Early this year a 19-year-old, Indiana Bible College student named Traci Johnson volunteered for the final safety stage of a new drug trial. One month later she was dead.

Drug company officials immediately noted that they did not believe the drug was related to the young woman's death. The hastiness of the company statement did not sit well with family and friends as well as with others.

"All the pathological reports, the toxicity reports, those things don't come back for weeks. And I am shocked that they have taken such a deliberate defense to distance themselves from any responsibility," said Joel Barnaby, pastor of the church where Traci Johnson served as a youth leader for several years.

"I am troubled to the core of my spirit that Eli Lilly has taken such a defensive posture and been so quick to deny any responsibility," Barnaby said.

Weaving a tangled web

The pharmaceutical company spokesman said the drug being studied was "a treatment for stress, urinary incontinence and depression".

The final item mentioned -- depression -- was actually the primary purpose for the drug study though it was mentioned last. That at least appears deceptive. Factually speaking the study was for a planned replacement for that company's drug for which their patent has run out. This new drug is projected to take the place of the psychotropic drug Prozac.

This was the last step before marketing the drug this year with annual sales projected in the amount of billions of dollars.

The company assured stockholders that this death would not delay release of the drug.

How could they know that?

A half-truth

The company spokesman immediately noted that Traci Johnson's death "took place while she was taking sugar pills". That makes it sound like her death had nothing to do with the drug.

The company spokesman did not reveal the whole truth. One purpose of the drug trial was to test reactions when the drug is stopped. Traci was given six times the normal dosage of the drug and then quickly weaned off that high level over only four days.

On the third day off the overdose level of the drug, Traci Johnson, a previously happy Bible college student, hung herself leaving no note. This was right within the period of time that reactions are watched for. Traci "was taking sugar pills" at that time to check for withdrawal reactions. Is hanging oneself a normal occurrence?

The company spokesman told a half-truth, and half of a truth is a whole lie.

Turning a blind eye?

Last week the FDA announced that the drug, named Cymbalta, could not be linked to the suicide of Traci Johnson and granted approval to the drug for immediate marketing.

The FDA declined to release written documentation of its investigation.

Cymbalta is from the giant Eli Lilly drug firm.

Thoughts to ponder

The CEO for Eli Lilly was appointed by President Bush in 2002 to the new Homeland Security Advisory Council. The new Homeland Security Act that followed exempted Eli Lilly from lawsuit damages for its mercury containing Thimerosal in childhood vaccines. What does that have to do with national security?

The previous CEO for Eli Lilly was appointed by President Bush in 2003 to head up the nation's global AIDS efforts.

A former Eli Lilly vice president was named by President Bush as Director of Management and Budget.

The family of President Bush previously was very heavily invested in Eli Lilly for many years.

The father of President Bush previously sat as a member of the Eli Lilly board of directors.

Is it preposterous to consider that an FDA under this administration may be part of a Bush league with Eli Lilly?