Lawsuits Allege Conspiracy in Ritalin Use
There is no question that our children are over-medicated, but this lawsuit raises some very important questions as to the “creation” of a new behavioural disorder.
(article) Novartis AG is denying allegations that the company conspired with the American Psychiatric Association to create the disease known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in order to fuel the market for its product Ritalin. The charges against the Swiss drugmaker were leveled in class action lawsuits filed in California and New Jersey on Wednesday. The complaint alleges that Ciba-Geigy Corp., now part of Novartis, colluded with the American Psychiatric Association to create and promote the diagnoses of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and ADHD in an effort to boost Ritalin sales. As a result, it says, ADD was first listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1980, while ADHD was recognized in 1987.
