US OKs Cyberonics depression implant -- shares soar

[HuckleB]

US OKs Cyberonics depression implant -- shares soar

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N02623633.htm

"U.S. regulators have given conditional approval to Cyberonics Inc.'s <CYBX.O> bid to sell an implanted device to treat chronic depression, the company said on Wednesday, sending its shares up 27 percent in after hours trading.

Houston-based Cyberonics said it expects full U.S. Food and Administration approval by May.

The VNS Therapy System is a pacemaker-like device implanted in the chest that delivers electrical impulses to the brain through an electrode attached to a nerve in the neck. Cyberonics already sells the implant for reducing seizures from epilepsy.

It costs about $20,000, including surgical and hospital expenses, said Cyberonics Chief Executive Skip Cummins.

..."

[david_vincent]

1. Cheaper treatment

a ticket out of Texas

[HuckleB]

2. I suspect that would do the trick for many folks.

:hi:

[cosmicdot]

4. indeed ... it's a Houston-based corporation ...

Expected to find Josef Mengele on the Board of Directors ... heaven help us when this train ride we're on will arrive to where we're being taken ... the elite are counting on us to stay sick/be sick ... cashing in/bestowing stock upon themselves ...

scary stuff imo ... what's in the kool aid in Texas?

I'm always curious to learn who is on the Board of such companies; who are considered Beneficial Owners (of stock); etc., looking for links and connections ... business alliances ... the real players might be found in other organizations ... what may be invisible are investments held by private equity investment firms (off the SEC radar) of corporate Beneficial Owners ...

who is Boston Scientific? The organization "Council on Foreign Relations" shows up a couple of times within Boston Scientific's Board of Directors ... there's a Board member on W.R. Grace Co.'s Board ... many Big corporation links ... http://www.bostonscientific.com/about_bsc/investorRelations.jhtml?task=tskBoardMembers.jhtml§ionId=2&relId=80,96,97
Warren Rudman is on its Board ... the amount of stock held by certain Boston Scientific execs is staggering: John E. Abele, 56,016,138 shares; Peter M. Nicholas, 106,930,488 shares; Promerica, L.P.(Peter M. Nicholas, General Partner), 98,475,630 more shares http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/885725/000095013504001806/b49230dfdef14a.htm


William Ribich, Foster-Miller's chief executive, said his management team has rebuffed approaches from others but saw the deal with QinetiQ as a better cultural fit ... (he) attributed the growth partly to more civilian product-development contracts for life-sciences clients, including Boston Scientific Corp. ... QinetiQ ... is now one-third owned by (the) Carlyle Group...
http://boston.com/business/technology/articles/2004/09/08/mass_tech_developer_to_be_sold_for_163m/

Foster-Miller is the developer of the combat robot just recently in the 'news'.


Cyberonics Board:

Former CA congressman, House Majority Whip, and chairman of Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign (and critic of the Kerry campaign http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/14/politics/main643438.shtml), Tony Coelho, is on the Board and holds 96,632 shares (I'm always floored by the amount of stocks the elites hold) ... he's, also, on the Board of a 'funeral service corporation', which I find curious.



Boston Scientific 3,300,000 14.0 %
One Boston Scientific Place
Natick, MA 01760-1537
FMR Corp. 3,034,170 (2) 12.9 %(2)
82 Devonshire Street
Boston, MA 02109

MFS Investment Management 1,551,330 6.6 %
500 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116

(Sun Life Financial owns more than 90% of MFS; so, MFS is, basically, a subsidiary of Sun Life, a leading financial services organization headquartered in Toronto, Canada)
Rho Capital Partners 1,263,326 5.4 %
152 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019

the President, CEO, and Chairman Robert Cummins
1,087,928
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/864683/000095012904006518/h17917def14a.htm#105

only $20,000 + installation and maintenance costs ... just will have to stash more $ away in my Bu$h Medical Account ...

[Jamastiene]

7. Or North Carolina

Or any depressing hatemongering "conservative" state for that matter.

[Skip Intro]

3. will it be voluntary?

wasn't there talk of mandatory psychological exams, for children at least?

(((we must treat those who need treatment)))

No implants for me or my family, thanks.

[KansDem]

22. I thought the same thing: Coincidence that Bush wants his "No child...

left untested" program to start immediately and this contraception is now approved?

[MADem]

5. Wow, ya think you get put thru the wringer NOW

...when you go on an airplane, imagine these poor people.

I can just hear the TSA Nazi: What is it? Oh, you're DEPRESSED??? Hang on, gotta get my supervisor...hey, Edddie, this IS THE DEPRESSED GUY!!! (Heads turn, children point, people stare). THE ONE WITH THE MACHINE IN HIS CHEST!!! Should we call one of the agents for a preboard interview??

[AlienGirl]

6. I hope this thing works!

If it works, I'm all for it. I've struggled with chronic Major Depression for a long time. Currently I'm on medication, and I can expect to be on medication for the rest of my life. The problem with medications is they can quit working, especially in someone who has had many episodes of really bad depression. And with each episode, the risk of another one goes up...

If they can put a thing in me to make my brain work better, I'm all for it.

Tucker

[Jamastiene]

8. In some cases

the medication for depression makes symptoms worse or never works at all, like in my case. I just need something I am not getting in life because I live amidst a bunch of jerks. I would like to do some kind of interview based research on people who have been diagnosed with depression and see what the real cause is. I still refuse to believe based on a bunch of crappy circumstances in life, some shrink can say you have a chemical imbalance in the brain. No CAT scan, no chemical analysis of a person's brain, no medical test of any kind, no way. I'll never believe them when they tell me it is my brain. My brain works fine. Do you ever get that feeling? Like they are jerking your chain and you just have had too many depressing things happen compared to the people around you? Or is it just me?

[AlienGirl]

9. I was first diagnosed at age 4

I've been depressed in bad circumstances and in good ones. It may be that life truly *is* intrinsically hopeless; but if that's the case I'd rather be one of the deluded and happy.

YMMV, of course.

Tucker

[HuckleB]

11. If the shrink is diagnosing depression as you describe...

that shrink is not doing his or her job. Sounds like you saw someone who shouldn't be practicing. I'm sorry to hear that.

[IndianaGreen]

10. Reminds me of Michael Crichton's "Terminal Man"

the subject became psychotic.

Here is the Amazon review:

Hearry Benson suffers from violent seizures. When he becomes part of an experimental program that sends electrodes to his brain to calm him, he is in recovery. Until he discovers how to get those soothing pulses more frequently, and then escapes the hospital--on a murderous rampage with a deadly agenda....

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0345354621/103-7439537-3089455

[Mizmoon]

12. Did you know that Americans can be court ordered to get ECT?

That's electro convulsive therapy. Yes, it's different than it was in the past, but it's still got risks. But psych patients are sometimes put under court order to be forced to get it - sometimes even when their own families object to the treatment. But the doc's orders are enforced by the government.

How long until they court order people to get one of these implants perhaps because the are "schizophrenic"?

How can we force people to take medications that could be harmful to them? Look at the crap job the FDA has been doing.

You mark my words - some people will be forced to get these things.

:scared:

[HuckleB]

13. Can you give us some references on this?

Stories regarding patients in the past five years that have been forced to have ECT even with family objection?

Thanks.

:hi:

[Mizmoon]

16. Sure can

All three Americans below who were receiving forced electroshock are now *free* of forced electroshock, partly because people like you spoke out! This is an example of how a public campaign can appeal to the court of public opinion, and stop forced electroshock in its tracks.

Paul Henri Thomas and Adam Szyszko both received forced electroshock -- against their expressed wishes -- at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in New York State. Both have been fighting their forced electroshock in court.

Forced electroshock has spread its roots state-wide, deep into the New York Office of Mental Health. Every state in the USA has loopholes allowing forced electroshock over the stated objection of the subject. Forced electroshock happens internationally, and is a growing problem in developing nations.

Resistance can work. Concerted action by hundreds of people helped stop the forced electroshock of Kathleen Garett in St. Louis.

On this page you will find links to updates and background information about the human rights struggle of Paul, Adam, Kathleen, and the many others hidden away in psychiatric facilities. Most importantly, you can find out how you can help. You are invited to join Support Coalition International, which is sponsoring this Mind Freedom Initiative.

* 4/17/2002 - Vancouver Sun Covers The Battle Of A 71 Year Old Canadian Man To Resist Involuntary Electroshocks; He's Had At Least 130 Forced Electroshocks!

* 9/18/2001 - PAUL HENRI THOMAS IS FREE; RESISTANCE TO FORCED ELECTROSHOCK INSPIRED HUNDREDS TO SPEAK OUT

* 8/15/2001 - U.S. FORCED SHOCK - 66 YEAR OLD HAS RECEIVED FOUR ELECTROSHOCKS AGAINST HER, EIGHT MORE ARE SCHEDULED IN ST. LOUIS

* July 18, 2001 - Second Testimony By John Friedberg To New York State Assembly Hearing On Electroshock

* Support Coalition International Board Resolution On Electroshock

* "FLUSTERED FINK" EXPOSED: NEW YORK POST AGAIN SLAMS ELECTROSHOCK HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS INSIDE NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC FACILITIES - 6 COLUMNS IN LESS THAN 4 MONTHS HAVE *ZAPPED* NEW YORK OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH

* 6/25/2001 - PROTEST, NEWS CONFERENCE IN BROOKLYN TARGETS ELECTROSHOCK HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN NEW YORK STATE INSTITUTIONS - UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SUPPORT OF VICTIMS OF TORTURE - ALSO OREGON EVENT ALSO HELD TO SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS IN PSYCHIATRY

* Dr. Peter Sterling's Testimony To The New York State Assembly Committee On Mental Health On Electroshock

* Testimony By Leonard Roy Frank At New York State Assembly Hearing On Electroshock, May 18, 2001

Here's the link. There are plenty of details here: http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/paul.shtml

[HuckleB]

18. Gracias.

It doesn't seem like they've fought any cases in the last couple of years. What's changed?

[Mizmoon]

19. bad publicity and silence

forced shock can cause protesters to show up at your hosptial or clinic. That has brought the numbers down, but it has also raised the level of secrecy. They now keep other cases, cases in which the family does agree with the treatment but the patient does not, as silent as possible. In NY an ECT reporting bill was just vetoed by Pataki. It would have forced them to report those undergoing involuntary treatment - not their names mind you, just the numbers.

For some reason, they don't want us to know.

http://www.ect.org/news/nyveto.html

[HuckleB]

20. Thanks for the info.

:hi:

[Nashyra]

14. If it truly works I'm all for it

Have you ever seen how Electro shock therapy works, or how they used to do it say 45 years ago. Well my mom went through it and if there is something that could prevent any person needing something this drastic I hope that it is a real preventive tool for chronic depression. In women it could help with the rising alcolholism. Just my opinion

[Mizmoon]

17. With respect, choosing is different than force

I'm all for anything that makes people feel better as long as we've got truly informed consent and no force involved.

[bobthedrummer]

15. Many of the types of drugs that can be court ordered put people into

shock. These include anti-psychotics, neuroleptics, atypical anti-psychotics, somatics and a lot of other powerful and dangerous substances used in the "mental health profession".
Chemicals that have harmed and even killed people when used without regard to ethics or law.

[Guns Aximbo]

21. can I get one on EBAY?

[HuckleB]

24. All in good time. All in good time.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

23. This would have been installed in Abbie Hoffman. rent 'Steal This Movie.'

Terrorized by COINTELPRO for his organizing of the Yippies and theatrics against the White House, he was manic-depressive as well.

If those of us who know who the real terrorists are in the US government don't 'settle down,' WE might get a little control device popped into us to hack our spirits the way Black Box electronic voting is hacked.

People will be used as guinea pigs by the good old FDA, as usual.