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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:On June 6, 2001, a unanimous federal court jury in Cheyenne, Wyoming foundthat Paxil "can cause some individuals to commit suicide and/or homicide," and thatit did cause Donald Schell to shoot his wife, daughter, and granddaughter, beforeturning the gun on himself.The jury awarded a total of $8 million in damages to the two families, althoughthe award will be limited to the 80% of "fault" found against drug-makerGlaxoSmithKline."We are gratified that, after hearing all of the evidence, the jury reached a justverdict," said Andy Vickery, Houston attorney and lead trial counsel for the plaintiffs.Co-counsel Jim Fitzgerald of Cheyenne added, "We hope that SmithKline will heedthe verdict and issue appropriate warnings so that no other family will have to endurethis type of preventable tragedy."SmithKline, like its SSRI manufacturer cohorts Eli Lilly (maker of Prozac) andPfizer (maker of Zoloft), argued that the plaintiffs had no "scientifically reliable"evidence to prove that Paxil triggers violence or suicide, even in a "small vulnerablesubpopulation" of patients. However, United States Magistrate Judge William C.Beaman rejected that argument in a well-reasoned 31 page opinion, holding that bothDr. David Healy and Dr. John T. Maltsberger were on sound scientific footing.Judge Beaman's opinion, and the extensive scientific report from Dr. Healy areboth available on www.justiceseekers.com.At the trial, Harvard pyschiatrist andlong-time suicidologist Maltsberger testified that the SSRI manufacturers shouldwarn prescribing physicians particularly primary care doctors like the one whodispensed Paxil samples to Donald Schell that these drugs cause a vulnerableminority of patients to experience "akathisia" (turmoil) and "mania" (frenzy),conditions which are frequently precursors of violence and suicide.
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SmithKline Vice President David Wheadon testified that the most definitivetype of testing for the phenomenon on SSRI-induced violence would be a"prospective" test, and conceded that SmithKline has never conducted such a study.The verdict was also based on evidence from unpublished data from SmithKline'sclinical trials which showed that way back in 1989 its own investigators hadattributed a variety of side effects, including akathisia, mania, psychosis, aggression,and attempted suicides to Paxil. During the pendency of the two week trial, Dr. Healy's views about SSRI-induced violence were also accepted by a court in Australia. In an opinion issued onMay 24, 2001, a magistrate judge in New South Wales held that Zoloft caused a mannamed John David Hawkins to strangle his wife.Although SmithKline's lawyers initially talked about an appeal, Vickeryexpressed hope that the company would honor the verdict and seize the opportunityto become an industry leader, by issuing appropriate warnings and conducting propertests.