http://industry.bnet.com/pharma/10001228/e-mail-astrazeneca-knew-in-1997-that-seroquel-caused-weight-gain/
“AstraZeneca knew as far back as 1997 that Seroquel put patients at risk of weight gain, according to the company’s own internal memos. The documents also appear to show that some AZ execs developed strategies to “neutralize” information that suggested Seroquel caused weight gain or diabetes, even after the FDA asked the company to warn patients about Seroquel’s diabetes side effect.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aAmz5tVXPOM4
“The London-based drugmaker issued a letter to Japanese physicians in November 2002 that said AstraZeneca had received 12 reports that Seroquel users were diagnosed with high blood-sugar levels over a 21-month period, according to company documents unsealed last week in connection with litigation over the drug. “
“Almost three years later, AstraZeneca sales managers were instructing company representatives to tell U.S. physicians that “the available data has not established a causal link between diabetes and Seroquel,” according to a transcript of an August 2005 voice-mail unsealed last week.”"More than 15,000 patients have sued AstraZeneca, claiming the company withheld information about links between diabetes and Seroquel use from doctors and patients. Many of the lawsuits also claim AstraZeneca promoted Seroquel, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, for unapproved uses. “
http://www.medpagetoday.com/ProductAlert/Prescriptions/13064
“According to the attorney’s filing in the case, the executive had sexual contacts with a British researcher who worked on two quetiapine studies in bipolar depression, and also with a medical writer who helped produce journal articles describing the studies. “
“Newly unsealed court documents suggest that AstraZeneca tried to minimize the risk of diabetes and weight gain associated with its antipsychotic drug quetiapine (Seroquel), in part by “cherry-picking” data for publication.”
Not surprising. Pharmaceutical companies have been known to send good looking reps out to the doctors’ offices. Prior to January 1st 2009, pharmaceutical companies have been offering doctors free vacation packages, golfing trips, etc. , to entice sales. Seroquel is another “hormone altering drug”, meaning doctors know very little about.
It’s easy to see why. Unlike with animals, doctors cannot open up humans and take organs out to experiment. Essentially, most of what doctors know about hormones is about the hormones of animals. What is disturbing is that doctors are NOT warning their patients that they are essentially “guinea pigs”. They know that through their medical education that they don’t know enough about the endocrine system. Playing “dumb” and letting the pharmaceutical companies take the fall just doesn’t cut it.
This is why you are seeing more hormone “altering drugs with issues”. Here are the other ones.
http://healthnut.buddyslim.com/2009/03/07/depo-provera-can-lead-to-weight-gain/
http://healthnut.buddyslim.com/2009/03/05/prednisone-can-make-you-fat/