02-26-2008 Media Madness

Several very interesting pieces have drifted through my pea brain in the last few days--some of them worthy of analysis on their own were there the time--and I wanted to pass them along. I'm busy finishing a freelance piece and just cannot give these the attention they deserve otherwise.

First, the Los Angeles Times' Melissa Healy pokes into issues around anti-depressants, withdrawal and violence in the wake of the NIU shooting. Her handling of the issue is one of the better efforts I've seen in major media in recent years.

The New York Times' Alex Berenson profiles the former Eli Lilly scientist who helped the company develop its forthcoming glutamate receptor drug for treating schizophrenia. As I've noted before, the drug doesn't seem to be super-promising in terms of efficacy (less efficacious than Zyprexa) and while few side effects have shown up in trials to date, the trials are also only 28 days long. That's not exactly much of a window to measure problems. Anyway, it's a good article, and I just hope that as the switch from dopamine drugs to glutamate drugs takes place over the next five to 10 years--assuming this new class of drugs proves out on some level--that advocates and researchers temper their enthusiasm with memories of just how badly the atypical anti-psychotic paradigm shift has played out and how unethically the makers of these drugs have behaved in promoting them.

The Wall Street Journal's health blog talks about both of the above articles.

The Newark Star-Ledger has a long piece on the problems that have cropped up around Chantix/Champix, the stop-smoking drug.

An interesting story on a homeless man coaxed off the streets of Columbia, SC and into a new life, courtesy of Risperdal Consta.

A big fight is shaping up between Congress and the FDA Commissioner over some documents.

Scientific Misconduct asks what outgoing Lilly CEO Sidney Taurel is smoking.

A wonderful post at Beyond Blue on faking your way through life while massively depressed.

Bipolar Blast asks if her suffering while going off meds whill be transformative. I hope so.

LSD is providing insight into psychotic delusions and could help with research. That ought to be a trip.

Fred Baugham, a neurologist who is deeply critical of ADHD meds, takes on the NIU shooting.

That's about enough. I'll be back with more later today. And, please don't forget my ongoing fundraiser.