Traci Johnson, suicide during Cymbalta drug trial 2004 : Cymbalta trialed on 7 year olds in 2009

A Godsend, Till a Life Unravels--By Alan Zarembo, Times Staff Writers and Benedict Carey, Times Staff WritersApril 02, 2004

INDIANAPOLIS — Traci Johnson believed it was God's plan for her to leave home to attend a tiny Bible college here -- and she prayed every day for the Lord to provide for her tuition.

Then an unusual opportunity presented itself.

"Lilly's human test clinic, located at the University of Indiana Medical Center, is a resort-like facility with a library, rooftop sundeck and a panoramic view of downtown. "I felt I was on a mini-vacation," reads one testimonial on the clinic's website.

The site touts the drug trials as a great way for schools, churches and community organizations to raise money."

"Enough students joined the Lilly trials over the years that they became a routine way of making money, like delivering pizzas or parking cars. That worried some members of the Cavalry Tabernacle Church, which all the students attended." - LA Times, 2004
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19 year old Traci Johnson was a student at Indiana Bible College located near the headquarters of Eli Lilly, makers of Zyprexa and Cymbalta, among other drugs. Traci Johnson entered the trial at the Lilly clinic to earn money for college.

One month later, she was dead.

Traci committed suicide during the drug trial for Cymbalta at the Lilly lab by hanging herself.
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Furious Seasons mental health blog has an article today about Lilly trialing Cymbalta in 7 year olds for MDD.(Major Depressive Disorder)

There are black box warnings for suicidal thoughts on antidepressants now. Why this drug would be considered for use in children age 7-17 is beyond my realm of thinking at this point. I wonder why Traci Johnson's death has not been established as a cautionary tale, never to be forgotten.
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Student's suicide cries out to FDA for drug warnings-2004:

"(Lisa) Van Syckel -- who testified at the Feb. 2 FDA hearings, the result of her teenage daughter's two suicide attempts while on anti-depressants -- sees Johnson's death as an omen. She and other activists, as well as Johnson's family and friends, are convinced Johnson died because of the effects of the drug on her mind and body."

"Side effects for similar drugs have been documented; they include extreme anxiety, says Dr. Joseph Glenmullen, a Harvard psychiatrist whose book "Prozac Backlash" in 2000 warned of possible suicides.

Glenmullen is concerned that drug companies, and especially Lilly, market and protect drugs too aggressively. "Their priority should be to protect patients, not the drugs," he says."

Futher reading

Ms. Johnson's death came less than a week after a federal advisory panel concluded that the Food and Drug Administration should issue stronger warnings to doctors that this class of antidepressants may be linked to suicide and violent behavior in children and teenagers. -Gardiner Harris, NYTimes