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Department Of Health And Human Services Public Health Service Food And Drug Administration
FDA Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Hearings
Friday, September 20, 1991
DR. CASEY: Maria Malakoff?
MS. MALAKOFF: My name is Maria Malakoff. I did not prepare a speech. My husband has just committed suicide four months and 20 days ago in front of four kids and myself. My husband was suffering a little depression.
We work with cancer patients. For the last four years we do indigents, trying to find out what causes cancer. He was a little depressed, went to a doctor that gave him Prozac. He came home and he thought it was a wonder drug.
I took the job of three businesses at the same time and I was suffering anxiety. I went to a cardiologist, who asked me to go to a psychiatrist to give me something for my anxiety. I was placed on Prozac, too. On our anniversary, February 14th, I went to Kapalu Bay, Hawaii, and cut my veins. I decided I wasn’t taking this drug. My husband didn’t believe me. He was a pharmacist. He came back and on April 30th he just blew his brains out in front of all of us. Nothing will bring my husband back, nothing’s going to bring my kids’ father back, but I believe that Eli Lilly has made other mistakes before when they got Oroflex out there that killed 28 people and it was taken off.
We’re over 28. How many more have to die before somebody says, “Look, we made a mistake, we’re humans, but let’s look into it.” I’m not blaming Eli Lilly. I’m blaming a mistake that has been made here. Please search into this.
I can’t take the five minutes. I can’t handle it any more.
DR. CASEY: Thank you for your comments.