Emory Psychiatrist Draws Fire for Payments From Glaxo

‘Researcher’ found antidepressants like Paxil safe for pregnant & breast-feeding women

June 10, 2009

Wall Street Journal

by David Armstrong

More details are coming out about the relationship between Emory University psychiatrist Zachary Stowe and GlaxoSmithKline, which made payments to Stowe at the same time he was conducting federal research about the use of antipressants, such as Glaxo’s Paxil, in pregnant women.

Emory has reprimanded Stowe, who was instructed to immediately eliminate conflicts related to current federal grants. In a statement, the school said Stowe had informed it of “previously unreported activities and has disclosed his failure to abide by Emory policies.” Stowe, through the university, declined an interview request.

In a letter this month to Emory, Sen. Charles Grassley said records he obtained from Glaxo indicated Stowe was paid $154,400 by the drug company in 2007 and $99,300 during the first 10 months of 2008. Stowe is listed as the primary investigator on at least three National Institutes of Health grants, beginning in 2003 and continuing through last year, that involve antidepressant use in pregnant women and the effects on children delivered by those women.

Meanwhile, Stowe outlined some dealings with Glaxo in a deposition last year taken as part of a lawsuit claiming that Paxil isn’t safe for pregnant women. Stowe was questioned in detail about a 2000 email from an outside public-relations firm to a marketing executive at Glaxo about a planned press release for a new study. The study, conducted by Stowe, found Paxil is safe for breast-feeding mothers. The PR firm’s email to Glaxo reads:

Please review the attached press release and forward me any comments/edits. As you may know, Dr. Stowe is on board for publicity efforts and Sherri and I are coordinating time to meet with him next week to arm him with key messages for this announcement, which is slated for early February. We are sending the release for his review at the same time in efforts to secure distribution on Emory letterhead (as you know, would provide further credibility to data for the media).

In the deposition, Stowe said the quotes in the press release were his own. “They wrote it, we said it,” Stowe said of the involvement of the public-relations agency. As for the assertion by the PR official that Stowe was being provided with “key messages,” the psychiatrist called that “just typical public relations crap” and he said in the deposition he never received help from the PR officials.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE WSJ STORY

The FULL interview of Kevin with Tom from HempUSA.org

Kevin spoke with Thomas James from HempUSA.org.  The discussion included why the US government chooses to remain the last industrialized country IN THE WORLD to allow hemp to be legally grown, the nutritional benefits of hemp seeds, oil, and powder; the benefits of using hemp for paper and clothing; PLUS a whole lot more.  You can hear the interview, commercial-free and in its entirety, by clicking HERE and downloading it from iTunes.

The Kevin Trudeau Show: 06-16-09

Kevin is back from Europe, and he’s baffled at what passes as news in the US.  Celebrity cellulite? Recaping The View? Parents of 8 divorcing? Sylvester Stallone’s pinky?!? Despite the MSM’s best effort to dumb us down, KT is here to fill you in on what’s really going on.  Today that includes:

Why you can’t sue the FTC
Tom James from HempUSA.org explains wide-ranging benefits of hemp
The hypocrisy of the US govt limiting CEO pay…
AND the solution…A POLITICIAN PAY CZAR
Restless Leg Syndrome–an absurd medical ‘ailment’
Organic bakeries
How YOU are in charge of your own reality

Take Trudeau on the Go! Click here to download this show to your ipod, mp3 player, or PC at Itunes!  Don’t forget to subscribe to the RSS feed to get The Kevin Trudeau Show automatically sent to your player of choice and never miss a must-hear Kevin Trudeau Show!

Click below to hear The Kevin Trudeau Show!

FDA warns against using 3 popular Zicam cold meds

June 16, 2009

CNN

By Saundra Young

WASHINGTON – The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday warned consumers to stop using certain Zicam nasal cold remedy products, saying they can cause users to lose their sense of smell permanently.

The agency says that since 1999, it has received more than 130 reports of loss of smell associated with Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel; Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs; and Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, kids size. The products have been linked to long-lasting or permanent loss of smell called anosmia. In some cases, the loss of smell occurred after the first dose.

“Loss of sense of smell is a serious risk for people who use these products for relief from cold symptoms,” said Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “We are concerned that consumers may unknowingly use a product that could cause serious harm, and therefore we are advising them not to use these products for any reason.”

The popular homeopathic medications are sold over the counter and aimed at reducing the severity and duration of cold symptoms.

The FDA says consumers should stop using the products immediately. The agency has sent Matrixx Initiatives, which makes Zicam, a warning letter telling it the products can no longer be marketed without FDA approval.

The FDA says consumers experiencing any loss of smell or taste after using nasal products that contain zinc should contact their physician.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE FROM CNN

ABC TURNS PROGRAMMING OVER TO OBAMA

ABC NEWS TO BE ANCHORED FROM INSIDE WHITE HOUSE

June 16, 2009

Drudge Report

On the night of June 24, the media and government become one, when ABC turns its programming over to President Obama and White House officials to push government run health care — a move that has ignited an ethical firestorm!

Highlights on the agenda:

ABCNEWS anchor Charlie Gibson will deliver WORLD NEWS from the Blue Room of the White House.

The network plans a primetime special — ‘Prescription for America’ — originating from the East Room, exclude opposing voices on the debate.

MORE

Late Monday night, Republican National Committee Chief of Staff Ken McKay fired off a complaint to the head of ABCNEWS:

Dear Mr. Westin:

As the national debate on health care reform intensifies, I am deeply concerned and disappointed with ABC’s astonishing decision to exclude opposing voices on this critical issue on June 24, 2009. Next Wednesday, ABC News will air a primetime health care reform “town hall” at the White House with President Barack Obama. In addition, according to an ABC News report, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, WORLD NEWS, NIGHTLINE and ABC’s web news “will all feature special programming on the president’s health care agenda.” This does not include the promotion, over the next 9 days, the president’s health care agenda will receive on ABC News programming.

Today, the Republican National Committee requested an opportunity to add our Party’s views to those of the President’s to ensure that all sides of the health care reform debate are presented. Our request was rejected. I believe that the President should have the ability to speak directly to the America people. However, I find it outrageous that ABC would prohibit our Party’s opposing thoughts and ideas from this national debate, which affects millions of ABC viewers.

In the absence of opposition, I am concerned this event will become a glorified infomercial to promote the Democrat agenda. If that is the case, this primetime infomercial should be paid for out of the DNC coffers. President Obama does not hold a monopoly on health care reform ideas or on free airtime. The President has stated time and time again that he wants a bipartisan debate. Therefore, the Republican Party should be included in this primetime event, or the DNC should pay for your airtime.

Respectfully,
Ken McKay
Republican National Committee
Chief of Staff

MORE

ABCNEWS Senior Vice President Kerry Smith on Tuesday responded to the RNC complaint, saying it contained ‘false premises’:

“ABCNEWS prides itself on covering all sides of important issues and asking direct questions of all newsmakers — of all political persuasions — even when others have taken a more partisan approach and even in the face of criticism from extremes on both ends of the political spectrum. ABCNEWS is looking for the most thoughtful and diverse voices on this issue.

“ABCNEWS alone will select those who will be in the audience asking questions of the president. Like any programs we broadcast, ABC News will have complete editorial control. To suggest otherwise is quite unfair to both our journalists and our audience.”

CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY ON DRUDGE

Major Countries May Buy Each Other’s Bonds in Shift From Dollar

Brazil, Russia, India and China looking to shift dependence from weakening US currency

June 16, 2009

Bloomberg

By Lyubov Pronina and Alex Nicholson

Brazil, Russia, India and China are considering buying each other’s bonds and swapping currencies to lessen dependence on the U.S. dollar, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s top economic adviser said.

The leaders of the so-called BRIC countries will discuss measures to promote regional currencies when they meet later today, Arkady Dvorkovich told reporters in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg before the first BRIC summit.

“There will be talk about increasing the share of mutual trade in national currencies, possibly placing part of reserves in the financial instruments of partner countries,” Dvorkovich said.

Medvedev is hosting back-to-back summits of developing economies in Yekaterinburg as he seeks to lessen the world economy’s dependence on the U.S. dollar. Medvedev will hold talks later today with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Medvedev and Hu earlier today attended a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which also includes the four former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The Russian leader reiterated his intention to push for the creation of a “supranational currency” to challenge the U.S. dollar and encouraged China and the other Shanghai group members to use each other’s currencies for trade.

“There can be no successful global currency system if the financial instruments that are used are denominated in only one currency,” Medvedev said. “Today this is the case and the currency is the dollar.”

The meetings “show a very strong desire of developing countries to play a bigger role in world finance, especially given the growing insecurity related to the current crisis,” said Masha Lipman, a political analyst at the Carnegie Center in Moscow, in an interview with Bloomberg Television today.

Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said on June 13 that the dollar’s “fundamental indicators” are “fine” and that he was confident in the currency’s strength. A week earlier, Medvedev said the dollar isn’t in “a spectacular position” and questioned its future as a global reserve currency.

Dvorkovich said the positions of Medvedev and Kudrin aren’t contradictory and that the Russian government is united on its dollar policy.

“In the long term, it is beneficial for all and all agree that the world needs a few strong currencies,” Dvorkovich said. “It cannot happen quickly.”

FULL BLOOMBERG ARTICLE FOUND HERE