Comments: Seroquel, Sex And Major Conflicts Of Interest Between AstraZeneca Exec And British Researcher, US Ghostwriter
Great reporting Philip:
Now if the court only acts rationally and in the interest of the public; the "Seroquel Documents" and all those dirty little secrets should be mainstream headline news very soon.
I wonder if AZ thinks that 500 million it has spent so far in legal fees will be wasted if all the dirt comes to the light of day?
Those admitted criminals at Lilly must be shaking thier heads right about now saying "I told you so".
Loyal Reader
Posted by Loyal Reader at February 24, 2009 11:06 PM
Oops!
I'm sorry. I thought I was at Furious Seasons but I'm at "The Sun".
I'm very sorry.
Posted by Ana at February 25, 2009 02:35 AM
OMG. So seedy!
Posted by Lizzie Simon at February 25, 2009 06:58 AM
This really is very scurrilous but sadly it only reminds me of many other such stories I have read in the past, Mad in America for one. When I got to the concluding chapters of that book which detailed the incredibly fraudulent goings on in the trials for Risperdal I would just sit in my chair absolutely numb and dumbfounded. Why doesn't the public know about this? It is beyond belief that millions of people are taking these drugs on the basis of fraudulent science conducted by unethical people. Then there's The Constant Gardener, albeit fiction, but certainly based on truth. If we think what goes on here is bad try taking a look-see at trials in India and Africa and God help anyone who tries to uncover that sabotage. I can only hope that, thanks to investigative journalism like Philip's (and Robert Whitaker), one day justice will be done.
Posted by Sara at February 25, 2009 10:10 AM
Sara,
Good comment.
This is what John le Carré wrote about his novel "The Constant Gardener" that was turned into a movie with the same name by the brazilian filmmaker:
"By comparison with the reality, my story is as tame as a holiday postcard."
Thank you Philip for the work! There you are showing the reality.
Posted by Ana at February 25, 2009 02:30 PM
Karma's a bitch isn't it AZ.
The most unethical company in the industry.
Posted by former az employee at February 25, 2009 06:20 PM
For now anyway...
Philip's Furious Seasons IS
http://iamastrazeneca.com
Posted by Francesco Bellafante at February 25, 2009 06:37 PM
Outstanding reporting; Lilly is reading my blog's link to this post. Read it and weep AZ and Lilly.
I want the AstraZenena documents here!
Posted by Stephany at February 25, 2009 07:33 PM
AstraZeneca has visited my post on this but all roads leads to... Furious Seasons.:)
I'm not very proud because I did a joke and I thought that only blog friends were going to read it.
Since yesterday it's being visited non stop because of the X-rated content.
I did a link to this post that I believe is great.
We do serious stuff, research blah blah blah... but we have no control on what is going to be read.
I believe I have to work for a tabloid.
Posted by Ana at February 26, 2009 11:44 AM
6 hours 2 mins 26 secs??????
This is the amount of time AstraZeneca spend on this post.
One of their researchers might be taking Seroquel and slept for some hours.
I just want to say, AZ, that I have to take 200 mg of your poison because I cannot withdraw.
I pay too much each month for something that I was wrongly prescribed by one of yours psychiatrists - he is a APA member and have some connections.-
I was misdiagnosed. I was put on many drugs because side effects of Tofranil was seen as diseases.
Of course you don't believe.
Yes, I'm a bipolar 4.
Of course they will not stop at bipolarity 3!
Why not 4, 5 and 6?
Now we all have an idea of the activities physicians, researchers, lab representatives do on their meetings.
Ooops.
I'm sorry! Still at "tabloid mode"?
Shame on me!
Posted by Ana at February 26, 2009 11:56 AM
There are other visits from AstraZeneca since yesterday and some from Johnson&Johnson.
University Of Illinois too.
I didn't check it all.
I urge AstraZeneca to donate for this blog.
I cannot send any money because I have no bank account or credit card because I'm broken.
I didn't work and had to buy Seroquel while I was tapering 400 mg.
Couldn't stand withdraw the last 200 mg.
You can donate it anonymously or, please, use my name Ana.
You know too well how much I spend buying Seroquel 200 mg Seroquel.
Thank you.
Posted by Ana at February 26, 2009 12:35 PM
me again
Wow!
Isn't it touching?
They are all there:
Parexel
Eli Lilly And Company
Astrazeneca Pharmaceuticals Lp
Teamm Pharmaceuticals
and some universities. No Harvard at this time. sniff, sniff...:(
One more time i urge Astrazeneca to go to this:
http://www.furiousseasons.com/archives/2009/02/spring_fundraiser_astrazeneca_edition.html
Thank you.
Posted by Ana at February 26, 2009 01:22 PM
Great, great job on reporting, Philip. Great, great job.
Wow.
Posted by Marissa at March 2, 2009 06:36 AM
Check your facts again, Philip. The 'American Ghostwriter' was not a writer at all! McFadden had an affair with a junior PAREXEL MMS employee, a program manager. If you bothered to read the Florida court filing or the references, you'd know that. Your article implies that one of the scientific writers at PAREXEL MMS had an affair with Mcfadden and that is untrue. Your lack of fact-checking could, in fact, destroy the wrong person's reputation.
Philip Dawdy responds: no disrespect, but the court document describes her as a ghostwriter employed by parexel and, later, as a program manager.
Posted by Outraged Scientific Writer at March 4, 2009 08:25 AM
This "Outraged Scientific Writer" has just post the same at my post on this.
"Please check the facts on the Philip Dawdy story. He is implicating a PAREXEL MMS 'ghostwriter' when in fact it clearly states in the Florida court filings and reference documents that Mcfadden had an affair with a program manager at PAREXEL MMS. In the medical communications industry, program managers neither write nor influence writing. Wjile it makes for a good story, it's uterrly implausibale in real life. Worse than that, by perpetuating this error in Dawdy's blog, you are implicating any of several writers at PAREXEL MMS, none of whom would ever have an affair with the likes of McFadden."
First: I believe that it is a woman who works at Parexel and she must be nervous because even I can see the typo errors;
Second: I trust human nature and I believe that the vast majority is ethical not the contrary as this person is suggesting when she/he(?) says that I'm implicating ANY of the several writers;
Third: "In the medical communications industry, program managers neither write nor influence writing."
I believe this is a young person that is still naive.
In all human associations there is always a tiny little bit of conflict of interests that is the normal human behaviour and don't have anything to do with lack of ethical and don't influence people's view on a subject. It would not be different in the medical communications industry.
The huge problem is when you're dealing with serious conflict of intereSts that harms the health of people and has such implications;
Fourth: I would really like to hear the from Parexel but not this way: anonymously and without too much proofs;
Fifth: "none of whom would ever have an affair with the likes of McFadden." What do you mean by "likes of McFadden?
Sixth: I've post it here because it has to do with Furious Seasons and Philip.
This is the first time I write with numerating. I hope it didn't bother you. But it was the way I found to be more specific.
Philip Dawdy responds: thanks for making me aware of this. readers should know that the court document in this case describes the parexel employee as a 'ghostwriter' and a 'program manager.' i contacted parexel for my original piece, but the company didn't return my request for comment, so whomever this guy is floating around leaving comments can go check in with parexel.
Posted by Ana at March 4, 2009 11:56 AM
I will use my prerogatives as a 50 years old woman:
I'm putting myself on the shoes of a woman who works for Parexel and has nothing to do with this, works hard is full of good intentions, let's say, me in my twenties.
I would be outrageous by such a story.
I've seen, we all have seen, that some people reach an objective not because of their real talent and expertise or gifts.
I can understand this indignation.
But dear Lord!
Strange world! Those who are ethical are fired but those who ......... ............. are promoted?
As far as sexual relations is concerned let's talk adult here: in working places every second, Okay! every two hours someone is seducing somebody.
Annual meetings had already been well explored by writers.
It's normal. However when Stockholm syndrome or taking advantage of naivety of others or anything like that is unacceptable.
I'm not saying that this is what has happened with Mr. Wayne MacFadden.
""Macfadden has admitted to additional sexual affairs with a clinical researcher assistant at AstraZeneca and a clinical researcher in California also involved in the Seroquel clinical trials.""
"Is it love, is it love, is it love that he is feeling?
I wanna know, wanna know, wanna know now."
Posted by Ana at March 4, 2009 12:23 PM
How about starting an investigation on AZ on how they are transferring skilled jobs to India. A company that is largely funded by the UK taxpayer on subsidised drugs and by the American taxpayer can do this and get away with it.
As a UK taxpayer - I would like to see the money that I have to pay for drugs being used to fund Briitsh and American research jobs and local jobs rather than moving skilled jobs to India and to non European jobs.
This is a scandal as big and wide as any sex or clinical cover up.
Posted by Blower at March 5, 2009 07:17 AM