Another gem from the Dundee days.
By Mark McLaughlin
The Courier
6th July 2007
THE BOUNTY on the heads of the Camperdown Park animal attackers has risen to £3000.
Businessman Chris Lundie has pledged a further £1000 on top of the £2000 put up by a pair of anonymous Camperdown crusaders in yesterday’s Courier for information leading to the criminals’ conviction.
However, Mr Lundie said his feelings against the attackers are so strong that he would have put up £500,000 if he had the money.
His search for justice was inspired by his love for animals, his vegan lifestyle and the plot of the Hollywood movie Ransom.
In the movie, kidnappers attempt to extort money from a wealthy entrepreneur played by Mel Gibson by abducting his son, but rather than pay up he publicises the money as a reward on their heads.
Mr Lundie had toyed with the idea of giving the money as a donation to the park.
However, when he read that the thugs had, among other atrocities, slashed a deer with a craft knife, beaten otters with stakes and killed a terrapin, he became determined to see them brought to justice.
He said, “I’m a total animal lover and when I saw that there was £2000 being put up I thought it was a brilliant idea.
“I would have pledged more if I had the money but it’s coming out of my own pocket. I run a business in the city but this is totally personal matter for me.”
The two original Camperdown crusaders have welcomed Mr Lundie’s further pledge and have renewed their call for people to come forward with any information they have that may lead to the attackers.
Tayside Police have already acknowledged that a reward has been offered and are continuing their inquiries into the incident.
The Courier has been inundated with angry calls and letters from all over the world since the news emerged of the attacks on Tuesday afternoon—so much so that we have handed our letters page over to them.
Such has been the strength of feeling that many have called for a return to corporal or capital punishment, life imprisonment and psychological profiling for the attackers.
Some have also criticised the zoo itself for failing to provide adequate security and keeping the animals in captivity, and some have blamed police and politicians for meting out lenient sentences to violent criminals.
Two animal welfare groups have pointed out that many young people who begin by abusing animals are often extremely psychologically disordered and may progress to human assault or even murder.
Dundee City Council have been contacted by dozens of people expressing their outrage and offering their support for the wildlife centre.
Parks development section leader Kevin Gosling said there had been many offers of support in response to the attacks.
He added, “I think it’s a reflection of how the public have been totally sickened by the attacks.”
Tayside Police took their investigation into the animal atrocities at Camperdown Park into the community yesterday as they try to track down the individuals responsible for the despicable attacks.
A spokesman for Tayside Police said, “This was a terrible attack and there will be people who know those who are responsible.”
Showing posts with label Dundee Courier Days. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dundee Courier Days. Show all posts
Sunday, 18 October 2009
NEWS: Big Pharma in Dundee
One from the Dundee Courier days
By Mark McLaughlin
The Courier
7th March 2007
A DUNDEE MP is calling for the controversial anti-depressant Seroxat to be suspended for all new patients in the light of growing evidence linking the drug to suicidal tendencies.
Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie met the medicines trade body, the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries, to outline his concerns about the drug.
A recent US Food and Drug Administration report found a six-fold increase in the risk of suicidal thoughts and acts in children and a three-fold increase in adults after Seroxat treatment.
It is the latest in a long line of damning reports over the drug’s dangerous effect on an unacceptably high number of adults and children, and Mr Hosie has criticised ministers for “dragging their heels over the strong evidence regarding Seroxat.”
He has also joined a growing number of cross-party MPs in criticising the body responsible for licensing the drug, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), for being too close to the pharmaceutical industry.
Speaking after his meeting with the pharmaceutical industries association, Mr Hosie said, “From what I have heard during the meeting, it is my understanding that many people within the pharmaceutical industry share my concerns about the apparent close relationship between the MHRA and the companies it regulates.
“The MHRA is currently funded by industry fees but I feel that it is important for the government to set up some kind of positive mechanism outside the industry to create a perceptible distance.”
However, the MHRA said that a working relationship with the industry was vital, and that appropriate safeguards were in place to ensure industry funding did not impede its regulatory independence.
A spokesperson added, “The funding of MHRA is a political decision, taken by ministers of successive governments. The current Government policy is that they have no plans to change the current system.”
The concern over industry links at the MHRA is inexorably linked to the debate over continued licensing of Seroxat.
MPs and campaigners have misgivings about certain members of the company’s executive board being too close to the company which manufacturers the drug—pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).
MHRA chairman Professor Alistair Breckenridge once sat on the scientific advisory committee of GSK subsidiary SmithKline Beecham, while MHRA head of licensing Dr Ian Hudson was formerly director of safety at the firm.
On a public declaration of interests submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), Dr Hudson admits that he previously had “significant involvement in a number of SB products—especially Avanda, Hycamtin and Paroxetine (aka Seroxat).”
The MHRA claims that Dr Hudson holds no current financial interests in GSK. It has also confirmed that Professor Breckenridge did sit on its scientific advisory board at one time, but was never directly employed by GSK or its subsidiaries and has never held any shares in the company.
The MHRA says that its working relationship with the industry does not inhibit the scientific and regulatory independence of the agency. Furthermore, it claims that industry representatives do not participate in any of the management, executive, or advisory bodies in the agency.
However, Mr Hosie has joined forces with a growing number of MPs and pressure groups in calling for greater scrutiny of the MHRA’s links to industry in general, and the perceived conflict of interest with GSK over Seroxat in particular.
Last year, Mr Hosie submitted a petition to parliament on behalf of Derek Scott, a Dundee East constituent and the founder of the Online Seroxat Support Group, calling on the Commons select committee on health to carry out an investigation into the drug and its possible side-effects.
He is adamant that the Government should place a moratorium on new prescriptions until a review of the evidence has been carried out. However, he has stopped short of calling for an all-out ban because of the devastating effects that it could have on the patients who are dependent on the drug.
He said, “I have a seen a list of side-effects that can be brought on when patients are taken off Seroxat and I’m certain an all-out withdrawal would be extremely dangerous. Furthermore, Seroxat does have beneficial effects for a great number of people.”
Seroxat belongs to a class of anti-depressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
The MHRA has confirmed that there are no plans to restrict the use of Seroxat for new patients, despite key findings of its expert working group which showed a “modest increase” in the risk of suicidal thoughts and self-harm for SSRIs compared with a placebo.
A spokesman added, “The US Food and Drug Administration has now completed a meta-analysis of all adult clinical trials for all SSRIs and related anti-depressants examining the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviour.
“The FDA analysis does not suggest an increased risk of suicidal behaviour in the adult population as a whole. However, when young adults (aged 18-24 years) are looked at in isolation, there does appear to be an increased risk.”
The MHRA has therefore recommended a close monitoring of patients, particularly young adults, and a greater warning of its potential side-effects upon prescription.
GlaxoSmithKline was asked whether it would endorse Mr Hosie’s request for a suspension of the drug to all new patients.
In response, a spokes-man said, “As with all medicines, SSRI anti- depressants can cause side-effects in some people.
“Information about these is provided to doctors and patients and is updated as we learn more from clinical trials and the monitoring of patients worldwide.
“Reviews by both the MHRA and the EMEA have reaffirmed the positive safety profile and effectiveness of paroxetine in adults.”
By Mark McLaughlin
The Courier
7th March 2007
A DUNDEE MP is calling for the controversial anti-depressant Seroxat to be suspended for all new patients in the light of growing evidence linking the drug to suicidal tendencies.
Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie met the medicines trade body, the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries, to outline his concerns about the drug.
A recent US Food and Drug Administration report found a six-fold increase in the risk of suicidal thoughts and acts in children and a three-fold increase in adults after Seroxat treatment.
It is the latest in a long line of damning reports over the drug’s dangerous effect on an unacceptably high number of adults and children, and Mr Hosie has criticised ministers for “dragging their heels over the strong evidence regarding Seroxat.”
He has also joined a growing number of cross-party MPs in criticising the body responsible for licensing the drug, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), for being too close to the pharmaceutical industry.
Speaking after his meeting with the pharmaceutical industries association, Mr Hosie said, “From what I have heard during the meeting, it is my understanding that many people within the pharmaceutical industry share my concerns about the apparent close relationship between the MHRA and the companies it regulates.
“The MHRA is currently funded by industry fees but I feel that it is important for the government to set up some kind of positive mechanism outside the industry to create a perceptible distance.”
However, the MHRA said that a working relationship with the industry was vital, and that appropriate safeguards were in place to ensure industry funding did not impede its regulatory independence.
A spokesperson added, “The funding of MHRA is a political decision, taken by ministers of successive governments. The current Government policy is that they have no plans to change the current system.”
The concern over industry links at the MHRA is inexorably linked to the debate over continued licensing of Seroxat.
MPs and campaigners have misgivings about certain members of the company’s executive board being too close to the company which manufacturers the drug—pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).
MHRA chairman Professor Alistair Breckenridge once sat on the scientific advisory committee of GSK subsidiary SmithKline Beecham, while MHRA head of licensing Dr Ian Hudson was formerly director of safety at the firm.
On a public declaration of interests submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), Dr Hudson admits that he previously had “significant involvement in a number of SB products—especially Avanda, Hycamtin and Paroxetine (aka Seroxat).”
The MHRA claims that Dr Hudson holds no current financial interests in GSK. It has also confirmed that Professor Breckenridge did sit on its scientific advisory board at one time, but was never directly employed by GSK or its subsidiaries and has never held any shares in the company.
The MHRA says that its working relationship with the industry does not inhibit the scientific and regulatory independence of the agency. Furthermore, it claims that industry representatives do not participate in any of the management, executive, or advisory bodies in the agency.
However, Mr Hosie has joined forces with a growing number of MPs and pressure groups in calling for greater scrutiny of the MHRA’s links to industry in general, and the perceived conflict of interest with GSK over Seroxat in particular.
Last year, Mr Hosie submitted a petition to parliament on behalf of Derek Scott, a Dundee East constituent and the founder of the Online Seroxat Support Group, calling on the Commons select committee on health to carry out an investigation into the drug and its possible side-effects.
He is adamant that the Government should place a moratorium on new prescriptions until a review of the evidence has been carried out. However, he has stopped short of calling for an all-out ban because of the devastating effects that it could have on the patients who are dependent on the drug.
He said, “I have a seen a list of side-effects that can be brought on when patients are taken off Seroxat and I’m certain an all-out withdrawal would be extremely dangerous. Furthermore, Seroxat does have beneficial effects for a great number of people.”
Seroxat belongs to a class of anti-depressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
The MHRA has confirmed that there are no plans to restrict the use of Seroxat for new patients, despite key findings of its expert working group which showed a “modest increase” in the risk of suicidal thoughts and self-harm for SSRIs compared with a placebo.
A spokesman added, “The US Food and Drug Administration has now completed a meta-analysis of all adult clinical trials for all SSRIs and related anti-depressants examining the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviour.
“The FDA analysis does not suggest an increased risk of suicidal behaviour in the adult population as a whole. However, when young adults (aged 18-24 years) are looked at in isolation, there does appear to be an increased risk.”
The MHRA has therefore recommended a close monitoring of patients, particularly young adults, and a greater warning of its potential side-effects upon prescription.
GlaxoSmithKline was asked whether it would endorse Mr Hosie’s request for a suspension of the drug to all new patients.
In response, a spokes-man said, “As with all medicines, SSRI anti- depressants can cause side-effects in some people.
“Information about these is provided to doctors and patients and is updated as we learn more from clinical trials and the monitoring of patients worldwide.
“Reviews by both the MHRA and the EMEA have reaffirmed the positive safety profile and effectiveness of paroxetine in adults.”
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