Ambien: The Brain Boiler?

By Troy Dunn
At the moment I'm writing this, it is still unclear if Ambien had anything to do with the untimely death of actor, Heath Ledger. But my prediction is that indeed, it was part of the death cocktail he consumed, albeit accidental.
The bigger issue here is the incredible silence of the entire medical community who is acutely aware of the unacceptable side effects of this brain-numbing medication called Zolpidem, aka Ambien.
With all of the mounting evidence of millions of dangerous, drug-induced experiences from this mind-altering drug, why is the medical industry so silent?
Could it be that the manufacturer, Sanofi-Aventis, is so powerful in the medical community, that doctors dare not say anything for fear of retribution from one of the worlds largest pharmaceutical companies? (Over 100,000 employees and billions in revenue)
Is the revenue from this single drug so massive that doctors, hospitals and pharmacies stand to lose small fortunes if it is pulled from the market? (Don't let anyone fool you, they may not all see direct revenue from drug sales but the other rev-generators such as tests, hospital stays, office visits, etc all drive cold hard cash for all of them)

Sanofi-Aventis is headquartered in Paris France but has a U.S. headquarters in Bridgewater, New Jersey, which is headed up by chairman Tim Rothwell.

My open letter to Tim Rothwell:
Mr. Rothwell,
It is my belief that you and your staff are keenly aware of the growing collection of shocking, disturbing evidence against your product, Ambien. Yet you continue to sell it. You are often quoted publicly saying, "because health matters". My question to you is, when will health matter more than profits?
As a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist (who's favorite charities are connected to pediatric cancer research) I am all for free enterprise. However, unlike others in the corporate world, I believe there is a significant moral responsibility that comes with success. Mr. Rothwell, you are failing miserably at upholding that responsibility.
I liken you and your company to the tobacco industry. You are making billions of dollars selling a product which is proving to be hazardous to your customers health, some would even say it is deadly, yet you continue to ignore the mounting evidence against your product.
May I publicly say, your days are numbered, as a company, as an executive. It is only a matter of time before a tragedy of historic proportions is tied directly to your Ambien product and then the house of cards you have built around Ambien will come crashing down.
Here is how it will unfold:
1. News will break of a tragic event tying Ambien directly to the horrific event.
2. Sanofi-Aventis stock will plummet, destroying all profits of recent memory.
3. Public outrage will sweep through the media in a matter of hours.
4. Your own employees will begin speaking publicly about what they knew and when they knew it. Internal reports, documents and memos will flood the media. (Your current and former employees have likely already secured copies of incriminating documents, so don't waste time trying to order high level shredding now.)
5. Class action suits will be filed at such significant levels they will rival those brought against the tobacco industry.
6. Government investigations will begin and significant prison sentences will be discussed in the media, similar to the Enron days.
7. You will try and pass the buck to your superiors in Paris but being the man in charge in the U.S., it will be you who will take the fall. Your career will be over, you will do prison time and you will forever regret the many years of ignoring what Ambien is doing to the brains and health of your customers- millions of them.
Tim, avoid this nightmare scenario right now by gathering the evidence which has been repeatedly presented to your company, temporarily pull the product from the shelves and challenge your researchers to solve the issues which are currently plaguing this very flawed, dangerous product. Poof, you are a hero, you save lives, you avert the worlds largest corporate scandal and you stay out of prison.
Whats not to like about that plan?
Embrace my words Tim Rothwell. I am rarely wrong about issues between corporate America and the consumer. Choose the right.
Troy Dunn