−THEIR PAST，PRESENT & FUTURE AND ROLES OF JAPANESE SCIENTISTS AND TECHNOLOGISTS
The Millennium Symposium on Science, Society and Human Rights: Implementation
of the UNESCO Declaration on Science and the use of Scientific Knowledge
for the 21st Century. /University of Regina, Canada/August 24 - 26, 2000
Drug Safety and Medical Care Research Committee of the JAPAN SCIENTISTS ASSOCIATION
KATAHIRA K(Tokyo Medical & Dental University), ○FUJII M(Yoyogi Hospital)*, MUTA S(Ohta Hospital), KANAOKA C(Aoba Pharmacy), HOMMA R(former staff of the NIID),NIU K(Nippon Chemiphar Co.), KUROSU M(Nihon Medical Collage), MAKINO T(Nihon Fukushi University)
| "I am a plaintiff of the CJD lawsuit. My elder brother died of CJD. He died without knowing what his illness was and what hurt him so severely. He was seized with anxiety and fear. He was not able to even ask us for help, because the tainted dura matter had deprived him of all the abilities to act. Whenever I listen to the court I feel that the concerned drug companies and the Government of Japan are making the same excuse, stating that they could not predict the serious risk until the large number of patients with CJD was known. How would the officials of the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the workers of the companies feel if the disease were to inflict any of their loved ones and deprive them of all the abilities to live? Would they still continue to take the "so what?" attitude and use the same excuse? .... I strongly hope to settle the score for my brother. I sincerely hope for the earliest possible solution of this problem and at the same time, expect that this problem be known more and more broadly." |
; It has been found however that the Government of Japan took no step to ban the sales of the product until 1997, despite the fact that the Government knew the product's harmful effects in the 1970's and it was banned from use in 1987 in the United States.
#Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR):
Effects of drugs in general, which may unavoidably be involved in the use of drugs
#Drug-induced suffering ("YAKUGAI"):
Health damage caused by drugs on a social scale because the information
to show their harmful effects is neglected or ignored (or, interrupted,
concealed or distorted), in other words, an artificial, or a socially made,
suffering which can be avoided from the first if no such an action is taken
| 1950's: | 1) YAKUGAI became a social problem 2) Ethical drugs were responsible for most of YAKUGAIs, except those due to OTC whichtook place in the beginning part of the period |
| 1950's - 1960's | 3) Prolonged, large-dose administration of drugs. |
| 1980's - 1990's | 4) YAKUGAI diversified to include those due to some agents, including diagnostic
medicines, drug additives and "special" drugs, and those due
to drug-drug interaction. |
; The fact that the use of the products might cause AIDS had already been known in 1982 in the United States. In Japan, this fact came to be known by some drug companies, the MHW and some hemophiliac specialists including Dr. T. Abe. But they rejected alternatives, the urgent importation of heated blood products from the United States. Therefore, it was not until 1985 that hemophiliacs became able to use heated blood products.
; The measures to deregulate the provisions of drug safety hold dangerous implication and more strengthened control over drug companies is required.
May, 1974 The Medicine and Drug-induced Suffering Problems Study Committee was established in JSA, with SMON as its main subject
; The Committee was resolved in 1987 because the SMON problem was considered to have ended by and large. YAKUGAI did not discontinue, however. We are now faced by the drug-induced CJD problem. JSA has planned to deal with one of YAKUGAI problems in the 13th CSSC to be held late in 2000 in Osaka.
| "Without criticism, nonfarm foundation is provided for everything" |
| "We must have solid critical spirit"; "We must pursue the truth with unyielding spirit" |
| "The best he can hope for to further his work is to take his place in an organization of scientists"(the rest is omitted) -- |
; The Japan Scientists Association (JSA) is only one group in Japan, which
has Japanese scientists in overall scientific fields as its members. Since
its initiation in 1965, JSA, with the aim of making research activities
and action, has pursued its activities to identify and solve different
problems facing human beings.
Originally, the roles of medicine lie in relieving patients from pain,
and it cannot be definitely allowed to artificially hurt anyone in the
interest of individual person or company. In the face of the 21st Century,
it is urgently required for us to build safe and healthy society. For this
purpose, every scientist and technologist should take responsibilities
and active initiatives as far as possible.