Prozac: Drug Producer Hides Suicidal Reactions

The May 9, 2000 edition of the Boston Globe reports that Eli Lilly and Co. has known for years that Prozac, its best selling drug on the market could cause suicidal reactions in a significant number of patients. Although Lilly has downplayed the danger in the past, the patent for a "new" Prozac promises that the new version will not produce "its more significant side effects," suicidal thoughts and self mutilation.

A review of the company's internal documents, government applications and patents made some interesting findings:

Ø In 1990, Lilly scientists were pressured by Lilly executives to alter records on physician experiences with Prozac. Mentions of suicide attempts were changed to "overdose" and suicidal thoughts to "depression."

Ø The German equivalent of the US FDA refused to approve Prozac because Lilly's own studies showed that previously non-suicidal patients who took Prozac were five times more likely to attempt or commit suicide than those on older anti-depressants and three times more likely than those taking placebos.

Lilly has long maintained that an insignificant number of people who take Prozac have attempted or committed suicide and has been very active in trying to discredit researchers who continually prove them wrong.

Dr. David Healy, Director of the North Wales Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Wales is an expert on the brain's serotonin system that Prozac affects. Using his and Lilly's own research he estimates that "probably 50,000 people have committed suicide on Prozac since its launch, over and above the number who would have done so if left untreated."

By way of commentary, 50,000 people (a number Lilly sees as insignificant) are dead over the years as a direct result of using Prozac and the company is still selling it? World-wide last year (1999) Eli Lilly & Co. earned $10 billion in revenue. Prozac was responsible for more than 25% of that income.  Recent studies have shown that simple exercise, such as walking, can be as or more effective at reducing many cases of depression than any medication.