked to his father's home, Legg said. He said

Danysh made

> his father kneel and shot him in the back of the head.

>

> Danysh claimed from the start that Prozac made him kill,

Legg said, but

> inconsistencies in his accounts of how he used the drug

have undermined

> his credibility.

>

> Legg said Danysh has claimed that he took Prozac as

prescribed, that he

> took an extra dose of the drug and that he took Prozac

while using

> marijuana.

>

> "I think the district attorney at the time considered all

that" in

> allowing Danysh to plead to third-degree murder rather than

pushing for

> a first-degree murder conviction, Legg said.

>

> "In Kurt's case, he was given the benefit of the doubt," he

said. "I

> still think the resolution Kurt got was the right one."

>

> Still, he said, such cases are difficult since there is

really no way to

> prove or disprove a defendant's drug reaction claim.

>

> "Prosecutors who want to do the right thing always struggle

with these

> cases," Legg said. "If you buy what the defendant is

saying,! and you're

> wrong, they could escape some level of justice."

>

> Prozac has been available in the U.S. since 1987. It was on

the market

> for more than a decade before the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration

> required that its labeling include a warning that

anti-depressant drugs

> can cause suicidal thoughts in some children and young

adults.

>

> "Some people may have a particularly high risk of having

suicidal

> thoughts or actions," FDA warnings state.

>

> Sandy Walsh, an FDA spokeswoman, said all anti-depressants

must be

> dispensed with agency-approved medication guides outlining

their risks.

>

> Lasher Todd, a spokeswoman for the American Medical

Association,

> said her group doesn't have any policy regarding Prozac.

>

> Termini said one reason suits such as Danysh's face

daunting legal

> obstacles is that the FDA has such a tough and thorough

process for

> vetting drugs before they are allowed on the market.

>

> Also, she said, a main issue that often arises in such

suits is whether

> the drug user was taking the medication exactly as

prescribed or if they

> took it improperly or with alcohol or other prescription or

illegal drugs.

>

> The only certainty, Termini said, is that given the

increasing use of

> medications by Americans, more and more suits over

prescription drug are

> likely to be filed.

>

[Guest guest]

,

Sorry I don't have the writ. Apparently he cannot metabolize

Prozac, like your other post states.

Jim

On 12/1/2010 12:22 PM, jeremy9282 wrote:

is the DA telling the truth here Jim ...........did Danysh

use marijuana & if so how can he blame prozac for pulling

the trigger & not the weed?

or is this another one of those "failure to warn suits"

have you got the writ?

extract

"That latter claim isn't true, said Susquehanna County

District Attorney Legg, who called the Danysh case

"fascinating." Legg, who has been fighting Danysh's criminal

appeals, said Danysh's father had secured a

protection-from-abuse order against his son.

On the day of the murder, the younger Danysh stole a gun

from a friend's house and walked to his father's home, Legg

said. He said Danysh made his father kneel and shot him in the

back of the head.

Danysh claimed from the start that Prozac made him kill, Legg

said, but inconsistencies in his accounts of how he used the

drug have undermined his credibility.

Legg said Danysh

has claimed that he took Prozac as prescribed, that he took

an extra dose of the drug and that he took Prozac while

using marijuana.

"I think the district attorney at the time considered all

that" in allowing Danysh to plead to third-degree murder

rather than pushing for a first-degree murder conviction, Legg

said

"

>

>

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/129100290816810.xml & coll=1

>

>

> PROZAC LAWSUIT

>

> *Inmate says drug prompted him to kill father*

> Monday, November 29, 2010

> BY MATT MILLER mmiller@...

>

> For 14 years, Kurt Danysh has been sitting in prison,

serving time for a

> murder he claims Prozac prompted him to commit.

>

> The Susquehanna County man was 18 and had just started

taking the

> anti-depressant drug when he killed his father in 1996 by

having him

> kneel and shooting him in the back of the head.

>

> Danysh has claimed since his arrest that Prozac altered his

mind and

> made him a killer.

>

> Years of appeals to the state and federal courts have

failed to overturn

> the 221/2- to 60-year prison sentence he received after

pleading guilty

> to third-degree murder.

>

> Danysh now is waging a different kind of court fight. He is

suing drug

> giant Eli Lilly & Co., maker of Prozac, in federal

court.

>

> Danysh claims that at the time of his father's slaying

company officials

> were hiding evidence that Prozac can cause suicidal and

homicidal

> thoughts in some users. He also contends that Eli Lilly

officials lied

> to state police, saying his Prozac use couldn't have played

a role in

> the slaying.

>

> Eli Lilly has issued a blanket denial of the charges

leveled by Danysh,

> who seeks more than $100,000 in damages on accusations of

fraud and

> negligence.

>

> "There is no credible scientific evidence that establishes

a causal

> connection between Prozac and violent behavior," said Sonja

Popp-Stahly,

> an Eli Lilly spokeswoman. "To the contrary, scientific

evidence shows

> that Prozac and other anti-depressan! t medications appear

to reduce these

> behaviors."

>

> Danysh originally filed suit in Dauphin County Court. Eli

Lilly shifted

> it to federal court, arguing that it is an interstate case

because the

> firm is based in the state of Indiana.

>

> The Danysh case is among scores of lawsuits across the

nation regarding

> the effects of Prozac and other anti-depressants. Most have

involved the

> now-established risk that such drugs can cause suicidal

thoughts in some

> patients.

>

> Danysh's suit is among a relative handful that claim an

anti-depressant

> prompted someone to kill, said Roseann B. Termini, an

adjunct professor

> and food and drug law expert at Widener Law School.

>

> Such cases are difficult for plaintiffs to make, she said,

especially

> since there is little, if any, medical means to link Prozac

use to

> violent behavior in a specific individual.

>

> "The results of these suits have been varied," Termini

said.

>

> One of the most high-profile cases was fought in state

court in Kentucky

> over a mass killing committed by a Prozac user in September

1989.

>

> That patient, ph T. Wesbecker, who was on disability

for mental

> illness, fatally shot eight people at a Louisville printing

company

> where he had worked, then committed suicide.

>

> Survivors of the shooting sued Eli Lilly, but a jury ruled

in favor of

> the company. Years later it was learned that the company

and the

> plaintiffs had reached a confidential settlement just

before the trial

> ended.

>

> In his suit, Danysh, an inmate of the state prison at

Frackville,

> contends that he was prescribed Prozac just days before his

father's

> murder. He has always maintained that the drug put him into

a homicidal

> trance.

>

> That contention is the central theme of a website,

www.kurtda! nysh.com,

> that espouses his cause.

>

> Danysh claims Eli Lilly officials had been getting reports

since 1990

> that Prozac had in some cases "induced violence resulting

in homicide,"

> yet didn't alert doctors or include warnings on packaging

of the drug.

>

> Danysh claims he wasn't violent before being prescribed

Prozac. He

> claims he had a "non-adversarial" relationship with his

father.

>

> That latter claim isn't true, said Susquehanna County

District Attorney

> Legg, who called the Danysh case "fascinating." Legg,

who has been

> fighting Danysh's criminal appeals, said Danysh's father

had secured a

> protection-from-abuse order against his son.

>

> On the day of the murder, the younger Danysh stole a gun

from a friend's

> house and walked to his father's home, Legg said. He said

Danysh made

> his father kneel and shot him in the back of the head.

>

> Danysh claimed from the start that Prozac made him kill,

Legg said, but

> inconsistencies in his accounts of how he used the drug

have undermined

> his credibility.

>

> Legg said Danysh has claimed that he took Prozac as

prescribed, that he

> took an extra dose of the drug and that he took Prozac

while using

> marijuana.

>

> "I think the district attorney at the time considered all

that" in

> allowing Danysh to plead to third-degree murder rather than

pushing for

> a first-degree murder conviction, Legg said.

>

> "In Kurt's case, he was given the benefit of the doubt," he

said. "I

> still think the resolution Kurt got was the right one."

>

> Still, he said, such cases are difficult since there is

really no way to

> prove or disprove a defendant's drug reaction claim.

>

> "Prosecutors who want to do the right thing always struggle

with these

> cases," Legg said. "If you buy what the defendant is

saying,! and you're

> wrong, they could escape some level of justice."

>

> Prozac has been available in the U.S. since 1987. It was on

the market

> for more than a decade before the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration

> required that its labeling include a warning that

anti-depressant drugs

> can cause suicidal thoughts in some children and young

adults.

>

> "Some people may have a particularly high risk of having

suicidal

> thoughts or actions," FDA warnings state.

>

> Sandy Walsh, an FDA spokeswoman, said all anti-depressants

must be

> dispensed with agency-approved medication guides outlining

their risks.

>

> Lasher Todd, a spokeswoman for the American Medical

Association,

> said her group doesn't have any policy regarding Prozac.

>

> Termini said one reason suits such as Danysh's face

daunting legal

> obstacles is that the FDA has such a tough and thorough

process for

> vetting drugs before they are allowed on the market.

>

> Also, she said, a main issue that often arises in such

suits is whether

> the drug user was taking the medication exactly as

prescribed or if they

> took it improperly or with alcohol or other prescription or

illegal drugs.

>

> The only certainty, Termini said, is that given the

increasing use of

> medications by Americans, more and more suits over

prescription drug are

> likely to be filed.

>