J&J Alleged To Hide Evidence That Risperdal Grows Boys’ Breasts
"A drug that was never meant for kids was illegally marketed to kids," said a lawyer for the plaintiff in opening remarks for the...
Consumer Reports: Antipsychotics “Last Resort” for Anxiety, ADHD, Depression, Insomnia, and PTSD
Consumer Reports affirms that, though the use of antipsychotic drugs to treat conditions not approved by the Food and Drug Administration has increased significantly in the...
Cognitive Therapy is Safe & Effective for Schizophrenia, Without Drugs
In "the first randomised trial of cognitive therapy for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders not taking antipsychotic drugs", researchers from the U.K. found cognitive...
Prenatal Exposure to SSRIs Significantly Increases Autism & Developmental Delays
Research on 966 mother-child pairs from the Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE) Study finds that prenatal SSRI exposure was nearly 3...
JAMA Editorial: âConfluence, Not Conflict of Interestâ
Yesterday, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) released an editorial entitled âConfluence, Not Conflict of Interest: Name Change Necessary.â The authors argue that the phrase âconflict of interest is pejorative,â and a better term âwould be confluence of interest, implying an alingnment of primary and secondary interests.â
Boston Court Reinstates Neurontin Class-Action Lawsuit
Pfizer may face lawsuits regarding improper marketing of Neurontin after a Boston court reinstated lawsuits that had been denied class-action status by lower courts....
Oregon Court Affirms Forced Medication for Defendants
The Oregon Supreme Court ruled yesterday that judges can force criminal defendants to take antipsychotic medication in an effort to make them competent for...
Congressman to Propose “Parental Protection Act” to Congress
Inspired by the plight of Justina Pelletier's family, Representative Steve Stockman (R-TX) will introduce a bill to Congress that proposes to cut off funds...
Antidepressants, Not Alcohol, Implicated in Mary Kennedy Suicide
When Mary R. Kennedy, the estranged wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., committed suicide last May, initial speculation centered around the possible contribution of...
Day Two of the Philly J&J Trial: “Risperdal Popcorn” & Other Perks
Testimony at day two of the Philadelphia trial concerning a 17-year-old Texas boy who grew breasts after taking Risperdal from the age of five...
Compulsory Supervision Does Not Reduce Hospital Re-Admissions
A study of 442 individuals discharged from a U.K. hospital, published today in The Lancet, finds that the rate of readmission after 12 months...
Go to Sleep
A blog in Scientific American reviews sleepâs role in "Obesity, Schizophrenia, Diabetes... Everything".  The article notes  a tight link between depression and sleep apnea,...
More Than 60% of Female Inmates in Canadian Prisons are Prescribed Psychiatric Medication
The average rate of female prisoners in Canada's prison system who receive psychiatric medication has jumped from 42% in 2001 to over 60% today,...
Europe Issues Policy on Access to Clinical Trial Data, Criticisms Continue
The European Medicines Agency has announced in a press release its final policies on the open publication of data from clinical trials. Ed Silverman...
Thoughtful Insight, Not Lack of It, Drives Some Patients to Quit Psychiatric Medications
Rather than a "lack of insight," it is actually a thoughtful weighing of complex risks and benefits that ultimately drives some people diagnosed with bipolar disorder to eschew psychiatric medications, according to a qualitative study in the Journal of Affective Disorders. And these people often develop sophisticated strategies in their efforts to manage without medications.
Negative “Nocebo” Response Even More Powerful Than “Placebo” Response?
Doctors who intentionally or unintentionally communicate to patients that they do not believe or understand them could be causing patients' symptoms to worsen.
J&J Asks to Keep Risperdal Studies Under Seal
Law 360 reports that Johnson & Johnson asked a Pennsylvania judge to keep a series of clinical studies related to the drug Risperdal under...
High-profile Psychiatrist Criticized for Remote, Politicized Diagnosing
The Associated Press reports on Fox television and Tufts University psychiatrist Keith Ablow, who routinely diagnoses President Barack Obama without ever having met him,...
Antipsychotic Trial Designs Still Not Reaching Scientific Standards
Too many studies of atypical antipsychotic medications are still not meeting even the minimum scientific standards of the internationally agreed-upon CONSORT guidelines for drug trials.
Self-regulation of Pharma Drug Advertising Failing in UK and Sweden
Pharmaceutical companies are regularly breaching industry codes of conduct in their promotion and advertising of their drugs in Europe.
Thousands of US Preschoolers Taking Psychiatric Drugs
Over 1% of preschoolers on Medicaid in 36 US states are being given antipsychotics, antidepressants, amphetamine stimulants and other psychiatric drugs.
Psychiatrist Asks Field to Drop Schizophrenia Classification
Dutch psychiatrist and epidemiologist, Jim van Os, has renewed his call to drop schizophrenia as a disease classification. âSeveral recent papers by different authors...
Robot Bullies Rats into Depression to Test Antidepressant Medication
Japanese engineers have devised a robotic rat that bullies laboratory rats into a state of depression, creating a model of human depression they deem...
European Parliament Votes For Clinical Trial Transparency
The European Parliament voted on Wednesday to ensure open reporting of European clinical trials, even when negative. The new laws, expected to take effect...
Europe Announces Policy on Medical Trial Data Access Amidst Criticism
The European Medicines Agency has announced a new policy that it says will open public access to pharmaceutical companiesâ medical trial data. The new...
