SEROXAT

Early day motion 1147, tabled 11 March 2008 by Paul Flynn (Labour). Signed by 31 members.

That this House deprecates the gullibility of the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in assuming that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) would observe high ethical and scientific standards above its own financial interests in promoting the drug Seroxat; is astonished that the MHRA spent £1 million in their dilatory four year investigation of the drug before establishing that the law does not require GSK to report the ill-effects of Seroxat in children; is alarmed at possible conflicts of interests as the MHRA Chairman and several senior employees have been paid to work for and with GSK and that five of the 20 members of the MHRA oversight body currently depend on research grants from GSK; and calls for the establishment of a fully independent regulatory body free from the funding, influence and control of the pharmaceutical industry.

Signatures by party: Labour 20, Liberal Democrat 6, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Independent 1, Scottish National Party 1, UUP 1.