AstraZeneca Suppressed Information about Seroquel Link to Diabetes, Told Sales
Reps to Lie
February 27, 2009
by: Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor

(NaturalNews) Drug maker AstraZeneca, seller of the Seroquel antipsychotic drug,
suppressed clinical studies showing its drug significantly increased the risk of
diabetes, say internal e-mails. As Bloomberg is reporting today
(http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?...), employee emails that were unsealed as
part of a lawsuit reveal AstraZeneca deliberately hid at least three studies
that established a significant link between its Seroquel drug and the onset of
diabetes in patients. This fact was blatantly admitted in a 1999 e-mail sent by
an AstraZeneca official.

The Wall Street Journal is also reporting today that "AstraZeneca instructed its
U.S. sales representatives to tell doctors that its powerful psychiatric drug,
Seroquel, didn't cause diabetes even though a company physician had at one point
stated years earlier that such a link was probable in some individuals."
(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123...)

Today, AstraZeneca remains in spin control, once again apparently lying about
its past behavior by saying, "None of the documents can obscure the fact that
AstraZeneca acted responsibly and appropriately as it developed and marketed
Seroquel." (spokesperson Tony Jewell, reported in Bloomberg.com)

AstraZeneca currently faces over 9,000 lawsuits over Seroquel, involving more
than 15,000 people who say the company lied about the diabetes risks of taking
the drug. It is well known in the natural health industry that antidepressant
and antipsychotic drugs disrupt blood sugar metabolism and promote diabetes, but
drug companies and the FDA have seemingly conspired to prevent the public from
learning this fact (the FDA routinely approves drugs like Seroquel by trusting
the clinical trial data provided by the very same company selling the drug!).



Why Big Pharma's "science" is pure junk
What AstraZeneca did with suppressing some clinical trials while highlighting
others is called "cherry picking" the study data. It's a red flag that
scientific fraud is underway, and no self-respecting scientist would ever
support any conclusion derived from clinical trials that were selected in this
manner.

Cherry picking the science is a routine practice at drug companies: They might
commission ten (or so) studies on their drug, compile the results, then throw
out all the studies showing their drug to be dangerous or deadly. The rest of
the studies -- which magically show the drug to be safe and effective -- are
then forwarded to the FDA for "review." The FDA, which conducts no scientific
studies on its own, completely trusts the drug trials funded by the drug
company, so it declares the drug to be "safe and effective" and gives it the
stamp of approval for nationwide consumption.

This is how drugs get approved in America today. It is laughingly called the
"gold standard of evidence-based medicine" by drug pushers and FDA bureaucrats.
Anyone familiar with this process, however, realizes the whole drug approval
system is based on scientific fraud and has nothing whatsoever to do with
rigorous science or consumer safety (but it has everything to do with profits).


How many patients have been harmed by antipsychotic drugs?
There's no telling exactly how many patients have become diabetic or obese
thanks to Big Pharma's dangerous drugs. The drug companies, of course, refuse to
admit their drugs have caused even a single case of diabetes, and the FDA --
always in bed with Big Pharma -- continues to defend the scientific fraud
demonstrated here by AstraZeneca.

In a reasonable world, all of AstraZeneca's drugs should be immediately pulled
off the market for further review, and the company should be banned from selling
drugs in the United States for a minimum of three years. But the FDA does
nothing. Scientific fraud is no concern at the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration... it's business as usual!

Can you imagine the outcry if a vitamin were found to cause diabetes? The FDA
would go crazy over the story and probably try to ban the vitamin. Or what if an
herb were discovered to cause diabetes and the herb manufacturer knew it but
lied about it? The FDA would ban it and outlaw its importation into the United
States.

Have you noticed all the outcry over Peanut Corp. and the fact that it knew its
peanut butter was contaminated but sold it anyway? Practically the whole country
went nuts over the peanut story, accusing the company of endangering the safety
of consumers (which it clearly did). Many tens of millions of products were
recalled and people lost their jobs. But get this: When Big Pharma knowingly
sells a dangerous product and gets caught, nothing happens! Nobody loses their
jobs. No products are recalled. The FDA remains utterly silent. Nobody gets
prosecuted. No investigations. Just complete silence.

Why is selling dangerous peanut butter a crime but selling dangerous
pharmaceuticals is openly tolerated by virtually everyone? What's wrong with
this picture?

Truth is, it's just another day in the corrupt pharmaceutical industry. Business
as usual for Big Pharma and the FDA.


Do something about it!
If you're tired of seeing these criminal behaviors by drug companies and the
FDA, sign my Health Revolution Petition (www.HealthRevolutionPetition.org) which
demands real changes that would end the corruption and criminal behavior in the
pharmaceutical industry and at the FDA. With over 8,000 signatures already, this
petition is gaining strength. It needs your support to help reform our health
care system and end the fraud and corruption that dominates the pharmaceutical
industry today.

Below, you'll find some shocking quotes about antipsychotic drugs and diabetes.
This is must-read information. You will be absolutely astonished by these
quotes...


Authors' Quotes on Diabetes and Antipsychotics
Below, you'll find selected quotes from noted authors on the subject of Diabetes
and Antipsychotic. Feel free to quote these in your own work provided you give
proper credit to both the original author quoted here and this NaturalNews page.

Additionally, some of the new antipsychotics cause rapid and intense weight
gain, leading to high rates of diabetes. Two massive government studies released
in 2006 on the real-world efficacy (as opposed to that reported in clinical
trials) of both antidepressants and antipsychotics showed that most patients do
not get better taking the drugs. Only about a third of patients taking
antidepressants, for example, improved dramatically after a first trial.11 For
antipsychotics, the story was even worse.
- Comfortably Numb: How Psychiatry Is Medicating a Nation by Charles Barber
- Available on Amazon.com

In the case of Zyprexa and other newer antipsychotics, long-term use revealed
that many patients were at higher risk of developing elevated blood sugar,
diabetes, pancreatitis, elevated cholesterol, and considerable weight gain. Some
patients gained over 60 pounds a year, and several died from these
complications. In his clinical and forensic practice Peter Breggin has evaluated
several cases of rapid death caused by acute Zyprexa-induced diabetes and
pancreatitis.
In 2004, the FDA mandated that newer antipsychotics carry a warning about the
risk of hyperglycemia and diabetes.
- Your Drug May Be Your Problem: How and Why to Stop Taking Psychiatric Drugs by
Peter R. Breggin and David Cohen
- Available on Amazon.com

For example, two side effects of antipsychotics which have received much
attention include significant weight gain and the hugely increased risk (4 to 6
times) for developing diabetes. Yet, a nationwide survey of 300 psychiatrists
chosen at random found only half (51%) had any knowledge that taking
antipsychotics can cause their patients to develop diabetes. Only a little over
half (59%) were aware that these drugs cause weight gain.
- America Fooled: The Truth About Antidepressants, Antipsychotics and How We've
Been Deceived by Dr. Timothy Scott
- Available on Amazon.com

Other second-generation drugs that came on the scene after clozapine --
including Risperdal, Zyprexa, and Seroquel -- bypass the already mentioned side
effects but pose a whole new dilemma: weight gain and metabolic changes linked
to an increased risk of high cholesterol and diabetes. Beyond the known side
effects, there is question about the relative effectiveness of these drugs.
According to a 2006 study published in the Archives of General Psychology, there
was no reported clinical advantage to the more expensive and highly touted
second-generation antipsychotics when compared with the first.
- The Food-Mood Connection: Nutrition-based and Environmental Approaches to
Mental Health and Physical Wellbeing by Gary Null and Amy McDonald
- Available on Amazon.com

Antipsychotic drugs may cause diabetes, but the FDA still allows their sale.
Some prescription drugs are so dangerous that even health-related industry
groups feel compelled to speak out against the drugs in order to protect the
health of patients. In this case, a joint report by the American diabetes
Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Association of Clinical
Endocrinologists, and the North American Association for the study of Obesity
complained that an entire class of antipsychotic drugs increases the risk of
diabetes. Take the drugs for your head, and lose your pancreas.
- Natural Health Solutions by Mike Adams
- Available on Amazon.com

Although confirmatory research is still needed, a body of evidence from
published peer-reviewed epidemiology research suggests that Risperdal is not
associated with an increased risk of diabetes when compared to untreated
patients or patients treated with conventional antipsychotics. Evidence also
suggests that Risperdal is associated with a lower risk of diabetes than some
other studied atypical antipsychotics. In other words, the DHCP letter sent to
physicians and the package inserts that come with their drug have very
contradictory statements.
- America Fooled: The Truth About Antidepressants, Antipsychotics and How We've
Been Deceived by Dr. Timothy Scott
- Available on Amazon.com

In addition, the risk of side effects like diabetes and lipid elevations is
greater for older patients using these powerful drugs. The FDA recently warned
that the use of atypical antipsychotic medication doubles the risk of death in
the elderly. In some cases Alzheimer's patients can experience symptoms of
aggression, hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thoughts, and bizarre
behavior, all of which may be treatable with antipsychotic medications. However,
antipsychotic medications should only be used for Alzheimer's patients who are
psychotic.
- Before You Take that Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health by
J. Douglas Bremner
- Available on Amazon.com

If possible, try to address the antipsychotic agents first because they pose
severe risks including tardive dyskinesia and potentially lethal neuroleptic
malignant syndrome, diabetes, and pancreatitis. However, if the antipsychotic
exposure has lasted for several years, it may take many months to withdraw, and
therefore it becomes more practical to start with another drug that's easier to
stop. But keep in mind that your risk of getting tardive dyskinesia from
antipsychotic drugs is high and that the risk increases over time, so it's a
good idea to withdraw from these drugs as soon as possible.
- Your Drug May Be Your Problem: How and Why to Stop Taking Psychiatric Drugs by
Peter R. Breggin and David Cohen
- Available on Amazon.com

On June 15,2005, the company settled a multicase product-liability suit for 690
million dollars involving life-threatening diabetes associated with its
relatively new antipsychotic drug Zyprexa. Because the drug is directly toxic to
the insulin-producing cells, some patients are dying in hours from the acute or
sudden onset of diabetes and pancreatitis. Other patients endure a more
gradually developing and chronic insulin-dependent diabetes.
- Before You Take that Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health by
J. Douglas Bremner
- Available on Amazon.com

The American diabetes Association estimates that diabetes is costing about $132
billion a year. To put this cost in perspective: all the cancers together in
United States cost about $171 billion a year. We have a major epidemic, and we
are only making the problem worse. There are many secondary causes to this
pandemic. Some doctors are a little concerned, as increasing numbers of children
are given antipsychotic drugs for anxiety and conditions like autism. This is
because these drugs can promote weight gain and therefore elevate the risk of
diabetes.
- There Is a Cure for Diabetes: The Tree of Life 21-Day+ Program by Gabriel
Cousens
- Available on Amazon.com

These medications have not, however, been without their own problems: They can
interfere with glucose metabolism, increasing the tendency to develop
adult-onset (type 2) diabetes and in rare cases ketoacidosis;19 they also
increase lipids and cause weight gain, all of which can increase the risk of
heart disease. Use of olanzepine, Clozaril, risperidal, and the atypical
antipsychotics has been associated with an increase in diabetes but less so with
risperidal. There are conflicting results for quetiapine.
- Before You Take that Pill: Why the Drug Industry May Be Bad for Your Health by
J. Douglas Bremner
- Available on Amazon.com

The atypicals can cause substantial weight gain, disruptions in blood sugar
control, and even diabetes. Nutrients depleted: Chlorpromazine, fluphenazine,
and thiorizadine deplete CoQ10, melatonin, and vitamin B2; haloperidol depletes
CoQ10. Although there's not as much information on depletions with the newer
atypical medicines, their mode of action and side-effect profiles are similar
enough to expect that they will deplete the same nutrients as the older, typical
antipsychotics.
Needed supplements: CoQ10: 30-100 mg daily.
- Supplement Your Prescription: What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutrition by
Hyla Cass, M.D.
- Available on Amazon.com

More than 90 percent of those prescriptions (all of them off label) were for the
atypical antipsychotics, newer versions of the drugs that may cause serious side
effects, such as rapid weight gain, diabetes, and a movement disorder known as
tardive dyskinesia. Among boys ages six to twelve, more than half of
antidepressant prescriptions written are intended to treat so-called conduct
disorders, like hyperactivity and attention deficit, behavior that might have
been written off a generation ago as "boys will be boys," but that now is
labeled as a disease and treated with a drug.
- Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine Is Making Us Sicker and Poorer by Shannon
Brownlee
- Available on Amazon.com

Also, adverse responses to medications can bring on secondary diabetes. For
example, Skarfors et al. (1991) announced that certain drus prescribed to treat
hypertension (beta blocking agents, thiazides, or hydralazine) decreased insulin
sensitivity. According to information released from Oregon Health Sciences
University (Portland), antipsychotic medications (clozapine, olanzapine, or
quetiapine) increased the occurrence of diabetes (Muench et al. 2001).
- Disease Prevention and Treatment by The Life Extension Editorial Staff
- Available on Amazon.com

Any sign of diabetes or pancreatitis while taking the newer antipsychotic drugs
requires the immediate withdrawal of the drugs. A new heart arrhythmia or other
heart problem while taking almost any psychiatric drug, including stimulants,
can be life threatening and requires immediate intervention. A seizure, serious
rash, headache, gastrointestinal problem, liver disorder, joint or muscle pain,
abnormal bleeding, or treatment-resistant infection while taking almost any
psychiatric drug is another signal for an immediate evaluation and may require
cessation of the medication.
- What If Medicine Disappeared? by Gerald E. Markle and Frances B. McCrea
- Available on Amazon.com

Obesity is now considered the main risk factor for most chronic diseases,
including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Some common antipsychotic drugs
such as olanzapine (Zyprexa) can bring about a weight gain of 30 pounds in a
short period of time. These drugs boost dopamine, the hormone that causes food
cravings. This class of drugs also decreases levels of leptin, a protein that
suppresses appetite. In other words, those who take antidepressants may develop
an unnaturally strong appetite that they cannot control by eating more.
- Cancer Is Not A Disease - It's A Survival Mechanism by Andreas Moritz
- Available on Amazon.com


If you want working links, go to the original article
http://www.naturalnews.com/025744.html