USA Today: FDA looks into Singulair; risks of suicidal thoughts.

[glowing]

I'm sure its been posted that somewhere in the health section already that Singulair is now under investigation by the FDA in regards to the risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide associated with taking this allergy/ asthma medicine. Of course, I could go on and on all day long about health, FDA, and pharmaceutical companies putting profit above real health care. AND it is extremely obvious what drives the entire system in the first place: PROFIT.

This article was not posted in the front section or even the Life section; it was posted in the money section. The FDA is obviously concerned enough to investigate. In reality this means that enough doctors, families, and suicides have been reported and/ or become law suits, that they must investigate the side effects from taking this drug. Singulair sales equaled $4.3 billion in 2007. A large profit; so large in fact that the FDA is not suspending the sale of Singulair until further tests can be had, but to only "ask Merck to look at Singulair study data for more information about reports of behavior and mood changes, suicidal thought and suicide in patients who took the drug. Because such reviews are very complex, the FDA says it MAY take nine months to complete its evaluation." In the meantime, sales will continue. I suppose that it will take Merck about 9 months to tweak the Singulair formula, fill out the patent, re-label the package, and send out the drug reps to our friendly family doctors to tout the "improved" allergy/ asthma drug that will essentially carry the same suicidal side effects.

It is time to re-do or scrap the FDA so that it works as a protective agency for people not profit.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-03-27-suicide-link_N.htm

On Edit: In another related article a few days back; drug sales are down.. Apparently, it is due to "generic" drugs driving down the prices.. Personally, I believe its due to many losing their healthcare and older people in medicare programs reaching the donut hole and not being able to affor the medicine they are supposed to take. http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2008-03-12-drug-sales_N.htm Like I said, isn't America grand.

[midnight]

1. Thank you for posting this very important information about

this drug...

[glowing]

4. No problem. With all the GD:P taking up so much space.. the important

issues end up disapearing for name calling. Like I said, I'm sure it was written about earlier in Health or General forum.. What I find disgusting is the place where it was reported in the news and that once again the FDA covers the asses of Big Pharma.. and a lot of that reason is because Big Pharma is essentially running the FDA and funding the FDA.. Our congressmen don't care to do much because they "know" the inside trading benefits.. so if Merck comes up with a drug that will make a ton of money, they can go and buy stock before the price skyrockets.. on the otherside they know when to sell.. So, they really don't care to do anything about it when they are padding their pockets with inside trading information.. Now, if I were to do something like this, I'd be in jail like Martha Stewart was.

[parasim]

2. i agree, profit should be taken out of health care.

Looks like the FDA works just like the Microsoft-driven world of the computer industry. Why test it internally until you get it good enough to present to the general public, when you can just put it out there in beta form and learn from the negative feedback you undoubtably will get? Basically using the end user as guinea pig to test your product.

I suppose that's fine for software (actually I personally detest that method), but when it comes to life and death, it would seem to me, that the FDA would make sure that a drug was safe before it went to market.

[rocktivity]

3. Why would a phone company make you have suicidal thoughts?

If their service is that bad or their prices THAT high, just take your business elsewhere!



Oh, Singulair the DRUG...never mind...

:blush:
rocknation

[glowing]

5. Um.. its a drug that is prescribed readily.. to children and adults to

fight off allergies and asthma..

[cascadiance]

12. I just wondered if we were going to get Cingular suing them as well with this...

... for damages due to the confusion of their company names. Might think people will confuse this crap with the microwaves that are destroying people's brains who have cell phones next to their heads for too long.

[brer cat]

6. Thanks for this post

I have taken singulair in the past for asthma. I really wish we had a FDA with time to research and TEETH to enforce.

[glowing]

10. It would help if everyone was informed about how the system is designed

so poorly that it really doesn't work for the people... The congress get "insider trading" on new drugs. The FDA is funded in part by the pharma co.s, and the most of the big wigs at the FDA are sitting on the boards of Pharma Co's. The research is provided by the drug companies. The FDA approves the drug based on a small percentage that it will help a person based on the study.. I think its as low as 10%... that's why there are so many side-effects listed on their commercials.. And like I said, Merck will go back, change the formula a bit, do a new round of tests, put it on the marke for more money, and it will still have the same problems as before.. only this "new" and "improved" version will have a 2 to 3 year shelf life to collect billions of dollars from us, the consumer, until enough children and adults have taken their lives due to the side effects... Its a long revolving door process..

Don't even get me started on how the thugs shut down natural studies because nature scares them.. There is no profit in nature.. Like Vitamin D, naturally provided by the sun, is the best way to prevent cancer.. And that sunscreen contains more carcinogens than just staying out of the hot afternoon sun or covering with a hat, and a light long sleeve shirt.. Like I said in orig. thread.. don't get me started on the beauty of nature and education.

[TZ]

14. You are wrong about Pharma people being on the board

at the FDA. I worked at NIH (which has the SAME rules) and you CANNOT by law sit on the board of a company or have stock or investment in any company that might create conflict of interest.
I also call bullshit on your vitamin D and being safe in the sun. If you had BIOLOGY you would know that EVERY time your DNA is exposed to the sun it causes genetic damage. Most of the time DNA is self repairing. However over time that repair mechanisms wear out. WTF do you think wrinkles are but sun damage? Sorry, but sun exposure should be severly curtailed and sun blockeers are MUCH safer for people who must work outside (or have sun sensitivity like Lupus patients).
Seems like you need the education. Not every thing that is natural is safe. Like you know..toxins and venoms produced by animals and plants....
Go eat a nice natural nightshade mushroom and see how good for your health that is.
Sheesh.

[NikolaC]

7. My 7 Year Old Son Takes The Children's Version

He takes 5mg a night. He used to have bad asthma and was hospitalized several times as a result. After taking it regularly, he has not been hospitalized since he was 3. Sure he has had some down and moody times, but I always thought that they were associated to other things. This is a scary thing to find out and will be reading up on this more and consult with my son's doctor. I really feel for those families who were affected by this.

[glowing]

8. My nephew takes this as well. He's been taking it for some time now.

He has mild asthma and flair ups with allergies.. I haven't noticed that he's down, but I'll have to ask his mother if he has off days. It is disgusting that the whole system is so corrupt.

[dysfunctional press]

9. i was put on a medication called indomethacin awhile back, due to my spinal condition...

as far as what it did to my emotional state- it was like an express elevator to the dark & scary place. i stopped taking it, and told the dr. we had to find an alternative.

different meds make different people feel different ways, if that makes any sense. :shrug:

but it's important to be able to aware of what they do to you.

[glowing]

11. Yes, that is very important to be aware and to let others around you

know when you are starting a new drug.. that way they can flag you if they notice any negative side effects that you may not be aware of..

The main point I wanted to post was about a health issue being sectioned in the money section.. Health should not have "money" associated with it.. and this is the biggest problem we face when we all try achieve universal health care.

[TZ]

13. About Singulair

There were NO I REPEAT NO suicides in the clinical trials. So I ask you how was the company supposed to know about the risks? Be mind readers? The FDA IS DOING THEIR JOB NOW! and for you freaks who don't know diddly squat about how the FDA functions, let me tell you I've BEEN through their SURPRISE inspections several times and they are NO walks in the park. All you big pharma is teh evil needs to talk to QA people sometime to understand just how STRONGLY regulated this industry is. FDA however is understaffed so its ENFORCEMENT that is the problem.
FYI, the reason why many clinical trials can't get all the data they need is that not enough people volunteer for them.
And before anyone asks, I have health issues that keep me out of most trials but I AM on record as being willing to participate in a clinical trial for my health issue if needed.