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A BuzzFlash Editorial Commentary
October 28, 2001
Take the issue of Cipro, the preferred Antibiotic that fights
Anthrax. Bayer owns the patent. Should a major Anthrax attack be
launched over our cities, millions upon millions of dosages would be
needed. Instead of temporarily revoking Bayer's patent, which would
upset the pharmaceutical companies, who donate large amounts of
money to the Republicans, Tommy Thompson was finally forced to
negotiate a discounted rate for Cipro purchased by the government.
This is a totally inadequate "solution" for several
reasons:
--Bayer, even with increased production, will not be able to produce
a large enough supply to deal with a massive airborne anthrax attack
in the foreseeable future. By allowing other companies to produce
generic versions of Cipro, we would have had more of it produced in
a shorter period of time, thus increasing our nation's stockpile at
a faster rate.
--Bayer lowered its price to the government, but not to the public
market. This, of course, means that Bayer will be able to reap huge
profits at the expense of the average American. In fact, some
experts say that Bayer will probably even make a small profit over
the discounted rate to the government.
--Other drug companies were willing to provide generic Cipro, or
Cipro-like antibiotics free, in exchange for approval to produce the
drugs. Thompson did not take advantage of any of these offers.
Beyond the fact that they would have saved the American taxpayer
money, the offers, if accepted, would have increased our stockpile
to more widely cover the devastating impact of mutliple airborne
attacks.
Most importantly, it is worth repeating that Tommy Thompson's action
to protect the patent rights of pharmaceutical companies, even when
millions of American lives may be at stake, is inexcusable. Read
this excerpt from the New York Times article cited above:
"With the Bayer deal, the nation will have 120 million Cipro
pills in government stockpiles by the end of the year. Mr. Thompson
said this is enough for 12 million Americans, but this is true only
if each person takes the medicine for only five days. If doses were
ever needed for 60 days, or 120 tablets a person, then the stockpile
would be adequate for only a million people."
If a terrorist were to release a bucket of "weapons grade"
anthrax from the top of a building in a major American city, given
the right wind conditions, millions of people might potentially need
to take Cipro (which is considered the most all-around effective
antibiotic against Anthrax). Other Tommy Thompson, no doubt at the
behest of the White House, has struck a "deal" that puts
Americans at grave risk.
"The Bayer deal on Wednesday included the donation of two
million tablets beginning next week. But that offer has been quickly
upstaged. Johnson & Johnson (news/quote) announced late on
Wednesday that it would provide up to 100 million tablets of its
Levaquin free if the F.D.A. approved its use for anthrax.
Bristol-Myers Squibb (news/quote) said today that it would provide
free Tequin to anyone exposed to anthrax if the F.D.A. approved it
for anthrax.
Dr. Sandro K. Cinti, a specialist in infectious diseases at the
University of Michigan and a member of Michigan's bioterrorism task
force, said that Tequin and Levaquin were chemically very similar to
Cipro and were considerably newer than Cipro. "They would be at
least as effective and possibly more effective," than Cipro, he
said."
It would be easy for the White House to take an action to protect
the American public instead of taking one to protect the patent
rights of a pharmaceutical company.
A BuzzFlash Editorial Commentary, 10/27
(Top)
THE HIGH PRICE OF CIPRO Today, a 60-day supply of Cipro, the
anthrax-fighting antibiotic made by Bayer, would cost you just under
$700. A 60-day supply of generic ciprofloxacin would cost you only
about $20 overseas, according to Rep. Marion Berry (D-AR), the only
pharmacist in Congress. But you can’t buy generic Cipro in the U.S.
until 2003, when Bayer’s exclusive patent expires, and the Bush
Administration has made clear in recent days that it has no intention
of invoking its power to override the company’s monopoly. In India,
a 500 mg tablet of ciprofloxacin sells for about five rupees, or ten
cents. Here, Bayer’s wholesale price is $4.67 a pill. As a bulk
purchaser, the U.S. government pays Bayer a “best price” of $1.83.
In Canada, the same pill costs $1.25.
Shocked at the differences? You shouldn’t be. In 2000, the ten
biggest pharmaceutical companies made $27 billion in profits, once again
making the industry the most profitable in the country. Americans pay
anywhere from 30 to 50 percent more for prescription drugs than do their
counterparts in Europe, Canada and Mexico.
Most countries have laws preventing price gouging by drug makers.
Meanwhile here in America not only are the pharmaceutical companies
allowed to charge as much as the market will bear no matter what crisis
the nation may be facing, federal law also protects them from
competition from cheaper products sold overseas. We can import as much
beef, beer, wine and cheese as we like, but under current law the FDA
will not allow Americans to import anything more than a 90-day supply of
medications for personal use only.
On July 12, 2001, the House of Representatives debated and voted on an
amendment to the agriculture appropriations bill sponsored by Rep.
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Berry that would have allowed American
wholesalers and pharmacies to import FDA-approved American-made drugs
that are sold overseas. Given the price differential, such a change
could save American consumers $30 billion a year or more. Their
amendment was supported by a coalition of consumer and health groups,
with a few unions signing on as well. After a hurried one-hour of
debate, it was defeated 269 to 157. Members who voted to protect the
pharmaceutical industry from competition received, on average, over
three times as much in campaign contributions from that lobby in
1999-2000, than did members who voted the other way--$9,000 to $2,800.
The industry doubled its giving between 1996 and 2000 to more than $26
million, with two-thirds going to Republicans.
Now that there’s an emergency demand for Cipro, Bayer is fighting the
efforts of other companies who want to supply generic versions of it.
While it has stepped up its own production of the drug, it will take
Bayer 20 months, working 24 hours a day, to meet the U.S. government’s
target of a 60-day supply for 12 million people. Five generics makers
that have preliminary approval to make Cipro once Bayer’s patent
expires say they could jointly reach that total in three months.
In Canada, the government has decided to override Bayer’s Cipro
patent, citing a national emergency. But so far, Bayer doesn’t have to
worry about the Bush Administration taking a similar step. As the New
York Times reported, “Two of the president's cabinet members are
former drug company executives. Mitch Daniels, the director of the
Office of Management and Budget, was a top executive at Eli Lilly, while
Donald H. Rumsfeld, the secretary of defense, ran Searle, now Pharmacia,
from 1977 to 1985.” More recently Rumsfeld also served on the board of
Amylin Pharmaceuticals. President George W. Bush is the industry’s
second favorite politician, receiving $472,333 from pharmaceuticals for
his presidential campaign.
***************************
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(posted by kristinilouisi, 10/25)
(Top)
reasons for
Anthrax panic & cure (english)
by Len Horowitz 3:51pm Mon Oct 15 '01
from indymedia
This guy thinks the news media are in collusion with the
pharmaceutical industry in creating this anthrax scare in
order, for one thing, to promote Cipro antibiotics.
This guy Len Horowitz thinks the news media are in collusion
with the pharmaceutical industry in creating this anthrax scare in
order, for one thing, to promote Cipro antibiotics. He said (on
the radio) that a 2-month supply of "penicillin G" works
just as well and costs $20 compared to $700 for Cipro. Other
antibiotics work just as well or better also, in fact Cipro has
not been tested as a treatment for anthrax at all.
-----------------
this letter to an FBI agent in Idaho is from his website at http://tetrahedron.org/articles/anthrax/letter_to_fbi.html
Mr. Kevin Dunton
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
250 Northwest Blvd.
Ste 200
Coeur D'Alene, Idaho 83814 October 1, 2001
fax: 208-665-2525
Dear Mr. Dunton:
I am reaching out to you as a patriotic American, a loving human
being seeking world peace, and a Harvard graduate independent
investigator with expertise in the fields of behavioral science,
biological warfare, and biochemical terrorism. I relay this
information in the hope that it will prompt you, and other FBI
officials, to critically examine what I believe is legitimate
intelligence bearing on global efforts to fight terrorism. May
what I share herein lead to important discoveries regarding the
recent terrorist attacks on America, prevent future attacks, and
deter escalating global warfare.
I understand that the FBI is currently investigating terrorist
group financing, and the likelihood that individuals and
organizations with advanced knowledge concerning the Sept. 11,
2001 attacks on America "shorted" certain stocks and
commodities for profit, akin to "inside trading." You
are likely familiar with the concept of "wagging the
dog" to advance political policies and gain profit. I also
know that you are familiar with neo-Nazi organizations operating
in the United States, particularly in the northern Idaho area, and
their possible involvements in acts of domestic, and
international, terrorism. Given this introduction, what follows is
evidence strongly suggesting the urgent need to investigate three
organizations for leads concerning the funding of global
terrorists. The primary suspect is the Bayer Corporation.
Last week, based on a report by ABC News, and previous
unprecedented actions by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
that were likely influenced by industry lobbyists, ABC was caught
"wagging the dog" for Bayer engaged in price gouging
panicked American's seeking protection against anthrax. Besides
this being of relevance to the FBI's ongoing terrorism
investigation as I explain below, this should be investigated as a
conspiracy to commit fraud against the U.S. Government and the
hundreds of thousands of Americans induced to buy the antibiotic
Cipro through such manipulative methods.
According to ABC News (Thursday, Sept. 27), sales of Bayer's
antibiotic Cipro have skyrocketed 1,000 percent from fears of
anthrax retaliations in "America's New War." Anchorman
Peter Jennings reported anxious consumers spending an outrageous
$700 per person for a mere two-month supply. Two month supplies of
other antibiotics regarded safe and effective against anthrax, and
traditionally recommended by experts, are available for as little
as $20 at farm feed stores.
Black's Law Dictionary includes within its definition of fraud,
"a concealment of a material fact to induce another to act to
his or her injury." Peter Jennings heralded ABC's special
story the preceding evening by saying, "Preparing for a
possible anthrax attack. We're going through these fears, one by
one, day by day. Good night." In this context, 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.
The Bayer Corporation maintains several serious skeletons in its
corporate closet. In my thirteenth book, Death in the Air:
Globalism, Terrorism and Toxic Warfare (Tetrahedron Publishing
Group; 1-888-508-4787), released in June, 2001, I examine a small
number of multinational corporations, including Bayer, that have
historically sponsored fear, espionage, and even terrorist
campaigns for profit and global domination. Besides being found
guilty of transmitting the AIDS-virus, HIV, through contaminated
blood products to thousands of trusting consumers during the early
1980s, Bayer was blacklisted by the U.S.Government during, and
shortly after, World War II. The OSS and CIA learned that Bayer
maintained intimate ties to the German chemical/pharmaceutical
cartel known as I.G. Farben. This consortium produced the earliest
pesticides, drugs, and war gasses, including Zyclone B used in
concentration camp gas chambers. According to the first CIA
director Allen W. Dulles, as reported by CBS News war
correspondent Paul Manning, the Farben cartel provided the chief
economic and industrial engines behind the rise of the Third Reich
and Hitler.
The Bayer Company evaded U.S. Government controls during and
following the holocaust in which millions of mostly Jewish people
were used as experimental subjects in medical atrocities overseen
by I.G. Farben's president Hermann Schmitz, who also directed the
German-multinational Bayer A.G.
Of urgent pertinence to the FBI's current investigation into
terrorism's money trail, a recent investigation into terrorist
group funding, issued by The Oklahoma Bombing Investigation
Committee (OBIC) directed by Representative Charles Key, found
"Neo-Nazi figures have actually been implicated in Middle
Eastern special weapons procurement and terrorist activity."
For example, the group reported, "since the 1960s, an old
Swiss Nazi named Francois Genaud has reportedly masterminded
several airplane hijackings for the PLO." The now defunct
"Odessa" organization, the post-war successor to
Hitler's S.S., according to OBIC, "had numerous documented
meetings with representatives of various Arab organizations; and,
during the early 1980s, a Neo-Nazi named Odfried Hepp attacked
several U.S. military installations in Germany with bombs. Hepp
was later found to have been financed by Al Fatah." Hepp,
OBIC reported, did his Ph.D. on "Neo-Nazi/PLO bombings of
U.S. housing, cars and military facilities in Germany." Given
these facts alone, an FBI investigation into this matter is
critical.
I am also contacting congressional leaders at this time urging an
immediate U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) investigation into
the FDA's "advisory committee" that sponsored the
unprecedented sole endorsement of Bayer's Cipro for anthrax.
Nowhere in the Physician's Desk Reference (2000) is it claimed
that Cipro is especially indicated for anthrax. In fact, Bacillus
anthracis is not even mentioned. What is mentioned is that,
"although effective in clinical trials, ciprofloxacin is not
a drug of first choice in the treatment of presumed or confirmed
pneumonia secondary to Streptococcus pneumoniae." This
organism, like anthrax, is an aerobic gram-positive microbe.
(Likewise, Bacillus anthracis causes pneumonia in the form of
commonly terminal hemorrhagic bronchopneumonia.) Furthermore the
PDR states: "WARNINGS-THE SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF
CIPROFLOXACIN IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS AND ADOLESCENTS (LESS THAN 18
YEARS OF AGE), PREGNANT WOMEN, AND LACTATING WOMEN HAVE NOT BEEN
ESTABLISHED." Alternatively, numerous bioweapons experts have
consistently recommended far less costly and time-tested
antibiotics to fight anthrax, including the natural and synthetic
penicillins, erythromycin, cephalosporins, and the tetracyclines.
This knowledge is consistent with the published works of
pharmacist and attorney, Dr. Lawrence J. Joyce, also an expert in
biological warfare with training at the U.S. Army's Dugway Proving
Grounds. Dr. Joyce advised that in the event of a required
emergency response to anthrax, "the choice of therapy should
simply depend on the availability of each antibiotic." He
also advised consumers, in advance of an emergency, to spend as
little as $20 to purchase such antibiotics at their nearest farm
feed and veterinary stores. A complete list of alternative
antibiotics and instructions for the general public for anthrax
preparedness is currently listed on my affiliated website at http://www.tetrahedron.org.
Any advantages Bayer's product could conceivable offer over these
other trusted antibiotics, could not be worth Cipro's
extraordinary $700 cost. The U.S. government, in stockpiling this
drug following the advisory committee's report, and consumers
nationwide obviously frightened into a drug-demanding frenzy, have
been royally bilked by this historically untrustworthy
multinational company.
Given our current urgent concerns regarding terrorism, drug
industry officials whose economic motives clearly conflict with
U.S. national security interests, and the health and safety of all
Americans, should be investigated forthwith. Given the Bayer
Company's infamy and possible financial links to contemporary
neo-Nazi and terrorist organizations, ABC, Bayer, and the FDA's
"advisory committee" should be investigated by the FBI
along with other leads regarding the September 11, 2001 attacks.
For all we know, inside traders in these organizations may be
funding contemporary terrorist groups in support of industrial
espionage operations and global conflict.
This would be textbook Machiavellian theory in practice. That is,
create the political problems, fear, and associated financial
opportunities, and create the solutions-costly and risky products
and services for profit, regardless of the lives lost.
Please provide me with a written response to this urgent request
and shared intelligence as soon as possible.
Yours in the Spirit of health and world peace,
Leonard G. Horowitz, D.M.D., M.A., M.P.H.
President, Tetrahedron Publishing Group
Cc: Members of the U.S. Congress,
Allied peace organizations and the news media.
tetrahedron.org/articles/anthrax/letter_...
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