Lawmaker slams drug company on suicides

By Mark Benjamin and Dan Olmsted
United Press International
From the Washington Politics & Policy Desk

5/24/2002

WASHINGTON, May 24 (UPI) -- A United Press International investigation of the anti-malaria drug Lariam shows that manufacturer Hoffmann-La Roche blames suicides caused by its drugs on the victims, a U.S. congressman said Thursday.

"It is a classic case," said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., describing what he said is the company's attitude toward reports of suicide. "First deny, then blame the patient."

Stupak is investigating an alleged link between suicide and the anti-acne drug Accutane, also manufactured by Roche. The company did not respond to a request for comment on Stupak's remarks, but it has repeatedly said there is no evidence that either Accutane or Lariam causes suicide.

Lariam, also known as mefloquine, has been prescribed to more than 22 million people worldwide and is commonly prescribed to Americans vacationing in high-risk malaria areas. It also is given to Peace Corps volunteers, U.S. soldiers and other government workers. The U.S. military partnered with Roche to create the drug prior to its approval for use in the United States in 1989.

The UPI report published Tuesday found that mounting evidence suggests Lariam has triggered mental problems so severe that in a small percentage of users it has led to suicide.

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