Home > Bird Flu Scam: Donald H. Rumsfeld - Former Chairman of Gilead Sciences

Bird Flu Scam: Donald H. Rumsfeld - Former Chairman of Gilead Sciences

by Open-Publishing - Tuesday 25 October 2005
2 comments

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Do you get it yet?

Foster City, CA, January 3, 1997 - Gilead Sciences Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced that board member Donald H. Rumsfeld will assume the position of Chairman, effective immediately. Mr. Rumsfeld succeeds Michael L. Riordan, M.D., who founded Gilead in 1987 and has served as Chairman since 1993. Dr. Riordan will continue to serve as a director on the board.

"Gilead is fortunate to have had Don Rumsfeld as a stalwart board member since the company’s earliest days, and we are very pleased that he has accepted the Chairmanship," Dr. Riordan said. "He has played an important role in helping to build and steer the company. His broad experience in leadership positions in both industry and government will serve us well as Gilead continues to build its commercial presence."

Related: Tamiflu

Related: Bird Flu "Pandemic" Antidote: Wash Hands

Related: Spain: Bird Flu Sparking Human Epidemic Is ’Science Fiction’

http://tinyurl.com/9dq2f


What a crazy coincidence! The Rumsfeld, bird flu connection

Rumsfeld used to run drug company that invented bird-flu medicine

Donald Rumsfeld, the guy who runs the Pentagon and its disastrous wars, had an interesting job before joining the current Bush administration: He was chairman of Gilead Sciences Inc., the drug company that invented Tamiflu, the only medicine thought to be effective against the killer bird flu we’re told to expect here in the United States any day now.

Earlier this month, Bush outraged Americans on all (both) sides of the political spectrum when he announced his intention to have the U.S. military take over American cities hit by the avian flu. The move would put the United States under martial law, which is illegal.

Rumsfeld owned significant shares of Gilead at least until 2002, when ethics rules forced him to sell off $91 million worth of stocks.

The federal government has already put in a $3.1 billion order for Tamiflu.

Posted on October 24, 2005 at 03:48 PM | Permalink

http://www.sploid.com/news/2005/10/what_a_crazy_co.php

Forum posts

  • Gilead Sciences licenced the marketing of oseltamivr to Roche after lackluster sales. Once they realized the potential for the market from the H5N1 pandemic they sued Roche for termination of the agreement on the grounds that they were not effectively marketing Tamiflu. The truth is GS never really was satisfied with Roche’s strategies, but the timing is a little odd. Also, anyone having experience with Gilead will tell you that this is pretty typical of their operating style. Ironically, the other drug made by GlaxoSmithKline (Relenza) was licensed after poor sales and fatalities in users with asthma. Now GSK has mysteriously regained interest in this drug and is in arbitration.

    It might seem that investors would be lining up at the trough to reap the profits with these drugs. There are at least 3 reasons why this is probably not the case. First, all the legal wranglings make investors nervous, both drugs are likely to be tied up in court for years. Second, the drugs don’t prevent influenza, they just modify the severity. Third, in the event of pandemic, it is likely that one or more of these drugs (there are others, such as a promising agent by Sankyo) will be mass produced off patent and no one will make anything anyway. Another point that is often missed is that influenza virus with resistance can be selected in people taking the drug. In this case, if resistant virus enter the infectious pool, these agents are going to be ineffective anyway.

    As far as Rumsfeld, his 2004 financial disclosure indicates that he owned between 5 and 25 million dollars in equity in Gilead as of Dec 31, 2004; however, he has also sold holdings in the same range. Next year’s disclosure will show the value range of any remaining holdings in Gilead.

  • Excellent Article!

    Here more info about this Bird Flu Virus:

    Bird Flu Virus

    There are at least 15 different types of avian influenza that routinely infect birds around the world. The current outbreak is caused by a strain known as H5N1, which is highly contagious among birds and rapidly fatal. Unlike many other strains of avian influenza, it can be transmitted to humans, causing severe illness and death.

    Ngullen R
    http://bird-flu-news-review.blogspot.com