Attorney John Whitehead¸ founder and president of the Rutherford Institute, says FDA’s close relationship with drug companies seeking to make a profit from a flu pandemic may be more dangerous to Americans than the flu itself. The Rutherford Institute describes itself as a “civil liberties organization that provides free legal services to people whose constitutional and human rights have been threatened or violated.”
In a 5/4 commentary, Whitehead says that drug companies are responding to the “somewhat hysteria-induced demand for drugs to protect against swine flu” by ramping up production of Tamiflu and Relenza. He says that little is being said about the “very real dangers that these drugs, particularly Tamiflu, pose to your health and mental welfare.”
According to Whitehead, FDA ignored reports of the drug’s potential for causing abnormal behavior in children until more than 100 cases of delirium, hallucinations, and other abnormal psychiatric behavior caused it to require a labeling change
He then goes into past drug safety problems, quoting FDA Office of Drug Safety associate director David Graham that the agency is “responsible for 140,000 heart attacks and 60,000 dead Americans … as many people as were killed in the Vietnam War,” because of its delayed action in withdrawing Vioxx.
Whitehead describes lobbying contributions to Congress from drug companies, suggesting that they are now focusing more attention on Democrats after spending years courting Republicans.
“Certainly, this collusion between the pharmaceutical industry and the government should come as no surprise to anyone who keeps up with the news and the rampant corruption in the halls of Congress,” Whitehead says. “Clearly, Big Pharma are the winners here. Stock prices for pharmaceutical companies involved in the production of Tamiflu and Relenza have already jumped dramatically. And investors are already salivating at the prospect of the government insuring against future outbreaks by increasing its stockpiles of the drugs, as well as spending more on grants and funding for research. What remains to be seen, however, is who will be the biggest loser.”
