The Biggest Drug Disasters
"The claim that we owe most if not all of our advances in medicine to animal research is not only untrue, but also preposterous and absurd – an outright lie."
Dr Moneim A Fadali, MD
M.Ch., F.A.C.S., F.R.C.S. (C), F.A.C.C., F.A.C.C.P.
From Animal Experimentation: A Harvest of Shame (see books section)
The results of the aforementioned drugs trials showed that we are not like monkeys. But this has in no way deterred the vivisectors, who continue to use them to assess the human condition. In fact they use practically every animal under the sun - furry, feathery or scaly - that they can get their hands on.
There are numerous examples of drugs found safe in animals yet harmful in humans. The most well known drugs’ tragedy is with Thalidomide. This drug was tested repeatedly on animals prior to its release for use on the human population. Time magazine, in its 23rd February 1962 edition, reported that Thalidomide had been marketed ‘after three years of animal tests’. Turkey escaped the Thalidomide tragedy because virologist S.T. Aygun of the University of Ankara always used other methods of testing to those of vivisection and in so doing had found Thalidomide to be a harmful substance.
Few people in the west are aware of the Clioquinol tragedy. Clioquinol caused 30,000 cases of blindness and/or paralysis in Japan alone. This drug also caused a new disease called SMON.
"Clioquinol ….The drug was tested on rats, cats, beagles and rabbits with no evidence of neurotoxicity."
"Oraflex (Opren): an antiarthritic drug meant to alleviate the pain and frequently crippling limitations of arthritis; was found safe in nonhuman primates, at 7 times the maximum tolerated human dose for a year. It caused death in a number of elderly patients, mainly from liver damage."
"Butazolidine: a pain killer; caused kidney and red blood cell damage."
"Chloramphenicol: caused bone marrow destruction and fatal aplastic anemia which is not reversible, though human cell culture could have found what animal testing has failed to show."
"Isoprenaline aerosol: during the 1960’s, thousands of young asthmatics died following the use of isoprenaline aerosol inhalers. Animal tests did not show nor predict the dangers: matter of fact, cats could tolerate 175 times the dose found dangerous to asthmatics and the adverse complications could not be reproduced in guinea pigs, dogs and monkeys at doses much higher than the recommended dosage."
"Eraldin: a heart medication; some patients who received it suffered intestinal and eye problems; blindness and many deaths resulted."
"Phenformin: to treat diabetes; caused 1,000 deaths annually until withdrawn from the market."
"Amydopyrine: a pain killer; caused a nasty blood disease."
"Reserpine: to treat hypertension; may cause restlessness, nightmares and depression, pancreatitis, severe anemias and kidney failure. A number of epidemiologic studies pointed to an increased risk of breast cancer in women. It may cause foetal harm when given to pregnant women."
"Methotrexate: to treat leukaemia and psoriasis; caused intestinal hemorrhage, anemia and tumours."
"Mitotane: for leukaemia; caused kidney damage."
"Cyclophosphamide: used for cancer and transplants, but it led to liver and lung damage."
"Urethane: for leukaemia; caused cancer of the liver, lungs and bone marrow."
"Kanamycin: an antibiotic; caused deafness and kidney damage."
"Methaqualon: a tranquilizer; caused severe mental disturbances."
"Maxiton: diet pills; caused damage to the heart and nervous system."
"Halcion: a hypnotic; reports of severe psychic problems with its use are surfacing which prompted Britain to ban its use."
"Tegretol: for epilepsy. Two potentially fatal blood diseases: aplastic anemia and agranulocytosis are 5-8 times more likely to occur in patients on Tegretol than in the general population. Epidemiologic findings suggest an increased incidence of birth defects when pregnant women used Tegretol."
Dr Moneim A Fadali
From Animal Experimentation: A Harvest of Shame (see books section)
This is by no means a complete list – in fact it does not come anywhere near to being one – but it provides an example of a continuing trend; note the Vioxx scandal, among other recent drug scandals, and the controversy over Tamoxifen. Concerning the latter, Tamoxifen, the medical journal ‘The Lancet’ published a paper from Holland that concluded: ‘…tamoxifen use increases the risk of endometrial cancer. This oestrogenic effect on the endometrium was not related to the dose intensity. Physicians should be aware of the higher risk of endometrial cancer in tamoxifen users’.
Lawson Tait, one of the world's greatest surgeons, had this to say concerning vivisection:
"As a method of research, it has constantly led those who have employed it into altogether erroneous conclusions, and the records teem with instances in which not only have animals been fruitlessly sacrificed, but human lives have been added to its victims by reason of its false light."
For more information on drugs, see 'Letters, Speeches and Articles' section.
See also, Newsletters 6/7/8/11 and 15.