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The Soon Coming Judgment Of God Upon America and How To Escape It 104
chemicals and drugs). One of the monkeys died and five others had grand mal seizures. It is
important to realize that monkeys and other animals are much more resistant to the effects of
methanol than humans. In spite of the fact that the aspartame was given in milk and that
monkeys are more resistant to methanol poisoning, this experiment had tragic results. And in
spite of these tragic results, Searle executives determined to devise a strategy to get aspartame
approved by the FDA as a food additive.
In 1971, renowned neuroscientist Dr. John Olney informed Searle that his studies
showed that aspartic acid (which composes 40% of aspartame) caused holes in the brains of
infant mice. Dr. Olney is distinguished in the field of neuroscience for his pioneering studies on
monsodium glutamate (MSG) which were responsible for having MSG removed from baby
foods. A Searle scientist confirmed Dr. Olney's findings in a study of his own.
In 1973 Searle applied to the FDA for approval to use aspartame as a food additive. They
provided over 100 studies supporting aspartame's safety; the above findings on infant monkeys
and holes in the brains of mice were withheld. A FDA scientist who reviewed the 100 submitted
studies concluded: “the information provided (by Searle) is inadequate to permit an evaluation of
the potential toxicity of aspartame.” She further stated that additional studies were needed to
ascertain whether aspartame was safe as a food additive. Despite this recommendation,
aspartame received limited approval in 1974 for restricted use in dry foods.
306
Dr. Olney's was gravely concerned over the FDA's approval of aspartame. In 1974, Dr.
Olney sought the assistance of an consumer advocate attorney by the name of Jim Turner and
they filed objections with the FDA over its approval of aspartame. As a result of Dr. Olney's
objections, the FDA formed a task force to further investigate Searle's research.
307
The task force
was to look into 11 pivotal studies, which are the studies that the FDA based its decision on.
The FDA issued a 500-page report. James Turner, the consumer advocate attorney that
filed the objection to the FDA's approval of aspartame on behalf of Dr. Olney stated, that the
FDA's report was the “most devastating report about research that has probably ever been written
on a specific company.”
308
The FDA made several important discoveries which were revealed in
their report. The 1975 report revealed: 1) The task force discovered the results of the infant
monkey study which had been conducted by Dr. Harry Waisman in which one monkey died and
five had grand mal seizures. 2) The results of the Waisman monkey study submitted by Searle to
the FDA had been manipulated by Searle; all negative data was omitted. 3) Researchers from
Searle maintained questionable lab practices which the FDA concluded had compromised “the
scientific integrity of the studies.”
309
As a result of the task force's report, the FDA formed a new task force in 1976 to perform
a more comprehensive investigation. The task force was headed by Jerome Bressler. As a result
of preliminary finding of the Bressler task force, in 1977 the FDA contacted the US Attorney
General and requested a grand jury investigation as to whether Searle had committed fraud by
knowingly “concealing material facts and making false statements”. This was the first time the
FDA requested a criminal investigation of a manufacturer. The grand jury investigation suffered
a setback in July of 1977, six-months after the investigation began when the law firm
representing Searle hired Samuel Skinner, the US Attorney running the federal investigation.
Skinner's assistant, William Conlon was left in charge of the investigation. Conlon didn't
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