Furious Seasons

May 19, 2009

Ex-Abilify Spokespatient Unfairly Criticized

There's been a lot of criticism of ex-Abilify spokespatient/"Electroboy" author Andy Behrman in the wake of last week's front page Wall Street Journal article about his split with Bristol-Myers Squibb. The company had paid him a reported $400,000 to speak on behalf of the drug while, at the same time, Behrman was experiencing some wicked side effects from the drug in 2004 and 2005. While I understand some of the criticism, I'm afraid that a post at Bnet.com yesterday by Jim Edwards, who's usually pretty reasonable in his judgments, is so full of excessive judgments that I'm going to call him on them.

It appears that Edwards freaked out over a mass email Behrman sent out last week, one I received as well:

"Behrman sent a rambling email from his Blackberry to his 'friends' and '3,000+ mental health support groups' asking them 'to forward this e-mail to everyone you know.' The email is a long plug for Behrman’s new book."

I didn't find Behrman's email rambling at all, certainly nowhere near some of the emails I get (and have gotten as a reporter over the years). What's more, Behrman is very much enmeshed in the weird world of Hollywood, where it's pretty typical for people to send out mass emails to their 3,000 closest friends or they don't exist. Los Angeles is all self-promotional like that. I've been on Behrman's mail list for three or four years and he does send out a few self-promotional emails a year (such as when he has an upcoming appearance on CNN), so the one he sent out last week wasn't all that unusual.

But here's where Edwards really steps in it:

"But it [the email] is also a description of just how thin Behrman’s case against BMS seems to be. As BNET noted a few days ago, Behrman only began his crusade against BMS after the company refused to make him a millionaire. Now he is claiming that BMS is at the center of a shadowy conspiracy to prevent him from speaking. His email says:
'I published an online article about the drug’s terrible side effects. I said it was the worst drug that I had ever been prescribed and that it had nearly killed me. Within twenty minutes of the article being posted on a website owned by the New York Times, the article came down. Turns out, BMS was a sponsor of the website.

'I believe that BMS will go to almost any lengths to stop me and the publication of the book.'"

Behrman first wrote about his bad experiences on Abilify in May 2006 for About.com, owned by the New York Times. The article came down very quickly and not long after I republished it on this site, pretty much as a protest against censorship (whether that censorship was the work of About.com or BMS is another story), so it's kind of interesting to me that Edwards isn't calling a Times-owned company on its journalistic integrity, which seems to be suspect in this case.

What's weirder to me, however, is that was literally the only sign of a "crusade" against Abilify prior to the recent WSJ article. As far as I know (Behrman and I stay in sporadic contact by email) Behrman has been busy the last few years trying to get "Electroboy" turned into a movie. He's sure not been out there jumping up and down about Abilify and his relationship with BMS. Hardly what you'd call a crusade.

Behrman's claim that BMS would go to almost any lengths to stop him may come off as excessive, but what I can tell you all is that there have been other things going on that I know about but cannot get not into right now (since I gave my word that I wouldn't). Let's just say that there's some high stakes intimidation going on out there.

If only Edwards had stopped there:

"[Quoting Behrman's email]'The sad reality is that the drug companies won’t tell you the truth about the side effects of their drugs …
"This just isn’t true. The side effects of Abilify are right there on the drug’s web site. The very first warning is:

'Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death.'"

Edwards' using Abilify's current website warning language as proof that the drug companies haven't been lying about the problems with atypicals--I'm speaking of the entire class here--for well over a decade is silly. Has Edwards missed all those Zyprexa documents and Lilly's legal settlements? Has he missed the more recent Seroquel documents? Did he forget his own blog post from last December where he noted that AstraZeneca knew of diabetes problem with Seroquel as far back as 2000? Does he not realize that BMS and other companies were off-label marketing for dementia for years before they tripped over their own feet and got busted? Please.

Look, the pharma companies have lied through their teeth about these drugs, injuring innocent people, lying to doctors and ripping off taxpayers in the process. And Edwards is cheesed off at Behrman? Nice.

What's more, when I directly asked BMS about what it knew about Abilify causing akathisia, Sonia Choi, the drug's spokeswomen, told me she didn't know a thing about it, even though there is akathisia all over the drug's clinical trials for depression. In fact, more recently, a BMS-funded study tried to obscure akathisia caused by Abilify.

I know some readers are pissed-off at Behrman over all the money he got from BMS, but I'd say the far bigger problem is BMS and other pharma companies (and the researchers who help them) and the lies they tell each day.

Here's why I end up sympathizing with Behrman. He's wound up on the right side of these issues, especially where the atypicals are concerned and he's helping get a hell of a lot of attention focused on them and their problems (you go get your personal story of injuries suffered through psych meds on A-1 of the WSJ and then get back to me). Sure, it would've been nicer if he'd gotten there in 2005, but he didn't. In fact, in December 2005, I remember seeing Behrman commenting on CNN about the fatal shooting of a man with bipolar disorder by federal air marshals--the man, who'd recently gone off-meds, claimed he had a bomb--and Behrman looked like someone who was really being slapped around by medication (yes, it was Abilify)...just utterly played out, exhausted and scrambled, his face all puffed up. I know what that place is like and I can sympathize. It buys Behrman a lot of slack with me. Maybe too much slack for some readers.

But then consider my case: it's taken me two decades to get to where I am now in my understanding and criticism of the mental health industry. Does anyone want to kick me around because I wasn't saying the same things in print in 2004? Or 1999?

We all get to our own truths in life at our own speed--Behrman, me and you.

And I'll tell you something else: if the Nemeroffs, Kellers and Biedermans of the world renounced their pharma monies, conflicted research and so on and mended their ways, I'd forgive them. Chances of that happening are pretty much zilch, but if they did, I would.

Posted by Philip Dawdy at May 19, 2009 12:01 AM

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Comments

http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/index.aspx?puid=f5819e3e-df04-4d57-bee1-ffc55b1f4532&xid=GSLP&s_kwcid=bipolar|2706117912&gclid=CLfs8_-tyJoCFQKenAodDjnv3w........................

Just came by to deliver this link from the UK's TIMES - sponsored in part by Abilify. "Is your child Bi-polar?"
We probably won't be seeing Electroboy's story at The Times very soon. But we're gaining on them.

Posted by: Lilly NC at May 19, 2009 05:21 AM

I found Behrman to lack creditably. He accepts $400k and then, when the pipe starts to run dry, bites the hand that fed him and is now quite obviously trying to make money by jumping on the anti-pharma bandwagon.

The fact that you can't even consider that this may be true tells me much about your biases. My sense reading this blog is that you think nothing good has come from Pharam or psychiatry. While I certainly have some problems with some aspects of those entities, I can readily admit that there are some good psych drugs and, what's more, that not ever psychiatrist is a drug-pushing, dishonest crook as you seem to think they all are.

And you say you're a journalist? Where's the other side? Where's the balance? It's not sufficient to say that the other side is represented by all of the academic journals and MSM. To be a fair reporter you need to provide a balanced view of the issues. Otherwise, you're no better than those who you criticize.

Sometimes I wonder why anyone would go into mental health as a profession. Seems like a thankless job (and I suspect most are not making the kind of money that Nemeroff is).

Posted by: J.B. at May 19, 2009 05:22 AM

"We all get to our own truths in life at our own speed--Behrman, me and you."
Only one problem with that, FORCED PSYCHIATRY for those who are labelled Schizophrenic. Schizophrenics can't get to their own truths , when forced, conditioned and brainwashed to take meds-chemicals-drugs for a metaphorical brain disease. Only tried and convicted criminals should be forced by society to take "medications". Psychiatries PRECRIME medicine-justice prejudice just makes the prediction come true.

Posted by: mark p.s.2 at May 19, 2009 05:25 AM

I believe the black box warning of increased mortality in elderly dementia patients was imposed by the FDA on all atypicals. So I would hardly give BMS credit for displaying that warning.

Posted by: Marilyn Mann at May 19, 2009 06:10 AM

Great post, Philip. And I agree that we should lay off Behrman. He deserves tremendous credit for rattling BMS's cage and getting the word out about Abilify, however sensationally he's chosen to do it. That's what it takes and I don't hold it against him or even for taking the money for as long as he did. And I can well believe that BMS is trying to blackball him big time and take him out in one way or another. It's good that he's putting up a fight and beating them at their own game for the time being anyway. Their days of being able to stop this kind of thing successfully seem numbered to me. I hope I'm right.

Posted by: Sara at May 19, 2009 08:21 AM

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the note, you make a lot of good points.

Just to clarify, the fact that AZ, Lilly and J&J have had tons of problems on Seroquel, Zyprexa and Risperdal doesn't mean that Behrman is right on BMS's Abilify. I would have much less of a beef against Behrman if he had any hard evidence of BMS's wrongdoing in its promotion of Abilify -- emails, powerpoints, studies with manipulated data, etc. But he doesn't. Or at least, if he does he hasn't mentioned it yet.

I'll be happy to reverse my position as soon as Behrman reveals his smoking guns.

Jim Edwards, BNET Pharma.

Posted by: Jim Edwards at May 19, 2009 09:31 AM

sad. i used to read Jim Edwards until he publicly (on his website) called me an "insane blogger" so, i don't know what his deal is. You are correct, it seems he has...er, forgotten posts he has written in the past in regards to Big Pharma corruption. and now suddenly, people living with the horrific side effects of Big Pharma's drugs are insane, greedy, etc. according to Jim.

Posted by: clementine at May 19, 2009 10:27 AM

John McManamy who has no journalistic integrity in my opinion, also slammed Behrman on his (new blog after being dumped by health central)blog. Andy responded to McManamy there.

Posted by: Stephany at May 19, 2009 10:28 AM

Speaking of no journalistic integrity: maybe this doesn't belong here, but I thought it bears sharing: www.psychcentral.com is now posting PRESS RELEASES verbatim from drug companies, on pages that are covered with drug company ads.

See the latest news about using Risperdal for bipolar: http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/05/18/risperdal-consta-approved-for-bipolar/5974.html

When is someone going to look in these web/shill money machines, like McManamy, psychcentral, and others?

Posted by: Liz K. at May 19, 2009 12:55 PM

Just a personal opinion for what its worth.

Opinions are just that; I'm sure you have your own to share.

Jim Edwards, BNET Pharma writes news and opinions from his prospective and evidence. Each of us in the end decides what we are going to take from this reporting. Personally, I think he does a pretty good job over all; as Philip obviously does here on "Furious Seasons" with candor and integrity.

Going beyond the BNET report on the Behrman topic; did anyone see where we have one known CON is pointing the fingers at what he calls another CON - each can judge for themselves who is right or not.

http://knowledgeisnecessity.blogspot.com/2009/05/no-more-mr-nice-guy-andy-behrman-is-con.html

I don't believe Andy has hidden he has made/makes money, made some mistakes along the way, and will probably continue too do so. His message now is not as a paid spokesperson anymore thank goodness {even if he has other projects in the wings that could create income}.

I would hope questionable activities would be reported on whether they are from Big Pharma, Psychiatry, ex-spokespersons, or claimed victims.

I believe and hope the over riding factor is ethical behavior; and the consequences of these behaviors and activities.

At least this topic with Behrman is out in the open and being debated no matter which side you choose to support or draw your conclusions from.

How about those not so "out in the open" CONS -

"the $$$$$Huge-Amount$$$$$ dollar plea, no real names, no where to verify info, money going into a personal account, a possible front for questionable/cult/snake oil medicine activity; and when you might ask just a few questions your comments are banned, the personal attacks begin to fly, and the wagons circle in defiance"

http://bipolarblast.wordpress.com/2009/05/17/my-friend/ plus a whole series of strange articles leading up to this one I have highlighted.

Admittedly this isn't front page news on the Wall Street Journal or Time Mag. But it is about a movement, a community, and how it is perceived by others in the end.

Maybe it doesn't amount to a hill of beans in the boarder scope of the whole mental health system.

Lets just hope this isn't the road we are on in replacing one misdirected modality with another of similar results.

Posted by: CONS at May 19, 2009 01:09 PM

I did another post about "The trial".
Just after visiting some sites I got the right perspective of the accusations.
Thank you for this post Philip.
It made me realize some absurds.

Posted by: Ana at May 19, 2009 01:33 PM

What the hell is a CON? Enquiring minds (well, this one) would love to know.
TIA

Posted by: Sherry at May 19, 2009 03:11 PM

As one more example, several of my friends have commented over the past year or two that I wasn't myself while on the psych meds the docs gave me to treat chronic pain issues. The way they put it:

"I talked to Puckett today."
"Yeah?"
"No, the REAL Puckett. Not that guy we've known for the last year or so. The REAL Puckett."

I remember the first time I felt something after coming off of Cymbalta - I ran into someone who had accosted my then-fiancee and I gave him a few pieces of my mind, then realized - for the first time in ages - that I felt an authentic, unmediated emotion. Psych meds numbed me in none of the ways I needed and in all the ways that harmed me; they dulled what I felt so, instead of feeling righteous anger when I should have, I was just flat.

I don't know that I'm prepared to give him that much rope, but I've been there briefly and I understand that those meds clouded my thinking to such a degree that I wasn't myself and I wasn't on any of the atypicals. As a result, I am - and I think everyone else who has experienced any form of psych med should be - prepared to listen to what he has to say without considering the money.

Posted by: Puckett at May 19, 2009 05:02 PM

Thank you for writing this and specifically for reminding me of this:

"We all get to our own truths in life at our own speed--Behrman, me and you."

Great post.

Posted by: Francesco Bellafante at May 20, 2009 12:21 PM

Interesting... you posted the Abilify post on my birthday of '06... I too, got the akithisia from it, though that side effect went away. What DIDN'T go away was the horrible, emotionally blunted, mentally confused effect it had on my brain... and then there was the whole problem of my doctor constantly wanting to increase my dose, rain or shine.

Posted by: kimbriel at May 23, 2009 05:08 PM