Posted on 12/04/2012 12:21:03 PM PST by DogByte6RER
East Germany's secret police sold citizens to western pharmaceutical companies to use as human guinea pigs in drug trials
• Tens of thousands tested with experimental drugs not approved in the West
• One study of a drug for heart conditions saw six out of 17 patients die
• Sinister practice exposed in disturbing new Germany documentary
Former Communist East Germany secretly sold its citizens to western pharmaceutical companies to use as human guinea pigs in drug trials.
Tens of thousands of sick people in the former German Democratic Republic were treated with medicines not approved in the West to see how effective they were.
Details of the top secret project have been unearthed in the files of the Stasi secret police in Berlin. The communist regime profited with millions in hard currency.
But the human cost was high with dozens killed through side effects of drugs which had bypassed the normally stringent testing procedures demanded by western democracies.
Even worse, some patients received placebos - pills that did nothing at all - to gauge how they responded in comparison to others who were given proper medication.
The practice was exposed by journalists Stefan Hoge and Carsten Opitz and screened this week in Germany in a disturbing documentary entitled 'Test and Dead'.
The Stasi files - miles and miles of yellowing paperwork which the hated secret police of East Germany failed to destroy when the country imploded in 1989 - revealed details of how it became one of the most important testing arenas for western drug companies.
The conspiracy involved the state, doctors and western big pharma firms.
GDR leaders were happy to implement the programme in a land which excelled only in shortages.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
The Stasi files have revealed details of how East Germany became one of the most important testing arenas for western drug companies
I’ll bet the Obamacare text has human guinea pig provisions in it somewhere, too.
Ikea says sorry to East German political prisoners forced to make its furniture
The Stasi could only dream about collecting the amount of information about it’s people that our post 9/11 government currently does.
Was Harry Lime involved?
A friend got the flu shot this year, came down with a flu sick as sin. A neighbor got the shingles shot, came down with Bells Paulsy, may never recover. I’d rather take my chances, made it this far.
If it doesn't, you just don't give a damn.
I sure wish “journalists” would practice their profession rather than editorialize. This article was written poorly.
In America today people, some very desperate, try to join drug trials. I’ve been trying for several years to be involved with two experimental drug trials for a protease inhibitor that shows promise for what ails me.
These trials are a very important part of FDA certification. We actually need more. Not much chance of that since the passing of Obamacare.
Placebo’s aren’t evil like this author implies, had he done his research he’d know that is a control method to verify the usefulness of the medication.
I’m not being an apologist for the commie bastards, I’m just bashing the lazy author.
Went through the checkout at Rite Aid and the girl gave me a full-court press for the flu shot.
I told her “I wouldn’t take one of those damned things if you were giving it away for free!”
She kind of grinned and said “I know, but they make me say that. A lot of people are saying what you’re saying.”
Only 40% of Americans get the flu shot and that number has been flat for years. This has vexed our Wizards of Smart in Big Pharma and the public health sector. In all of the journals where they talk to one another talk is hot and heavy about what to do with “the Resistors”.
No mention as to names of the western pharm companies is interesting.
Modern Mengeles. It’s in the genes.
Placebos have a 15-70% cure rate depending on the disease. Many illnesses are partly mental and can be cured by the mind. Pain is all in the brain and can often be controlled with placebos. Taking placebos in a study is probably the best way, particularly injected. They don't allow sham surgery any more but when they used to do that it worked sometimes as well.
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