Senator Charles Grassley Investigation of GSK -
Based on Paxil Suicide Documents Obtained by Baum Hedlund

Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), a ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, launched an investigation of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) regarding its controversial antidepressant Paxil based on GSK documents collected by Baum Hedlund during Paxil suicide litigation.
See: http://finance.senate.gov/press/Gpress/2008/prg061208.pdf

The documents include a comprehensive report (based on GSK’s internal documents, studies and data analyses) from Harvard psychiatrist, Dr. Joseph Glenmullen. Dr. Glenmullen’s report has been provided to the FDA, which is said to be investigating the report, as well as accusations GSK hid Paxil’s link to suicidal behavior.

Concerned about the public health implications of the documents obtained in the Paxil suicide litigation, Baum Hedlund asked GSK to allow it to share the documents with the FDA, but GSK declined to allow the firm to do so.

In addition to the Grassley investigation, Baum Hedlund attorneys were contacted by the Department of Justice for information concerning GSK’s marketing practices related to Paxil. Attorneys from the firm met with DOJ and other government attorneys and staff in 2007.

Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman has been litigating Paxil suicide and suicide attempt cases for more than 18 years and has a number of cases pending in courts across the United States. The firm has collected hundreds of thousands of pages of internal GSK documents and conducted dozens of depositions of GSK executives, employees, physicians, researchers and academics. The vast majority of the documents and deposition testimony is confidential, however, Baum Hedlund has been successful in getting numerous documents out from under confidentiality seal. Baum Hedlund has and will continue to champion the rights of its clients and the public affected by antidepressants such as Paxil.

 
Ron Goldman's interview with Fox News following the Wall Street Journal
report that GSK may have hidden Paxil suicide data