Warner-Lambert Paid Rezulin's U.S. Researcher, LA Times Says
Bloomberg News
December 7, 1998, 7:43 a.m. E
Washington, Dec. 7 (Bloomberg) -- The government researcher
responsible for a favorable $150 million diabetes study that used
Warner-Lambert Co.'s drug Rezulin in 1996 was a consultant for
the company while working on the study, the Los Angeles Times
reported. Richard Eastman, a National Institutes of Health
researcher, both publicly praised the drug, touting as-yet-
unproven benefits, and critically examined the drug, though
Eastman said he abstained from the votes backing Rezulin, the
newspaper said. Eastman was first hired by Warner-Lambert in 1995
to help launch the drug, and he was paid ''thousands of dollars''
by the company for his efforts, according to the Times.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed yesterday a
Times report that said about 33 people have died after taking
Rezulin, up from the 21 cited earlier this year.
(LAT 12/7 A1 www.latimes.com)
--Brian Reid in Washington (202) 624-1936/ead |
