Mr Roy Alder, Head of Executive Support
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
Market Towers, 1 Nine Elms Lane
London SW8 5NQ	6 May 2004

Dear Mr Alder,

I think you should know that I feel sorely provoked by the issue raised in the attached letter I sent on 4 May to Professor Sir Alasdair Breckenridge. I shall be pursing the issue with a vigour the likes of which might startle even you.

The MHRA statement issued about Andrew Herxheimer’s and my paper on Yellow Cards is unfair and untrue. Our request for the evidence on which this sleazy statement is based is a complete formality. If you can provide evidence that is more than tragic and laughable, I will publicly grovel by way of attempting to eat my hat outside Market Towers.

This letter gives you the opportunity to resolve this matter in one of two ways. Either the MHRA can spin it out, in which case, I shall certainly do nothing so gentlemanly as head for the Ombudsman; the slight on my professional reputation is grave. Or you can offer me and Andrew Herxheimer a prompt and unambiguous apology, with an appropriate note on the MHRA website as well. I can’t speak for Andrew Herxheimer, but this would attract a much gentler response from me, without further undermining public trust in the MHRA.

I look forward to hearing from you very soon. My next website update is planned in two or three days time; meanwhile, this letter and much supporting data remain strong candidates for publication.

Yours sincerely,
Charles Medawar

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