Leonie Fennel lost her son, Shane Clancy, to suicide in 2009. She now spends her time working to inform other parents of the suicidal risk of SSRIs; a class of drugs used for depression. She does this to honor her son's memory. I can't help but be humbled to know that she is honoring her son's memory by trying to save strangers. She lost her son and wasn't even aware that committing suicide is a well-known risk of the drug,
Cipramil, or Celexa when Shane was prescribed the drug. After Shane died, Leonie found out that the risk of the drug causing suicidal and homicidal behavior---particularly in young people---was well known to the drug's maker, Lundbeck. This is a well known serious, negative effect of all SSRI and SSNRI antidepressants.
The Government drug safety regulators approve the drugs and work for the people in the U.S., in the UK, in Ireland and in New Zealand were aware of the fatal risks; and the drugs were approved in each country, with this risk known to the regulators. Across the globe, regulatory authorities determined they had no duty to inform the general public, or the prescribing professionals, of fatal risks known to be inherent with this class of drug.
Here in the U.S., the FDA claims it hasd no duty to disclose that SSRI and SSNRI drugs can be fatal; it's a "trade secret." How in the hell can a fatal risk be kept a secret from the people who are prescribed the drugs? It is the FDA's job to determine whether the drugs are safe and efficacious treatments for the conditions the FDA approves them for. No treatment is without risks, it is also the FDA's duty to ensure that risks are identified and fully disclosed---period. How can the identified risks of FDA approved drugs be something that the FDA hides from the American people? The FDA works for the people, not for the drug companies. The FDA drug approval process is obviously corrupted by the drug industry negligent . Time and again, the FDA has failed to protect the American people by approving drugs on insufficient and/or corrupt data. The FDA does not require prescribing professionals to report adverse events associated with FDA approved drugs. The FDA does not actually require drug makers to do the 'required' after market drug trials on the drugs approved through the PDUFA process. In effect, and in fact, the FDA has not been fulfilling it's protective or regulatory duties for decades; it continues to fail these duties, with seeming impunity.
Another mother, Maria Bradshaw, lives in New Zealand. Maria's son, Toran Henry, committed suicide due to a toxic reaction from fluoxetine, also known as Prozac, and Serafem. Maria, is the co-founder of 'CASPER' or, Community Action on Suicide Prevention Education and Research in New Zealand. Maria stated, "I'm looking for an end to giving kids who are sad or distressed, drugs that double their risk of suicide. I'm looking for the appalling rate of child suicide in my country to be reduced. I want my son, my only child, to have a legacy and I need to feel I'm still his mother and promoting his best interests and this is the only way I know how to parent a dead child."
I am humbled by these two mother's tremendous effort to inform other parents about what each of them has learned after their sons were dead. These mother's are driven, by the tremendous love they have for their children. They know that love alone cannot prevent suicide, and they know that what we do not know about prescription drugs puts our children at risk, and can even kill them. Leonie and Maria know that no parent should grieve the loss of a child because of not being fully informed about known risks. What these mother's were not told about the drugs prescribed their sons prevented them from protecting their sons from the risk.
Their sons, Toran Henry and Shane Clancy, will never be forgotten...We all owe Leonie and Maria a tremendous debt of gratitude. These moms share their stories to warn other parents about drug dangers in hopes of sparing them and their children from experiencing what they have. I am humbled to know of these remarkable women. These mothers have experienced tremendous loss due to the betrayal of professionals who abdicated their primary ethical duty when researching, seeking regulatory approval and marketing SSRI drugs. I am inspired by their tremendous effort for all of us.
Be sure and read the list Leonie has posted on "Lundbeck's Hall of Shame."
Far too many lives have already been lost...
via Leonie Fennel's Blog:
Lundbeck's Hall of Shame
"Since Shane died in 2009 we have tried, and will continue to try, to warn the public that antidepressants can cause suicide and/or homicide. We have Professor Healy’s expert report which states that, in his opinion, Cipramil caused the events of 2009 (It’s attached to the side-bar on the right if anyone needs any information). During the last 2 years and 5 months, we have had to contend with denials and rebuttals from Lundbeck (surprise, surprise) and Ireland’s Psychiatric body, the College of Psychiatry of Ireland; Statements such as this one from Prof. T. Dinan…"
read Leonnie's blog Lundbeck's Hall of Shame
via crookreport.co.uk
