Whistle Blower is My New Hero

[Guest guest]

Whistle Blower is My New Hero

 

http://www.mercola.com/2004/dec/18/vioxx.htm

 

Dr. David Graham, associate director in the FDA's Office of Drug Safety,

called the FDA's approval of arthritis drug Vioxx, " The single greatest drug

safety catastrophe in the history of this country or the history of this

world. " Graham went on to cite the following statistic: A staggering 88,000

to 139,000 Americans suffered heart attacks and strokes as a result of

taking Vioxx.

 

In addition to Vioxx, Graham named five other drugs that are putting the

lives of the public at risk. The five drugs in question are:

 

* Meridia

* Crestor

* Accutane

* Serevent

* Bextra

 

Graham stated that the FDA's inability to protect Americans from another

case similar to the Vioxx case was clear evidence that massive changes need

to be implemented for the future protection of the public.

 

One of the regulatory changes Graham proposed was granting the Office of

Drug Safety independent regulatory authority. Presently, safety officers are

faced with a conflict of interest in the event they have to convince the

Office of New Drugs that a drug is causing side effects. The conflict arises

because the very group that approved the drug in the first place is also

responsible for taking regulatory action against any post-marketing

activities.

 

Graham's Future

 

Tom Devine, Graham's lawyer, stated that Graham would be exiled from his

duties of reviewing drugs and placed in the office of the commissioner.

Devine described this position as " filling space under the scrutinizing

watch of a babysitter. "

 

USA Today November 25, 2004

 

British Medical Journal November 27, 2004

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

Dr. David Graham is one of my new heroes. He is the person who blew the

whistle on the FDA when he testified before Congress about Vioxx late in

November.

 

So what does Dr. Graham get for blowing the whistle?

 

He's going to be exiled from his work reviewing drugs and put to work in the

office of the commissioner. The irony here is unmistakable. First, the FDA

is quietly let off the hook after approving a drug responsible for causing

almost 139,000 deaths, and then the person who speaks out against this is

stripped of his job responsibilities.

 

I look up to Dr. Graham not only for his honest testimony and concern for

public safety, but for the integrity of his character. His background

information includes father to six children, assistant scoutmaster and a

wiry long-distance runner turned backpacker who, when flummoxed, begins

sentences with an " Oh, golly. " He is no slacker, as he was educated at one

of the leading medical schools in the world, Johns Hopkins University School

of Medicine. He also attended Yale and the University of Pennsylvania.

 

This is a man of conviction, and he will likely be one of the single leading

forces making a dent in this fatally flawed paradigm. Perhaps I am biased

because he is a fellow runner, but I LOVE this guy and hope I will be able

to meet him some day.

 

Related Articles:

 

$30 Billion Vioxx Recall -- The Dangers, Powerful Lessons & Safe

Alternatives that Everyone Must Know

 

Vioxx Increases Heart Attacks 50 Percent: FDA Study

 

In Light of Vioxx, Bextra Getting A Closer Look

 

Before Vioxx Was Pulled From the Market the FDA Approved it For Kids!

 

Aspartame Disease: An FDA-Approved Epidemic

 

FDA Publishes Final Rule to Require Labeling About Antibiotic Resistance

 

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