PsychRights 2007 Year-End Report

Forward message from PsychRights via DCMHCL.ORG list:

 

Hi Everyone,

You are receiving this because it is believed you are interested in the work of the Law Project for Psychiatric Rights (PsychRights).  If you want to be removed, just e-mail me back.

When one is in the middle of something like what happened last  week it seems like everyone knows about it, but I know that is not really the case.  So for those who do know all about it, please excuse this repetition.  

PsychRghts subpoena'd and then released to Alex Berenson of the New York Times and a dozen or so other people, secret Eli Lilly documents on Zyprexa and the Times ran 4 stories and an editorial on them last week.  The five New York Times pieces (the first two were front page) are:

• Eli Lilly Said to Play Down Risk of Top Pill, December 17, 2006. 
• Drug Files Show Maker Promoted Unapproved Use, December 18, 2006.
• Editorial, Playing Down the Risks of a Drug: Internal documents offer persuasive evidence that Eli Lilly engaged in questionable behavior to prop up its best-selling drug, December 19, 2006.
• Court Orders Lawyer to Return Documents About an Eli Lilly Drug, December 20, 2006.
•   Disparity Emerges in Lilly Data on Schizophrenia Drug, December 21, 2006.

The links will hopefully work, but if not you can go to http://psychrights.org/States/Alaska/CaseXX.htm and download them from there. 

This same link has information about how this all came about and the aftermath so far.  We are trying to update it as we go along, but I have received so many phone calls and e-mails that I have not been able to keep up.   Also, much of last week was spent dealing with Eli Lilly's wrath and the wrath of the federal court in Brooklyn, which, incorrectly in my view, thinks I obtained the documents improperly.  Again, all of this is chronicled at http://psychrights.org/States/Alaska/CaseXX.htm.

I was ordered to return the documents by the federal court and attempt to retrieve them, which I have done even though I don't think the Order is proper.   My efforts to retrieve all the copies of the documents I sent out seems, however, to have been unsuccessful with them apparently appearing on the Internet over the Christmas weekend.  See, http://mindfreedom.org/know/psych-drug-corp/eli-lilly-secrets/zyprexakills .

Presumably we will find out through further litigation whether the federal court was correct in issuing the Order against me because I don't believe I did anything wrong, nor do I think the Order is proper.  However, until the Order might be overturned or terminated, I intend to comply and one of the things that the Order requires is that I keep copies of all e-mails pertaining to this affair, so you should think about that before you e-mail me back.  The same goes for voice mail.  The Order against me is available at http://psychrights.org/States/Alaska/CaseXX/EilLilly/InjuctionOrder.pdf and if you want to read about how obtaining the documents was accomplished go to http://psychrights.org/States/Alaska/CaseXX/EilLilly/12-17-06DraftResponse2DiscMstr.pdf .

Most importantly, according to the New York Times (I never had a chance to review them very much) the documents reveal what appears to be illegal marketing activity and that Eli Lilly hid the fact that Zyprexa causes around 3 times the rate of diabetes of the other so-called "atypical" neuroleptics, which include Risperdal and Seroquel.   As a result, this morning PsychRights sent the General Counsel (head lawyer) of Eli Lilly a letter requesting Eli Lilly issue what is known as a "Dear Doctor" letter to all health care professionals "advising them Zyprexa should not be prescribed to anyone who is not already taking it."   This letter is available on the Internet at http://psychrights.org/News/ltrtoRArmitage.pdf and a related media release at http://psychrights.org/pr/PsychRightsZyprexaDearDrMR.pdf.

In terms of where things go from here, Eli Lilly is fully capable of crushing me with legal actions, but I hope they will realize they have bigger problems and that doing so will give them a huge public relations nightmare (I hope).  They have threatened me with criminal and civil contempt sanctions.   It has already cost PsychRights $15,000 in attorneys fees to deal with the aftermath.   This, of course, is very cheap considering what was accomplished, but has significantly reduced PsychRights' bank account.   Any and all contributions to help will be appreciated. 

If Eli Lilly does seriously go after me, I am likely to be asking for some sort of demonstration of public support from the psychiatric survivor movement and other supporters.

As to other matters, we are still waiting for the Alaska Supreme Court to rule in Wetherhorn I, which involves trying to establish the right to have lawyers that actually work for their clients in resisting forced drugging, as well as a constitutional challenge to part of Alaska's "gravely disabled" justification for involuntary commitment.  See,  http://psychrights.org/States/Alaska/CaseFour.htm.

Also, just a few days ago we announced the appointment of Bruce Whittington as PsychRights' first Executive Director.  Bruce's main focus will be on implementing PsychRights' national  litigation strategy against forced drugging and electroshock.   This involves working with state "coordinators," which can be a group as easily as a single person, to recruit attorneys and expert witnesses and bring the cases it is decided will be most useful in attacking forced drugging and electroshock in such states.  This requires a knowledge of what is going on and the state's forced drugging statutes and procedures to figure out how to attack it.

In Alaska, the Myers case, which resulted in the Alaska Supreme Court ruling Alaska's forced drugging statutes unconstitutional for failing to require the court to find that it is in the person's best interests and there are no less intrusive alternatives ( http://psychrights.org/States/Alaska/CaseOne.htm), and the Wetherhorn case, are examples of the approach in action in Alaska.

In just the couple of weeks since Bruce has been on board, I know that he is an excellent choice.  We had an incredible number of well-qualified candidates, which was so gratifying and it was hard to choose.

I hope you are having a great holiday season and that 2007 will be a terrific year.

Note New E-mail Address

James B. (Jim) Gottstein, Esq.

Law Project for Psychiatric Rights
406 G Street, Suite 206
Anchorage, Alaska  99501
USA
Phone: (907) 274-7686)  Fax: (907) 274-9493
jim.gottstein[-at-]psychrights.org
http://psychrights.org/

  Psych Rights ®
            Law Project for
       Psychiatric Rights

The Law Project for Psychiatric Rights is a public interest law firm devoted to the defense of people facing the horrors of unwarranted forced psychiatric drugging.  We are further dedicated to exposing the truth about these drugs and the courts being misled into ordering people to be drugged and subjected to other brain and body damaging interventions against their will.  Extensive information about this is available on our web site, http://psychrights.org/. Please donate generously.  Our work is fueled with your IRS 501(c) tax deductible donations.  Thank you for your ongoing help and support.