MEDICAL MALPRACTICE AND DRUG VICTIMS TRAVEL TO D.C. TO FIGHT LEGISLATION, DEMAND MEETING WITH BUSH
February 19, 2005 13:58

"As Congress begins to move quickly on legislation to strip away injured citizens' access to the courts, 50 families from 26 states [were] in Washington D.C. on February 8 and 9 to voice their strong opposition to President Bush's disastrous civil justice agenda. The families...demand[ed] to meet with the President, a request that has been repeatedly ignored by the White House for the past two years, although Bush has met numerous times with health care industry representatives and other corporate contributors who are lobbying to take away injured patients' legal rights. Their letter to the White House states, 'We once again request some time with you to discuss the devastation your proposal will cause many families. Lives literally depend on your understanding the patients' perspective.' The effort to bring families to Washington is led by the Center for Justice & Democracy, an independent non-profit, non-partisan consumer group that focuses on protecting access to the civil justice system. (CJ&D is not affiliated with any trial lawyer or business group.)"
http://www.centerjd.org

Immunity for Drug Companies A series of medical malpractice bills proposed by the Bush Administration in the 108th Congress?H.R.5, H.R. 4280, S. 11, S. 2061, and S. 2207?included provisions giving drug companies immunity from punitive damages. Those bills... (Read this Vioxx Article)

Individual personal injury actions, consolidated by state courts for efficiency purposes, are not class actions. Yet these cases would nonetheless be federalized under a proposed class action bill. The bill even invents a new term for these cases "mass actions"... (Read this Vioxx Article)

This is an utter tragedy! This decision comes only hours after briggs morrison was confronted with merck docs showing vioxx increased the risk of death (not heart attack or stroke) by 4.5 fold. many people are going to be injured by this decision... (Read this Vioxx Article)

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=20153 On February 15, 2005 , HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt and Acting FDA Commissioner Lester M. Crawford unveiled a new emboldened vision for FDA that will promote a culture of openness and enhanced oversight... (Read this Vioxx Article)

FDA grants priority review to levetiracetam for use in childhood epilepsy
UCB Pharma Inc has been granted a priority review for the supplemental new drug application (sNDA) seeking approval of its leading anti-epilepsy drug (AED) Keppra?* (levetiracetam) as add on therapy in children and adolescents with partial seizures in the USA.

"I am convinced that the next big scandal is going to be the drug companies and their cozy relationship with the Food and Drug Administration. < I am afraid that the FDA and most of the government are in the pockets of the big drug companies but that nothing will be done about it, as usual. Everyone is too comfortable with the status quo, except the poor slobs who need and have to pay for the drugs." - Charlene Moore, Phoenix

As stated in The Arizona Republic from www.azcentral.com