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1. India Suspends Avandia Clinical Trials Over Risks

The Indian government has ordered GlaxoSmithKline to suspend 19 trials for its Avandia pill due to recently released studies showing potential heart problems, according to CBS News. This is the latest blow to Glaxo, which has been struggling to enrol patients in the TIDE trial that the FDA required in order to compare cardiovascular risks between Avandia and the rival Actos pill.“The DCGI (Drug Controller General of India) has written to Quintiles, the clinical research organisation (CRO) running this trial in India, requesting that it be placed on hold with immediate effect,” according to a Glaxo spokesperson. “Accordingly, all sites in India participating on the TIDE study were informed of the hold status by letter on Wednesday, June 30, 2010. The reason stated by the DCGI was recent publication of a cohort observational study and a meta analysis concerning rosiglitazone. GSK, the principal investigators of TIDE and the C RO involved will provide the DCGI with any further data or information it requires in advance of a final decision on this study being made.”
Ed Silverman, Pharmalot
Related Links:
* GlaxoSmithKline Covered Up Deadly Avandia Drug Risks
AFP, Adelaide Now
* GlaxoSmithKline Takes $2.4 Billion Charge
Ben Hirschler, Reuters

2. Whooping Cough Outbreaks & Vaccine Failures

Reports of whooping cough outbreaks in California and in other states this summer are nothing new. Every four to five years – no matter how high the vaccination rate is - there are reports of whooping cough increases. It is well known that pertussis vaccines, which can contain various amounts of bioactive toxins and also aluminum and mercury additives, have killed and brain injured some children. Over half of the 2,480 awards for vaccine injury and death totalling $2 billion dollars made under the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act involve pertussis vaccine. Because pertussis vaccine immunity is only temporary and does not last, health officials are now telling teenagers and adults to get more booster shots. But that is not going to matter if scientific evidence that B. pertussis organisms have mutated and become vaccine-resistant turns out to be correct. Are public health officials being transparent with the public about just how many children and adults reported to have whooping cough have been fully vaccinated? In 1985 there was a lot of publicity about whooping cough outbreaks in eight states and all the blame was put on parents of DPT vaccine injured children calling for a safer pertussis vaccine. But 25 years ago I investigated those whooping cough outbreaks and found 50 to 80 percent or more of the children and adults with whooping cough symptoms had been vaccinated. The truth is that, whether you are vaccinated or not, you can get a mild or serious case of whooping cough from B. pertussis or B. parapertussis organisms. And both whooping cough disease and pertussis vaccines carry a risk of injury or death, which can be greater for some than others. There are no guarantees. It is time for public health officials and doctors to look at themselves and stop pointing fingers at those who have examined pertussis vaccine benefits and risks and come to a different conclusion.
Barbara Loe Fisher, National Vaccine Information Center

3. Expired Measles Vaccine Causes Toddler's Death

A toddler died allegedly after being administered expired measles vaccine at a private clinic in Gulberg Town on Thursday. According to the child’s father, he took his one-and-a-half-year old son Abdullah to a private clinic near his residence in Yousuf Plaza, Block-16, Federal-B Area, for the routine measles vaccine. However, his son developed high fever after returning home, and he was rushed to a hospital, but he died there during treatment. The police reached the spot and immediately arrested a doctor named Qamar while two other doctors Ghani and Asad managed to escape. However, an official of the health department rejected the allegation and said the child suffered a reaction and when the doctors tried to administer anti-reaction medicines to the child, the parents refused, causing the child’s death. When contacted, Health Executive District Officer Dr Shahab Imam refused to comment on the issue. “The provincial health minister has directed us not to speak to the media,” he said.
Amar Guriro, Daily Times - Pakistan

4. House Of Lords Could Repeal Digital Economy Act

The House of Lords has requested power to conduct post-legislative reviews, and if granted, has cited the Digital Economy Act as one it would consider. Earlier this week, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon said: "The recent Digital Economy Act 2010 should, in due course, be subject to post-legislative scrutiny." This was in response to a motion from Lord Strathclyde that proposed a review of the working practices of the House of Lords. The Digital Economy Act was rushed through the wash-up period shortly before the general election, receiving scant scrutiny in the Commons. In addition, BT and TalkTalk, two of the UK's largest ISPs, this month requested a judicial review of the act. The companies suggest that the act introduces requirements upon them which may not be compatible with European rules that aim to ensure that national laws are proportionate, protect users’ privacy, restrict the role of ISPs in policing the internet and maintain a singl e market.
Stuart Sumner, Computing
Related Links:
* Judicial Review Of Digital Economy Act Sought
BBC News
* Early Day Motion To Repeal Digital Economy Act Failing Electorate
John Hunt, thinkbroadband
* Journalists' Union To Support Court Challenges Against Digital Economy Act
Judith Townend, journalism.co.uk
* UK Digital Economy Coalition Government Mocks Democracy - Next Please
Ben Camm-Jones, Webuser
* Digital Economy Bill Threatens One Click
Jane Bryant, The One Click Group

READ THE NEWS ON ONE CLICK
http://www.theoneclickgroup.co.uk