/ dave / wrote:
>
> The war on terrorism has provided yet another opportunity for the U.S.
> to maintain its standing as leader in the hypocrisy stakes. Suddenly the
> U.S. thinks the health of citizens is more important than the profits of
> a drug company. The BBC correspondent puts it succinctly (real audio
> link, not in article):
>
>From www.tetrahedron.org:
Health Activist Reports ABC News to the FBI for Anthrax Story: Peter Jennings Caught "Wagging the Dog" for Bayer Company Profits
Sandpoint, ID - Terrorist groups and the mob in New York are not the only ones profiting from the recent attacks on America. ABC News, along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are being accused of "wagging the dog" for Bayer, and price gouging the government and panicked American's seeking protection against anthrax. A conspiracy to commit fraud has been reported to the FBI and members of congress.
According to ABC News (Thur. Sept. 27), sales of Bayer's antibiotic Cipro have skyrocketed 1,000 percent since September 11th. Peter Jennings reported anxious consumers are spending $700 per person for a two-month supply of the drug. Alternative antibiotics effective against anthrax are readily available for as little as $20. In an open letter to FBI officials and members of congress, Dr. Leonard Horowitz, a consumer health advocate, and Harvard School of Public Health graduate, is urging an investigation. At issue is the unprecedented July 29, 2000 single drug endorsement by the FDA for Cipro. A conspiracy to commit fraud is indicated.
Black's Law Dictionary defines fraud as "a concealment of a material fact to induce another to act to his or her injury." "In this context," Dr. Horowitz wrote, "ABC's special segment on anthrax and Cipro sales may be seen as a form of 'white collar bioterrorism.' Through this savvy and fraudulent form of drug promotion, consumers are being disadvantaged, over-charged, and placed at risk of injury from the potentially dangerous side effects of an antibiotic that offers no significant advantage over less costly alternatives for anthrax." A list of alternative antibiotics recommended for anthrax is provided on the doctor's website at http://www.tetrahedron.org.
--Mike Ferro