Posts tagged ‘Cause of death HUMIRA’
Humira -auto-immune medicatons check the box
selfportrait- Chris Ritchey
ED Note
Every single day this blog receives searches looking for answers and information on Humira and other auto- immune medications. The information on this blog has been garnered not from the medical community, the drug sales force, the commercials but from the mothers of those who are the faces of the “black box warning” .– No one wants another mother to share their pain. Graciously in the midst of their own suffering they have answered emails sent through this blog and elsewhere to advise from their own personal experience- the following is one such response to those that search.
You are right to look for information about Humira, and any other kind of powerful auto-immune medication–and there are several on the market today of similar biological make-up. In addition, there are other drugs that are frequently prescribed in combination with these auto-immune drugs (a protocol called recombinent drug therapy) which when taken together, can have additional serious (deadly) adverse side effects. All of these meds are/can be very, very dangerous, but every situation and individual is different.
If you are concerned, it will be entirely up to you and/or your family to do the appropriate research before you make a decision one way or another to take these kinds of medications.
Please, DO NOT waste your time contacting the sales reps for the drug company. They do not know, and WILL NOT tell you anything even if they do. They are not research scientists, doctors, or experts in anything except how to sell a product and make a commission.
Unfortunately, it is probable that your doctor will not know much more since they, too, purchase the meds from these same salespeople. Nor can you assume or expect a pharmacist to know any more about the dangers of these drugs than what is included in the package insert they dispense. The bottom line is no one can give you information unless it has first been provided by the drug companies and this is precisely why we are in such trouble.
http://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/
I strongly suggest that you do as much research as possible about any auto-immune medication being prescribed for whatever your particular condition might be. Humira and other similar medications can be, and are used safely by thousands of people, but not everyone.
You may be fine with this medication, but it would probably still be a good idea to
1. find another one or two doctors for second or third opinions.
2. Ask as many questions as you can about length of treatment and expected outcome.
3.You should also go online to the FDA website for information about Humira (and other auto-immune drugs) and look for material specifically regarding adverse events. You need definitely to do this, if you do nothing else.
Any information about dangerous side effects for these drugs will be listed there. You will not be able to get this information in any format that is intelligible, providing you can even find it, on the label.
It is interesting to note as well, that Canada’s equivalent of the FDA is often years ahead of the U.S. in terms of issuing safety warnings for a variety of drugs that are freely prescribed in this country without a second thought. I would suggest that anyone with concerns check Canada’s governmental health website.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index-eng.php
Also, here are two excellent websites.
http://www.worstpills.org/aboutus.cfm
https://www.citizen.org/hrg
Do a thorough search of your condition and its drug treatment in the professional medical journals. I cannot stress this enough. This means you will need the help of a librarian, possibly at a University, school, or hospital who will have electronic access to a wide range of peer-reviewed serials and/or medical databases that you will not be able to find online on your own. This is important because a lot of what you can locate through a Google Search will not include the kind of information you will find in peer-reviewed medical journals—which are ONLY available at a medical (hospital) or university library. And it is this specific information you want.
Finally, don’t take any one doctor’s word on the safety profile for this (or any, drug). You need to gather as much information as possible on your own so you can present your concerns up front.
The important thing is not to panic. Do your homework and don’t rush into anything before you feel as comfortable as possible with your decision. Our sorrow is a result of not being fully informed (warned) in advance of the dangers associated with these meds–because the information was not made available either to the general public or prescribing physicians until years after my boy died.
The bottom line really is ask questions about everything, do your research and if you feel uncomfortable with any kind of vague response…be cautious. Ultimately, you will have to make a decision, but an informed decision is absolutely necessary.
Consider all possibilities, including NOT taking a drug and what that might mean for you as well. Sometimes, horrible things happen regardless of how much you know and the most carefully considered decision. Sometimes, all that we can do, and have done, is not enough. Sometimes, there is no other choice–taking a particular medication is the lesser of two evils (disease vs. treatment). But, there is everything to be gained by being fully informed about ALL possibilities/options before you put yourself or a loved one at risk.
Humira- the Black Box and YOU
Two years ago I wrote the following post as part of a series on drugs and Doctors. I have been unable to write further about my own medical journey on the cancer road that dead ended with he loss of my son. I receive searches every day on Humira – nothing has changed not the commercials or the hype -it is time once again to remember those of the black box warning ……
UPDATE: The latest FDA information on the drugs mentioned can be found here
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm250913.htm
Reaching out- art work- Christopher Ritchey
Part One –https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2012/02/28/the-good-doctor-or-dentist/
Part Two –https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2012/04/22/the-good-dr-or-dentist-part-two/
As I stated in Part two – reliving the journey of my experience with Doctors/ hospitals – the medical profession and what ultimately became our tragedy in the loss of my son – Christopher Ritchey – I knew writing the series was going to emotionally take me to places I may not be strong enough to go . So, like a marathon runner in training to get to the main event, I decided to start at the beginning of my experiences hence my memories of a three-year old.
During the course of my journey of grief at the loss of my son I have met so many people , especially mothers, who share my road. I was introduced to Joanne Cacciatore, PhD and her blog where “those in part of the “healing profession , are trying to pigeon-hole and make grief just another disease to take a pill”
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2012/03/20/a-parents-grief-apa-diagnosis-you-are-mentally-ill/
and move on. Some of the drugs prescribed for this “illness of grief” can be found here : http://www.drugs.com/condition/depression.html
Depression is big business for the drug companies- I “STRONGLY” suggest you check and see the side effects of these drugs- but Hey! not to worry if you suffer a few – that is OK – I am sure Doctor MD/DO will have another drug in his repertoire to counteract those symptoms and so it goes…..
All types of media from print to electronic now bombard you with “cures for your ills”
Ask your Dr. about XYZ drug – you can live a normal life – just ask him/her about OUR drug.
The snake oil salesmen of the 21st century meet our with our need to hope and be well and we rush to their call with our little insurance cards in hand –
I have watched the commercial, as probably you have ( the commerce drug of the moment- this drug in the billions of dollars – bigger than some country’s budgets ) HUMIRA for many months and any of number of times a night. I have noted the voice over of the side effects- can cause . Lymphoma/ Cancer Tuberculosis ( this is a CURE!!!!!”) and HOW MANY SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS HAPPENED? I walked the path of the Curable Lymphoma – Hodgkin’s
Why would anyone take this drug ? from their own website
http://www.humira.com/
Important Safety Information About HUMIRA® (adalimumab)1
HUMIRA is a TNF blocker medicine that can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections. You should not start taking HUMIRA if you have any kind of infection unless your doctor says it is okay.
ED NOTE: OH OK so according to Humira we put our trust in our Doctor- how many Dr’s ( I bet yours is ) are part of the pharmaceutical sales onslaught- you have seen them with their suits and cases as you wait in the world’s waiting rooms for your turn with the Good?? Dr.
From the Princeton Review – emphasis mine
Pharmaceutical sales is a fast-paced, high-turnover business that rewards assertiveness, persistence, and knowledge. Pharmaceutical sales representatives spend most of their business time on the road, talking with pharmacists, hospital personnel, physicians, patient advocacy groups, and even retirement homes, increasing the visibility of their company’s products and the volume of their sales. “Sell sell sell learn learn learn sell sell sell,” wrote one sales rep, who included his business card with his survey, in case we wanted to purchase any pharmaceutical supplies………………
………..For many, a significant portion of their income is riding on their ability to get the product into the hands of the consumer. So, why is this job so addictive? Perhaps because the “EXCESSIVE PROFIT MARGINS” of many brand-name pharmaceutical products can mean enormous commissions
and for your further reading –
Confessions of a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep
•Serious infections have happened in people taking HUMIRA. These serious infections include tuberculosis (TB) and infections caused by viruses, fungi, or bacteria that have spread throughout the body. Some people have died from these infections. Your doctor should test you for TB before starting HUMIRA, and check you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during treatment with HUMIRA. If your doctor feels you are at risk, you may be treated with medicine for TB.
•Cancer. For children and adults taking TNF blockers, including HUMIRA, the chance of getting lymphoma or other cancers may increase. There have been cases of unusual cancers in children, teenagers, and young adults using TNF blockers. Some people have developed a rare type of cancer called hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma. This type of cancer often results in death. If using TNF blockers including HUMIRA, your chance of getting two types of skin cancer (basal cell and squamous cell) may increase. These types are generally not life-threatening if treated; tell your doctor if you have a bump or open sore that doesn’t heal.
During my journey, I have met on-line the mother of one of the “SOME PEOPLE”- a mother who trusted – who put the most important person in her life – her child- her son into the hands of the snake oil salesmen – they trusted their medical practitioner to help her son.
This is the face of “SOME people” – he is the reason there is a disclaimer- his life given – His name is Maxx Wendell- a young man with an oh so bright future- a young man full of life, humour and love. WE should all pay attention – because we are the “people” who may also end up as disclaimer as the money rolls in .
His mother, Lisa, wrote a comment on this blog which I have reprised below. Lisa fights through her grief and terror so that no other mother has to walk the path of “induced death” – the some people side effect of this drug . As you look at the side effects of any drug and see some cases , some instances, some deaths remember there is a face behind those side effects who have paid the ultimate price for pharmaceutical profits- Lisa Wendell and her family are “some people”:
Lisa wrote:
For those who read your blog, I am the mom of the son who was prescribed a combination of immunosuppressive medications (what are called biologic TNF blockers) to keep his ulcerative colitis, a non-life threatening chronic autoimmune disease in remission. As a result, Maxx developed Hepatosplenic T-Cell Lymphoma, an aggressive, deadly cancer that killed him in 17 weeks. He was 21.
We were NOT informed of the dangers of this drug precisely because the makers of the drugs (Johnson and Johnson/Centocor and Abbott) had not yet labeled the medication with Black Box warnings advising of the 6 fold increase in risk for this disease in a pediatric population of young men between the ages of 17 and 24. In fact, we were specifically told that the risks for any serious side-effects, including Lymphoma were so low as to be virtually the same occurring in the general population. The combination of the doctor’s ignorance/arrogance and the out and out cover up by the drug industries of deadly side effects (levels of corruption that are unimaginable and occurring across the board all the time with regard to all drugs) killed our boy. Thousands of people a year lose their lives so drug companies can reap profits we can scarcely imagine.
One of the drugs, Remicade, was labeled shortly before he became ill. By that time he was no longer taking Remicade but had been prescribed another medication, Humira, with a different “delivery system” (self-injectible vs. infusion) that was supposed to have a better “safety profile.” Essentially, all this turned out to mean was that the Black Box warning had not yet been required on Humira. As of April, 2011 Humira now carries this warning as well.
Maxx a young man who was proud of his athleticsm- and the results of his training regime
In the meantime, my son is dead. Doctors are still prescribing these medications to people with a variety of autoimmune disorders including Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chron’s, Ulcerative Colitis, and refactory cases of Psoriasis. In the four years since Maxx died, another 41 people have been reported to have died from HSTCL.
We cannot know if they were ever told by their physicians of the dangers, however, we were not informed. We did not consent to taking any risks. Never. We would never have taken such a risk with Maxx’s life. We asked repeatedly about the safety of both Remicade and Humira and were always told the same thing. The drugs are safe. The real information was supressed. Deliberately and for as long as possible to allow the drug makers literally years to make billions. Humira is one the top three selling money making drugs on the market for its manufacturer. What are 40 deaths when compared to billions? The true story’s behind drug company cover ups, lies,marketing scams, and greed are now common knowledge.
I will talk to anyone who is interested in knowing more about Maxx’s story and I welcome contact with other parents who have lost children to medical “fraud” and terminal disease.
lisawendell2003@yahoo.comhttp://momslogonly.blogspot.com/
I also urge anyone taking drugs for any chronic condition to thoroughly research the medications you or a loved one have been prescribed. Keep reading, keep asking, keep pestering, never stop. Keep fighting to get the information you need to make an informed decision. Our family is not stupid. Maxx was brilliant. We were duped. He lost his life, and I lost my heart
ED NOTE:
Only those of us who have walked the path of such utter confusion in the medical maze and have lost our reasons for being know how gut wrenching and brave it is for Lisa to write of her journey- she is still giving in the name of her son – and trying to save others from the depair and terrible agony of such a loss- my heart and “knowing” are with her….. LISTEN to Lisa …….. we could all end up as the legal disclaimer one day as one of the ………. “SOME people”
Black Box Warnings- Take Heed- Humira etc
selfportrait- Chris Ritchey
PART ONE https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2013/08/07/the-faces-of-the-black-box-warning-humira/
A lot of us , at least one in three, have had to deal with someone in our immediate family having cancer- it is an obscenity! We have watched as loved ones have been hooked up to innocuous looking IV’s – bland liquid – belaying the fact they are full of poisons . The tip-off to their danger could be the way the nurses etc dress when they administer the noxious cocktail.
17% of cancer nurses unintentionally exposed to chemotherapy, U-M study finds
Researchers stress importance of implementing nurse safety measures around these highly toxic drugsUnintentional chemotherapy exposure can affect the nervous system, impair the reproductive system and bring an increased risk of developing blood cancers in the future, the researchers said. These exposures are as dangerous to a nurse’s health as being accidentally stuck with a needle, the researchers said.
http://www.uofmhealth.org/news/cancer-chemo-0822
I still can see my son hooked up to the IV’s pumping poison into his body- Why would anyone knowingly put their child in such a terrible place? To save his life and that is why millions of people all over this world subject themselves to the poisons of a hopeful cure. It is a trade-off because although the poisons kill the good cells they hopefully kill the cancer. It is a trade-off cure or be killed. You make that decision.
However with drugs that tout ” possible remission” – such as Humira – they are being touted for non – life threatening conditions-
Humira (adalimumab) is a TNF inhibitor approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, chronic plaque psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Humira is used for pain relief and to reduce inflammation in a number of autoimmune diseases.
http://www.ehealthme.com/ds/humira/death
On Jul, 16, 2013: 130,505 people reported to have side effects when taking Humira. Among them, 1,024 people (0.78%) have Death.
The reason for the last two posts came to this blog in the form of a comment Wendy was looking for help and information :
I have been on Humira for 18 months now and have now decided to stop injecting it. Four months ago I was diagnosed with multiple pulmonary Embolism in both lungs. I was cycling 150km a week and very fit. I am still in extreme pain though my clots have dissolved from Warfarin therapy. No one can tell why I am in so much pain and also will not suggest that it may be the Humira. It seems that this wonder drug has caused a life threatening condition for me with no answers from anyone. So, I will discontinue treatment and see if I improve. I only hope that I have not developed long-term damage to my body that can not be reversed.
I contacted Lisa and others who have suffered untold pain with the deaths of their loved ones – and the “ MINIMALIZATION MANTRA” of those in the “healing business” and asked for their help in answering Wendy – From a mum who also lost her son to the Minimalization Mantra
If you decide to take Humira, or any other similar immune suppressant drug, make sure you have monthly blood work done. If there is any abnormal result, ask to be tested specifically for hstcl. It takes a specific test to identify it.
hepatosplenic t-cell lymphoma mostly/usually results in death (vs often). It is very rare to survive it.
Yes, the Humira ads/pamphlets make the side effects sound like no big deal – easy to take care of. Sickening. Rob didn’t take Humira, but was on Imuran/Azathioprine, another immune suppressor. We were told it was the thing to take, no big deal, no checking blood counts regularly. And no one tested for hstcl until he was critical – even though I told every doctor we saw that he was on Imuran for uc(ulcerative colitis). Even his GI didn’t get it. “It is so rare.” Only because there is no required reporting… so how would they know.
Maxx Wendell ALSO a face of Humira
As the mother of Maxx Wendell, the boy whose story about Humira appears on Loraine’s blog,
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/the-good-dr-drugs-trust-selling-of-hope-part-3/I’d like to offer a few thoughts on the very complex nature of the patient’s experience of what it means to suffer the consequences of medical and/or pharmaceutical negligence.
There is a tendency to simplify the myriad interconnected factors that come into play when one is ill and prescribed a medication that offers either cure or, as significant, hope for one. We believe that if we do what we are advised by the professionals–our doctors– to do, if we follow the rules, we will reap the eventual reward– a return to health and well being. If we do not….then we are responsible for what may occur as a result of a failure to comply.
Essentially, as patients we are almost goaded (and what choice, really do we have to do otherwise?) into placing our trust, our lives, into the hands of those who, according to those rules, are equipped to know what is best for us. When everything works, we consider ourselves to have done “the right thing.” We are grateful to our doctors, we pride ourselves on our intelligence to have located the best practitioner-“expert”, we are gratified in ways that only the once ill, now recovered can be.
But, just as often, everything doesn’t work. Just as often, everything not only fails to work, but breaks apart slowly, horrifically, unimaginably into irretrievable bits no matter our commitment or compliance. No matter the “evidence-based science.”
It is never simple to be ill, to be diagnosed with a disease or condition that requires immediate attention and/or a protocol for managing a long-term chronic situation, but because we live in a time when science and technology are packaged (to the tune of billions of profit dollars) to offer the promise of a long-lived, disease-free life we cannot help but trust in the illusion that this is always possible. And for some it is.
Image: Juliette Borda
For millions of others, however, it is not. And when it becomes clear that “science” can’t save or help us, as patients we become failures. On every level. Regardless of what we did, or how hard we fought, how many questions we asked, how intelligent we believed we and/or are doctors were, we failed. We are sick, we will stay sick, and many of us will die. When that happens, we cannot help but look for people, situations, circumstances to blame.
Frequently, there are no identifiable causes. But just as frequently there are–and particularly so whenever drugs are involved. Maxx died from Hepatosplenic T-Cell Lymphoma only because of the drugs he took, only because, despite available scientific knowledge and evidence known as early as 2002, the pharmaceutical companies in concert with a profit-compromised, inefficient FDA did not make the information we needed to keep him from ever becoming ill in the first place available in time to do so. Maxx died in 2007.
Of the three drugs he took for years in the manner they were prescribed and about which deadly side-effects were known, but discounted as “statistically insignificant,” one did not receive a Black Box warning until 2008 another in 2012, and one other not at all.
Millions of people take drugs that will either help, or possibly kill them. Millions of people have died from medications that have turned out to be potentially deadly and about which this was known. It happens every day.
Ultimately, this reality, however disturbing, however tragic, means little in terms of helping those who are suffering or dying to answer the questions, “What now?”
When we are sick, we will go to a doctor and we will be told to do something, take something, have a procedure. We will have to make a choice but we must understand that our choices will not, cannot, ever really be based upon full disclosure because there is no such thing. Whether intentionally or not, we can never know everything there is to know about what we most need to understand–how or IF it is possible to recapture and maintain our health, or if our choice to comply may indeed have deadly implications. We cannot know because we ARE NOT TOLD.
What happened to Maxx is not just about Humira, or any of the drugs he was prescribed, although many, if not most, are reading this site searching for information about this particular drug. What befell my son is a tragedy, but his is not a new story.
It is the same story that involves the same decision-making process and similar risks, for millions of others who must take medication. The Gordion Knot is this: No matter how hard we may look for answers we can never be advised fully of any risk in all its possible permutations. And it is this that we must understand in the very beginning; this that must also be a crucial component of the decision-making process—that the possibility for utter annihilation lurks within every choice that as patients we may make.
We must simply assume on the face of it that we only see the tip of the iceberg–that below the surface there is much more that may prove catastrophic. And most importantly, we, as patients, are not to blame, we are not at fault. We do the best we can given the fact that we are all only ever provided with the favorable, positive information the drug companies are eager to release.
Had we known that these drugs harbored even a 00000000000000.1% chance that patients in a population of young men between the ages of 16 and 32 could develop a terminal cancer as a “side effect,” he would not have taken the drug. We did not know this and we DID ask again and again for years. “What are the risks? What are the most serious side effects? How long does he have to take these drugs?”
And the answers were always the same–
any risk for incurring dangerous (not to mention, deadly) side-effects are miniscule and the benefit of the medication outweighed any dangers.
What few studies that did exist about the deadly implications of recombinant immuno-suppressive drug therapy in young adolescent males with ulcerative colitis WERE NOT RELEASED either to doctors or the general public. Should we have assumed that what we did not know, even in our wildest imaginings was just as likely to destroy our lives, to kill him, as not? At what point does the term “patient input” become an absurd joke?
This is the bottom line, what patients MUST understand before they take any medication: Whatever the condition, whatever the drug, whatever the situation, you can be certain that some professional somewhere, a so-called an expert, a drug company’s scientific research team, has or is deliberately suppressing life-saving information and someone, somewhere in a pharmaceutical marketing department is working hard to package and present only partial truths, pieces of a clinical reality, that may or may not have disastrous consequences for yourself or those you love most in the world.
The worst CAN and does happen all the time. Critical information on the Internet about these drugs was not available in 2002, but access to this kind of knowledge IS available now.
Be very, very careful.
As another commenter stated- my dear friend- Paula who herself has been hooked up to the Kill or Cure IV
I found it interesting watching the ads on TV for all the meds. It’s called push/pull. Push it on the consumer, pull them into their doctors asking for it. Notice when they’re saying the fine print they have happy people having fun, living their lives and you don’t hear the warning, because that’s what you want.
Follow the money.
Paula”s story found here :
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/you-have-cancer-paulas-journey-shared/
The “Good???” Dr. – Drugs- Trust – Selling of hope- Part 3
UPDATE: The latest FDA information on the drugs mentioned can be found here
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm250913.htm
Reaching out- art work- Christopher Ritchey
Part One –https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2012/02/28/the-good-doctor-or-dentist/
Part Two –https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2012/04/22/the-good-dr-or-dentist-part-two/
As I stated in Part two – reliving the journey of my experience with Doctors/ hospitals – the medical profession and what ultimately became our tragedy in the loss of my son – Christopher Ritchey – I knew writing the series was going to emotionally take me to places I may not be strong enough to go . So, like a marathon runner in training to get to the main event, I decided to start at the beginning of my experiences hence my memories of a three-year old.
During the course of my journey of grief at the loss of my son I have met so many people , especially mothers, who share my road. I was introduced to Joanne Cacciatore, PhD and her blog where “those in part of the “healing profession , are trying to pigeon-hole and make grief just another disease to take a pill”
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2012/03/20/a-parents-grief-apa-diagnosis-you-are-mentally-ill/
and move on. Some of the drugs prescribed for this “illness of grief” can be found here : http://www.drugs.com/condition/depression.html
Depression is big business for the drug companies- I “STRONGLY” suggest you check and see the side effects of these drugs- but Hey! not to worry if you suffer a few – that is OK – I am sure Doctor MD/DO will have another drug in his repertoire to counteract those symptoms and so it goes…..
All types of media from print to electronic now bombard you with “cures for your ills”
Ask your Dr. about XYZ drug – you can live a normal life – just ask him/her about OUR drug.
The snake oil salesmen of the 21st century meet our with our need to hope and be well and we rush to their call with our little insurance cards in hand –
I have watched the commercial, as probably you have ( the commerce drug of the moment- this drug in the billions of dollars – bigger than some country’s budgets ) HUMIRA for many months and any of number of times a night. I have noted the voice over of the side effects- can cause . Lymphoma/ Cancer Tuberculosis ( this is a CURE!!!!!”) and HOW MANY SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS HAPPENED? I walked the path of the Curable Lymphoma – Hodgkin’s
Why would anyone take this drug ? from their own website
http://www.humira.com/
Important Safety Information About HUMIRA® (adalimumab)1
HUMIRA is a TNF blocker medicine that can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections. You should not start taking HUMIRA if you have any kind of infection unless your doctor says it is okay.
ED NOTE: OH OK so according to Humira we put our trust in our Doctor- how many Dr’s ( I bet yours is ) are part of the pharmaceutical sales onslaught- you have seen them with their suits and cases as you wait in the world’s waiting rooms for your turn with the Good?? Dr.
From the Princeton Review – emphasis mine
Pharmaceutical sales is a fast-paced, high-turnover business that rewards assertiveness, persistence, and knowledge. Pharmaceutical sales representatives spend most of their business time on the road, talking with pharmacists, hospital personnel, physicians, patient advocacy groups, and even retirement homes, increasing the visibility of their company’s products and the volume of their sales. “Sell sell sell learn learn learn sell sell sell,” wrote one sales rep, who included his business card with his survey, in case we wanted to purchase any pharmaceutical supplies………………
………..For many, a significant portion of their income is riding on their ability to get the product into the hands of the consumer. So, why is this job so addictive? Perhaps because the “EXCESSIVE PROFIT MARGINS” of many brand-name pharmaceutical products can mean enormous commissions
and for your further reading –
Confessions of a Pharmaceutical Sales Rep
•Serious infections have happened in people taking HUMIRA. These serious infections include tuberculosis (TB) and infections caused by viruses, fungi, or bacteria that have spread throughout the body. Some people have died from these infections. Your doctor should test you for TB before starting HUMIRA, and check you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during treatment with HUMIRA. If your doctor feels you are at risk, you may be treated with medicine for TB.
•Cancer. For children and adults taking TNF blockers, including HUMIRA, the chance of getting lymphoma or other cancers may increase. There have been cases of unusual cancers in children, teenagers, and young adults using TNF blockers. Some people have developed a rare type of cancer called hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma. This type of cancer often results in death. If using TNF blockers including HUMIRA, your chance of getting two types of skin cancer (basal cell and squamous cell) may increase. These types are generally not life-threatening if treated; tell your doctor if you have a bump or open sore that doesn’t heal.
During my journey, I have met on-line the mother of one of the “SOME PEOPLE”- a mother who trusted – who put the most important person in her life – her child- her son into the hands of the snake oil salesmen – they trusted their medical practitioner to help her son.
This is the face of “SOME people” – he is the reason there is a disclaimer- his life given – His name is Maxx Wendell- a young man with an oh so bright future- a young man full of life, humour and love. WE should all pay attention – because we are the “people” who may also end up as disclaimer as the money rolls in .
His mother, Lisa, wrote a comment on this blog which I have reprised below. Lisa fights through her grief and terror so that no other mother has to walk the path of “induced death” – the some people side effect of this drug . As you look at the side effects of any drug and see some cases , some instances, some deaths remember there is a face behind those side effects who have paid the ultimate price for pharmaceutical profits- Lisa Wendell and her family are “some people”:
Lisa wrote:
For those who read your blog, I am the mom of the son who was prescribed a combination of immunosuppressive medications (what are called biologic TNF blockers) to keep his ulcerative colitis, a non-life threatening chronic autoimmune disease in remission. As a result, Maxx developed Hepatosplenic T-Cell Lymphoma, an aggressive, deadly cancer that killed him in 17 weeks. He was 21.
We were NOT informed of the dangers of this drug precisely because the makers of the drugs (Johnson and Johnson/Centocor and Abbott) had not yet labeled the medication with Black Box warnings advising of the 6 fold increase in risk for this disease in a pediatric population of young men between the ages of 17 and 24. In fact, we were specifically told that the risks for any serious side-effects, including Lymphoma were so low as to be virtually the same occurring in the general population. The combination of the doctor’s ignorance/arrogance and the out and out cover up by the drug industries of deadly side effects (levels of corruption that are unimaginable and occurring across the board all the time with regard to all drugs) killed our boy. Thousands of people a year lose their lives so drug companies can reap profits we can scarcely imagine.
One of the drugs, Remicade, was labeled shortly before he became ill. By that time he was no longer taking Remicade but had been prescribed another medication, Humira, with a different “delivery system” (self-injectible vs. infusion) that was supposed to have a better “safety profile.” Essentially, all this turned out to mean was that the Black Box warning had not yet been required on Humira. As of April, 2011 Humira now carries this warning as well.
Maxx a young man who was proud of his athleticsm- and the results of his training regime
In the meantime, my son is dead. Doctors are still prescribing these medications to people with a variety of autoimmune disorders including Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chron’s, Ulcerative Colitis, and refactory cases of Psoriasis. In the four years since Maxx died, another 41 people have been reported to have died from HSTCL.
We cannot know if they were ever told by their physicians of the dangers, however, we were not informed. We did not consent to taking any risks. Never. We would never have taken such a risk with Maxx’s life. We asked repeatedly about the safety of both Remicade and Humira and were always told the same thing. The drugs are safe. The real information was supressed. Deliberately and for as long as possible to allow the drug makers literally years to make billions. Humira is one the top three selling money making drugs on the market for its manufacturer. What are 40 deaths when compared to billions? The true story’s behind drug company cover ups, lies,marketing scams, and greed are now common knowledge.
I will talk to anyone who is interested in knowing more about Maxx’s story and I welcome contact with other parents who have lost children to medical “fraud” and terminal disease.
lisawendell2003@yahoo.comhttp://momslogonly.blogspot.com/
I also urge anyone taking drugs for any chronic condition to thoroughly research the medications you or a loved one have been prescribed. Keep reading, keep asking, keep pestering, never stop. Keep fighting to get the information you need to make an informed decision. Our family is not stupid. Maxx was brilliant. We were duped. He lost his life, and I lost my heart
ED NOTE:
Only those of us who have walked the path of such utter confusion in the medical maze and have lost our reasons for being know how gut wrenching and brave it is for Lisa to write of her journey- she is still giving in the name of her son – and trying to save others from the depair and terrible agony of such a loss- my heart and “knowing” are with her….. LISTEN to Lisa …….. we could all end up as the legal disclaimer one day as one of the ………. “SOME people”
That Woman's Weblog 
The Faces of the Black Box Warning- Humira
The flawed Hand of the Healer by Chris Ritchey
Part One – The Faces of Humira
Every day searches come to this blog on the drug Humira , cancer in all its obscenity and Hodgkin’s Lymphoma . They are people looking for answers, hope and direction but most of all answers…….
In part three of the series The Good???? Dr.
The “Good???” Dr. – Drugs- Trust – Selling of hope- Part 3
I touched upon the drug Humira and the story of Maxx Wendell – the obscenity of a drug that caused his young life to end and his mother’s torment to begin. Last week, a comment came to this blog requesting information about Humira. I contacted Maxx’s mother, Lisa , for her input and the question and her thoughts will be in Part Two. In the meantime, let us once again look at Humira . In the post “Selling of Hope” ( above ) I stated:
What is a Black Box Warning :
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3101972/
Emphasis mine:
Let us look at the language in this Black Box Warning for the drug Humira that is played over and over and over again on our electronic media. The soft-spoken voice over for the commercial showing the young woman playing with her son , the guy living his life
as music plays and laughter abounds under the voice over quietly downplaying stating in a matter of fact way :
Question Humira( Abbott Laboratories ) Who pays for the non life threatening cancer to be treated? Abbott Laboratories ?
Maxx Wendell ALSO a face of Humira
And while we are at it- Why don’t you show the faces of those “some people” their light, laughter and life denied to them and their families along side the happy families…. I don’t think that would make good ad copy would it.
And why are we showing these drug ads to the general population-
Could it be you want the general population to play Dr.? Is this just another avenue to get to the physicians prescription pad?
Because in Humira’s disclaimers they state again and again “ask your doctor” – your doctor should- tell your doctor.
So why are you not just advertising to “doctors “? We know that you and every other pharmaceutical group canvass and sell their pills and potions to “the doctor”.
http://www.schmidtandclark.com/confessions-of-a-pharmaceutical-sales-rep
But this is the biggest of businesses and Abbott Laboratories say it themselves as to why they have such an aggressive ad campaign- Emphasis mine!
Ah! there you have it – it isn’t the doctors driving Humira’s success it is the “patients demands”
From Abbotts report October 2012
Abbott Laboratories Management Discusses Q3 2012 Results – Earnings Call Transcript
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/abbott-laboratories-management-discusses-q3-175012192.html
TO BE CONTINUED ……..
August 7, 2013 at 9:48 pm 8 comments