The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "Wyeth" ...
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Drug Danger Cover-up? Evidence of Suppressed Information
In a six month investigation of the antidepressant manufacturers, PrimeTime Live uncovered a trail of internal documentation revealing efforts to suppress information regarding serious adverse health risks from consumers and the doctors who prescribe these powerful psychoactive medications. Patients, and parents of juvenile patients, suspected that the drug companies were not coming clean about the negative effects of antidepressants.
Tags: antidepressants; psychoactive medication; suicidal behavior in children; Glaxo SmithKline; Paxil; Vioxx; Wyeth; Effexor; Pfizer; Zoloft
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Dispensing with the Truth
Mundy tells how thousands of women fell ill and died after taking Fen-Phen, a popular diet-drug combination. The dieters suffered severe damages to their hearts and lungs. Those who survived were disabled for the rest of their lives. The book reveals that the manufacturer, Wyeth-Ayerst, a division of American Home Products, was well aware of the hazards of the product, but chose not to inform the public, the doctors and the regulators. The author looks at the tragic story of Mary Linnen, a healthy young woman who was the first to die from taking the dangerous medicine, and whose family was the first to file a wrongful death suit. The book depicts the avalanche of wrongful deaths and lawsuits that came in the years after the appearance of Fen-Phen in the market.
Tags: BOOK; heart disease; pulmonary hypertension; pneumonia; dieting; Food and Drug Administration (FDA); medicine; drug manufacturers
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Outbreak: A Common Virus, A Military Recruit - And a Mysterious Death
The Wall Street Journal exposes the failure of the Pentagon to provide military training camps with vaccines against a wide-spread virus that in some cases can lead to death. The story reveals that the so-called adenovirus is a common one that causes respiratory illnesses, but "poses a unique problem for the military's nine basic-training camps" because of the "combination of cramped living quarters, close contact and stress." The report sheds light on the deaths of two recruits believed to have lost their lives because of the virus. A major finding is that in the 80s, because of tightened health budget, the military turned down Wyeth Laboratories' offer to buy vaccines, and now is expected to end up spending between $15 and $25 million on a far more expensive project to find a new manufacturer.
Tags: FDA; Armed Forces Epidemiological Board; vaccines; army; Pentagon; military; adenovirus; viral encephalitis; doctors; recruits; respiratory illness; Wyeth Laboratories; health; infectious diseases; defense
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Vaccines: An issue of trust; Missed shots
In a two-part investigation Consumer Reports examines the pros and cons in regard to modern-day vaccines. The first part looks at the parents' dilemma: "Do I expose my child and community to the risk of a serious disease? Or do I expose my child to the risk of one of those rare catastrophic reactions to the vaccine itself...?" The story examines some "significant gaps" in the vaccine-safety system, but it also points to studies showing that unimmunized children are many times more likely to contract dangerous disease than vaccinated children. The second part reports on the neglect of adult immunization, and points out that every year as many as 400,000 Americans die of diseases that could have been prevented by routine vaccines.
Tags: polio; immunization; measles; mumps; rubella; doctors; patients; parents; diseases; GlaxoSmithKline; Aventis Pasteur; Wyeth Lederle; Merck