Thursday, July 5, 2007

Pusherman


i'm your mamma, i'm your daddy
i'm that nigga in the alley
i'm your doctor, when in need
want some coke, have some weed
you know me, i'm your friend
your main boy, thick and thin
i'm your pusherman
i'm your pusherman

--"Pusherman", by Curtis Mayfield

Doc claims drug exec threats
WASHINGTON -- The controversy surrounding GlaxoSmithKline's diabetes drug Avandia grew yesterday as a medical expert told Congress that executives threatened to sue when he first raised questions in 1999 about the treatment's safety.

Dr. John Buse told lawmakers that after he drew attention to heart problems among some patients using Avandia, SmithKline Beecham, which later combined with GlaxoWellcome, warned him that some executives wanted to hold him accountable for a $4 billion drop in the company's stock.

In a letter to SmithKline distributed at the hearing, Buse wrote: "Please call off the dogs. I cannot remain civilized much longer under this kind of heat."

Oops.

What a surprise. Accidents happen, huh? I guess you can put Avandia on the list with other deadly pharmaceutical time bombs like DES or Thalidomide. Another "miracle drug" bites the dust.

It isn't as though big-money corporations have never lied to us before. We're talking about the bottom line, after all. Remember when L & M cigarettes were "just what the doctor ordered"?

Billions of dollars and medical problems later, these guys are still telling us the same thing: Trust Us.

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