Furious Seasons

March 06, 2007

The Zyprexa Chronicles: Congressional Investigation Begins, Mainstream Media Is Absent

As I noted yesterday, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) last week requested that Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca provide the House's Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which Waxman chairs, with a slew of documents relating to the companies' research, testing and marketing of Zyprexa and Seroquel. There hasn't been a lot of press coverage of the brewing investigation so far, but then that's typical of the media's inability to take matters involving mental health drugs as seriously as they take problems involving drugs like Vioxx. Or, hell, Viagra.

CL Psych has a wonderfully catty post up about how the media is now faced with a choice between Waxman's bald head or Anna Nicole Smith's boobs. He makes a good point. As a journalist, it pisses me off no end that, excepting the New York Times and a brief sniff by Slate.com, the print and broadcast media in this country have been silent on the Zyprexa documents and haven't even touched the similar issues hovering around Seroquel. As I noted yesterday:

"Hm, leaked Zyprexa court documents. Multiple state lawsuits. Multiple individual lawsuits outstanding. FDA official says his agency should investigate these drugs further. Public health concerns. Drugs taken by maybe 10 million Americans. Were supposedly the wonder drugs, the silver bullet. Sometimes given out as sleeping pills.
Nah, couldn't possibly be a story in that."

Perhaps, now that there's a Congressional investigation, these matters might merit a bit of print and--gosh, I don't know--some TV coverage. Yes, I know it's about mental health and that makes editors and news directors nervous (and makes anchors incapable of asking questions) because the issues are deeply complicated. It's not as simple as the Vioxx story in 2004. But the issues are simple, too. Maybe you smart folks can start by asking questions about Rebecca Riley.

I'll have more on Waxman's quasi-subpoena later today. I was a bit busy with "the Other Project" related items last evening.

Posted by Philip Dawdy at March 6, 2007 12:32 AM

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Comments

I know it doesn't make much difference but the story was on the Welcome page of AOL, though they related it to the drop in prices to stocks.

I also read that Anna Nicole Smith had 22% of all media coverage last week. Wow, with the war and everything else that is going on in the world I think that just proves that mainstream media is just not where it's at.

Poor Britney got just 2% airtime. Maybe next week will be better.LOL

Posted by: Angie at March 6, 2007 05:45 AM

When I approached a local news anchor team (who I have met before in other news events) in person; they asked me "How can we possibly help your daughter?" I said: "By shedding light on mental health awareness"(among other things). At the most, this story will/could get a "health news link" mixed in with the television news cast.

One year ago, I thought a 5 minute piece was too short.

I am starting to think that 5 minutes is better than nothing. (mainstream media)

It has to start SOMEWHERE.

Posted by: Stephany at March 6, 2007 08:17 AM

I think there is another reason the media is so gun shy and that has to do with the powerful hold drug companies have through the sheer volume of their advertising. But also huge numbers of media consumers are on drugs and just would prefer not to know. I am amazed at how often I get shut down when I try to raise the issue of drug risks and adverse effects -- or just another way of looking at things, like NOT "Thank God they're being treated and isn't that great?" And I'm not saying people are rude but they just suddenly have good reasons to change the subject or leave the room. I'm also learning just how many people are on psych drugs. I sort of knew but suddenly I realize that if I go into a room somewhere well over half the people in it are going to be on the drugs. Now that's not Zyprexa probably but these are the problems we are confronting when we try to raise troubling and uncomfortable questions about practices that are enormously widespread. And unlike Vioxx I guess it's often more of a lifestyle issue than a real health concern (although it will be soon enough if they stay on them). I guess people don't want to be challenged on this as readily. People have to want to read this stuff in order for it to be written. You'd think they would want to but man, it appears a lot of people don't. As Schopenhauer said: "All Truth passes through Three Stages: First, it is Ridiculed... Second, it is Violently Opposed...
Third, it is Accepted as being Self-Evident."

Posted by: Sara at March 6, 2007 08:32 AM

RE:Schopenhauer.First, it is Ridiculed... Second, it is Violently Opposed.

It will never go beyond the second stage as psychiatry (and its meds/drugs/jails) is needed and integral to society.

They need an explanation/rational for the homeless guy on the street, to the worker/student who goes "crazy" and shoots up the neighborhood.

People need to believe in the simple answers psychiatry gives them, like mental illness is a brain chemical imbalance that can be fixed with the right chemical.

Posted by: Mark at March 6, 2007 11:39 AM