Chapter 10: Article 3
This article is a brief re-cap of the three whistleblower cases explained in greater detail earlier. These whistleblowers have each explained how both the pharmaceutical industry and the Government commit scientific fraud, to hide from public knowledge unpleasant and dangerous drug and vaccine side effects.
The FDA Whistleblower (Interview Here)
David Graham (a senior scientist within the FDA, and the FDA whistleblower) testified to congress that the FDA does not act to protect the public, instead, the FDA acts to protect industry. His testimony helped prove that the clinical trials conducted by the manufacturer Merck, for their drug Vioxx, showed that Vioxx was actually causing heart attacks and deaths. After Merck became aware of the harm, they posed a theory that the control used in the trial had a beneficial effect, reducing heart attack rate, and that made it appear that Vioxx was causing heart attacks. Merck submitted their data and unsupported theory to the FDA, and Graham, the senior scientist who was reviewing their application didn't believe their conclusion. Graham approached his superiors with his suspicions that Vioxx was causing heart attacks. The FDA response to Graham was that he was expected to approve the drug Vioxx, and not stand in the way of way of industry profit making. As a result, Merck continued to market and sell Vioxx to the maximum extent possible, for years. Vioxx killed anywhere from 40,000 to 500,000 Americans died from the drug Vioxx. Graham’s testimony helped prove that the FDA’s internal mindset and bureaucracy, in fact helped Merck contribute to the heart attacks and deaths.
In 2007 Merck agreed to settle the 27,000 lawsuits which represented 47,000 sets of plaintiffs, paying out $4.85 billion (approximately $100,000 per plaintiff, before legal fees and expenses).
The Mumps Whistleblowers (Court Documents Here)
Two virologists, Stephen Krahling and Joan Wlochowski, who were formerly employed by Merck, have filed lawsuit on behalf of the US Government against Merck. The virologists accuse Merck of forcing them to manipulate and falsify data in the clinical testing of the mumps portion of the MMR and Proquad vaccines, through threat of their jobs. The virologists state that their superiors at Merck directed them to manipulate and falsify the data, to make the vaccine appear 95% effective when it wasn’t, Merck then submitted that clinical testing data to the FDA, for approval and licensure. Based on the false data submitted, the FDA approved the vaccine for use.
As you've likely heard through media, there have been several mumps outbreaks in recent years. In that news reporting, you often hear that the only effective measure of protection against mumps is to get vaccinated. Media rarely reports that Merck has been accused of committing scientific fraud, or that the vaccine likely does not meet a 95% effective threshold, as is required by the FDA.
The legal case against Merck began in 2010, and is still ongoing in the US court system.
The CDC Whistleblower (Watch the Documentary Here)
Dr. William Thompson, a senior scientist employed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), came forward in 2014 stating that the MMR safety research published ten years prior, in 2004, was fraudulently manipulated by the CDC. He states that he and his four fellow co-authors were required by CDC to falsify and destroy data, to show safety for MMR vaccine when the original data showed that administration of the vaccine prior to 36 months of age was associated with autism.
CONTINUE to the next article Ch10: Article 4
More discussion about the:
FDA Whistleblower in Ch2: Article 2
Mumps Whistleblowers in Ch3: Article 6
CDC Whistleblower in Ch4: Article 4