Live data from Hacker News

Analysis of Antidepressant Paxil Finds Data on Teen Risk Was Held Back

scientificamerican.com

1–10 of 93 posts

Re: Analysis of Antidepressant Paxil Finds Data on Teen Risk Was Held Back

#2
My wife was nearly a victim of this particular drug in the late 1990s. They have no idea how much shit they caused people by withholding this information. Several years of people's lives destroyed. I doubt they will acknowledge it or even apologise let alone offer compensation.

When I say they, I don't mean the faceless corporation or brand, but the individuals who made this decision, ran the initial trials and pushed it to start with.

Re: Analysis of Antidepressant Paxil Finds Data on Teen Risk Was Held Back

#3
I use to work in pharma research (at the data acquisition and analysis side, blinded from treatment) and the fact that pharmas are able to start clinical trials and then shut them down without reporting result is a problem.

The folks who make those decision usually have access to unblinded data and in the least objectionable case they do it due to lack of efficacy but you never know. Maybe they found a side-effect and would rather it not be looked at in the context of what the drug is approved for.

There's easily the recovery of a billion dollar of R&D costs at stake.

Re: Analysis of Antidepressant Paxil Finds Data on Teen Risk Was Held Back

#4
Now let's find out if this anti-depressant really helps anyone, or is it just another terrible drug with horrid side effects? If it doesn't help better than placebo; take it off the market?

Let's throw out all those lousy studies that were done in the 90's and later? Let's start fresh--study these antidepressants, and get rid of them(adolescents, adults alike) if they really don't help anyone besides doctors, and drug companies finances?

Yes, I know it's tough when you have a suicidal person in your office, and all you have in your arsenal is dubious drugs--marketed by ruthless companies? I don't what a caring practitioner should do. I really hope Psychiatry/Psychology makes some breakthroughs?

I do know drug companies have pretty much stopped all research in new anti-depressants. Why--they were caught with their pants down, lying, hiding bad studies, and fooling doctors and patients alike with their Slick claims.

(If you happen to be depressed, I can guarantee it gets better as you age, or with time. Hang in there. Don't let our rediculious, narcissistic society get the better of you. The problems you have in your youth--just might look a lot less serious as you get older? Yes--talk is cheap, but I have no reason to lie. I have no agenda. I don't want your money. I'm just a dude who's been through the system, and didn't like what I saw, or ingested. If you are really on the verge of doing something drastic; go straight to,the emergency room. There's one procedure that actually has a high cure rate--if you are really that desperate? I am obviously not a doctor, nor would ever want to be one.)

Re: Analysis of Antidepressant Paxil Finds Data on Teen Risk Was Held Back

#5

I use to work in pharma research (at the data acquisition and analysis side, blinded from treatment) and the fact that pharmas are able to start clinical trials and then shut them down without reporting result is a problem. The folks who make those decision usually have access to unblinded data and in the least objectionable case they do it due to lack of efficacy but you never know. Maybe they found a side-effect an…

"I use to work in pharma research (at the data acquisition and analysis side, blinded from treatment) and the fact that pharmas are able to start clinical trials and then shut them down without reporting result is a problem."

This Cherry Picking should become a felony? Spit out the data you have on hand, even if incomplete? Give the results of the studies to the FDA, or make whatever data you have available to the scientific community at large?

Why don't they make this information available; because usually the study didn't prove their hypothesis, and they need to start another study hoping the data just might magically change? And with the right 3rd party researchers, in the right foreign countries--poof the data magically seems to turn around? And the company has a new money maker?

Re: Analysis of Antidepressant Paxil Finds Data on Teen Risk Was Held Back

#8
Of course the data was held back, it would hurt sales. This is extremely typical of psychiatric drugs. Typically we only find these things out after the drug has been on the market for a number of years, with predictable (had we known!) consequences.

Pharmas need to be held accountable for this bad behavior and all clinical trial results (including negative results) need to be 100% transparent. I am going to be blunt: this would massively hurt their bottom line. Because accountability would hurt the pharmas bottom line, it will be like pulling teeth to get any kind of legislation to fix this problem-- they love to buy politicians specifically because it protects them in times like these where they have done wrong. We need to stop allowing "because money" to be a valid reason for allowing people to get hurt.

Psychiatric drugs are huge cash cows and are very frequently (see numerous meta-analyses) only dubiously or narrowly effective. They're a stopgap for a missing mental healthcare system, and allowed a lot of leeway because of this.

Post reply on HN