RESEARCHER FOR GLAXOSMITHKLINE CONVICTED OF RESEARCH FRAUD | Dallas, Texas Personal Injury Attorney Blog

By Rachel Montes | November 29, 2010 |

NaturalNews.com is reporting that Maria Carmen Palazzo, a psychiatrist on the payroll of drug maker GlaxoSmithKline, has been convicted and sentenced to 13 months in prison after pleading guilty to committing research fraud in trials of the antidepressant Paxil on children. Some studies are suggesting a link between Paxil and an increased risk of suicide in children. In addition, GlaxoSmithKline is also being accused of failing to warn parents that Paxil may cause birth defects if taken by pregnant women. The company has already agreed to pay more than $1 billion to settle roughly 700 birth defect lawsuits; another 100 or so suits are pending.

Maria Carmen Palazzo has already been convicted and sentenced to 87 months in prison for defrauding Medicare and Medicaid. Although this is a different charge, the 13 month prison term will not result in any additional prison time as her sentence will be served concurrently (at the same time) as her conviction for Medicare and Medicaid fraud.

Palazzo was accused by the FDA of enrolling children in a clinical trial for Paxil even though she knew the children did not actually suffer from major depressive or obsessive compulsive disorders. Palazzo allegedly falsified records and psychiatric diagnoses that GlaxoSmithKline used to obtain approval for Paxil. Palazzo was being paid $5,000 by GlaxoSmithKline for every child she enrolled in the Paxil study.

The question now is how much did GlaxoSmithKline know about Palazzo’s acitivities. GlaxoSmithKline is now trying to defend itself against charges that for 15 years it deliberately concealed evidence that Paxil increases the risk of suicide in children. In addition, the drug maker is also facing accusations that it manipulated research data on other medications, including Avandia, to conceal the increased risks of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular problems associated with Avandia. Avandia is a medication marketed sold by GlaxoSmithKline to treat Type II diabetes. The company has set aside $2.3 billion to settle Avandia claims and lawsuits.

The concern with Avandia is that it may increase a users’ risk of heart attack by 43 percent and cardiac-related death by 64 percent, according to the 2007 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In addition, there are other concerns about the side effects of Avandia and two other drugs manufactured by GSK, Avandamet and Avandaryl including an increased risks of fractures of the upper arm, hand, and foot of women taking it. In response, the FDA has severely restricted the use of Avandia drugs to the point that the prescribing of Avandia is almost banned.

Other reported side effects from taking Avandia include:

  • Death
  • Heart Attacks
  • Congestive Heart Failure
  • PPH – Primary Pulmonary Hypertension
  • Bone Fractures
  • Blindness
  • Liver Failure Hepatitis

 

 

Patients who have taken Avandia and who have been harmed by the drug have legal rights. It is important that if you have taken Avandia, Avandemet or Avandaryl that you contact a lawyer immediately to learn more about your rights. You may have a claim for strict liability for a defective product, breach of warranty, negligence, and misrepresentation and you may be entitled to compensation for your damages. Damages in these pharmaceutical cases against these drug companies for manufacturing and marketing dangerous drugs include damages for:

  • Physical pain and suffering, and mental anguish;
  • Physical impairment;
  • Medical expenses associated with efforts to remedy the injuries as a result of the original surgery;
  • Loss of earnings and/or earning capacity; and
  • In the case of a patient’s death, the family of the victim may file a wrongful death action and seek damages.

Montes Law Group, P.C.

Attorneys: Rachel Montes

1121 Kinwest Parkway, Suite 100

Irving, Texas 75063

Telephone (214) 522-9401

Toll Free (877) 529-8899

www.MontesLawGroup.com

LEGAL RIGHTS OF PATIENTS INJURED BY AVANDIA

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