READ THE NEWS ON ONE CLICK
http://www.theoneclickgroup.co.uk
1. Pfizer Prevnar Vaccine Quarantined After Netherlands Infants Die
Pfizer Inc. (PFE) has suspended distribution and quarantined a batch of its Prevnar childhood vaccine in the Netherlands following reports of the deaths of three infants around the time of vaccination. The lot that has been quarantined has about 111,000 doses. Prevnar generated about $1.5 billion in sales for the first six months of 2009, the last period for which figures were reported. Pfizer also is developing a follow-up product, Prevnar 13.
Peter Loftus of Dow Jones Newswires, The Wall Street Journal
2. Pfizer Must Pay $75m Damages Over HRT Drug
The punitive damages will go to an Illinois woman, Connie Barton, who developed cancer after taking Prempro. Barton’s lawyers presented evidence during the trial about Wyeth efforts to “deflect” criticism of its handling of the drug and its use of ghostwritten articles in medical journals to market Prempro. They also alleged execs hid Prempro’s cancer risks to pump up the drug’s sales, Bloomberg writes. Barton’s award of about $75 million is the third surviving verdict in Prempro cases since juries began deciding them in 2006. The largest was handed down to three women who blamed the drugs for their breast cancers in 2007. A federal appeals court this week ordered a new trial on punitive damages for an Arkansas woman, who claims Prempro caused her breast cancer.
Ed Silverman, Pharmalot
3. Decades Of Failure And Deaths - AIDS Vaccine
A large clinical trial of an AIDS vaccine carried out by the US Army and its collaborators in Thailand showed that the vaccine offered protection against HIV infections by about a third. Since then, two published accounts have dashed these hopes. Researchers given confidential briefings on the trial data, revealed that the results were weaker than even the modest success claimed. In particular, when the results were analyzed according to protocol – when only those who got all six vaccine shots at the right time and were followed up to the end of the trial were included - no statistically significant protection was found. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases defended the announcement, and rejected the accusation of a cover-up. Researchers have gained next to nothing from decades of failure in this main approach to AIDS vaccines. It is simply a mistake that ought to be been abandoned at least ten years ago in favour of other more promising developments to prevention and therapy.
Dr Mae-Wan Ho, Institute of Science in Society
Related Links:
* Merck AIDS Vaccine Causes AIDS In Trial Volunteers
Craig Timberg, Washington Post
4. British ICS Children's Database Disastrous Failure
The British Association of Social Workers has branded the implementation of the computerised integrated children's system (ICS), which records details of children receiving social care, a "systematic failure". BASW said: "It [the guidance] has not been tried and tested by local authorities, which means that there is no evidence base in terms of its effectiveness."
Molly Garboden, Community Care
Related Links:
* The UK Database State Scandal
The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Report
* UK Local Authorities - Child Data Privacy Practices Execrable
OUT-LAW News
* UK Social Services Unchecked And Badly Managed
Sarah Knapton , Telegraph
* Revealed: Britain's Social Worker Failure
Alex Stevenson, politics.co.uk
5. ME/CFS Sufferers Vindicated By Science
Often dismissed as hypochondriacs, ME sufferers have been vindicated by science.
"Since the original Science paper was submitted, we have continued to refine our test for XMRV and have surprisingly found that 95pc ME/CFS samples tested positive for XMRV antibodies in the plasma," said Dr Judy Mikovits who led the research at the Whittemore Peterson Institute (WPI) in the University of Nevada, Reno. The best way forward for ME sufferers here -- at least to diagnose them -- is for doctors to apply Canadian guidelines which set out a number of fixed criteria for diagnosing the illness.
Susan Daly, Irish Independent
Related Links:
* XMRV ME/CFS Breakthrough - Information Flow In Europe
ESME - European Society for ME/The One Click Group
* Dr David S Bell MD Lecture On ME/CFS And XMRV Virus, NY
Dr David S Bell MD, Lyndonville News
* Detection of an Infectious Retrovirus, XMRV, in Blood Cells of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Judy A. Mikovits et al, 10.1126/science.1179052, Science Express
6. House Poised To Vote On Government Take Over Of Health Care
House Democrats are scheduled to vote on H.R.3962, the Pelosi/Waxman government-run, health-care takeover bill on this Saturday, November 7th! It is urgent that you take immediate action to protect your health freedoms now. We ask all NHF members and others reading this to contact their Representative in opposition to this assault on American's health-care freedom of choice. Unless it is held up or voted down by the full House of Representatives, this could be the last chance to register your opposition to this legislation. Make sure your elected officials hear from you now regarding this critical legislation. Let's preserve health-care freedom of choice at all costs. There is no time to waste!
Lee Bechtel, National Lobbyist, National Health Federation
READ THE NEWS ON ONE CLICK
http://www.theoneclickgroup.co.uk
Posts
