Analysis of:
Health Firms to Study Clots in Stent Patients (online.wsj.com)
This plan to start a large trial to determine the optimal antiplatelet therapy. after [drug-eluting] stent implantation makes sense both scientifically and economically for the involved stent companies (Johnson & Johnson, Boston Scientific, Medtronic and Abbott).
Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol Myers...
Analysis of:
Pfizer shifts focus to cancer and biotech drugs (ap.google.com)
The growth of the big pharma companies in the past 20-30 years has to do with the fact that the medical community was willing to accept large trials (some with surrogate endpoints) as proof that a new treatment is good and that it can replace the old one.
Since the problems with Troglitazone, Cerivastatin,...
Analysis of:
Anemia Drugs Linked to Stroke Study Deaths: FDA (health.usnews.com)
The anemia drug erythropoietin and its congeners have been used extensively in patients with renal failure and in patients with cancer to boost the red cell count. However, erythropoietin also helps reduce programmed cellular death and is involved in the growth of new vessels. Because of these features...
Analysis of:
Medicare overpaid on drugs with new generics, report says (www.latimes.com)
The Medicare drug system was a political ploy. This just confrims it. The private insurers were unwilling to offer Rx coverage before then because they understood the economics of it.
Analysis of:
Heart Stents No Better Than Drugs for Chest Pain Over Time (www.bloomberg.com)
The general public hears the bullet that stents are no better than medications, but the reality that this trial (COURAGE trial) had major flaws, the main being that only 10% of the patients screened participated in the trial. 90% were excluded. Thus, the patients enrolled were not necessarily the typical...
Analysis of:
FDA Alert: Hemorrhagic or Necrotizing Pancreatitis in Patients Taking Byetta (www.fda.gov)
If truly an association, this will alter the use of this drug.
Analysis of:
Heart Stents No Better Than Drugs for Chest Pain Over Time (www.bloomberg.com)
the impact will be small. The study is not a big surprise. No cardiologist thought he is saving lives stenting arteries in stable patients. The study required every one to get an angiogram if they had an abnormal stress test to qualify. We probably already not refer every abnormal test for cath using...
Analysis of:
Heart Stents No Better Than Drugs for Chest Pain Over Time (www.bloomberg.com)
Once again, we see that medications in most cases are as effective as stenting. This is old news dating back to the CASS trial in the 1970's and 1980's. Every time we come up with a slick new device we test it against the standard of care and it comes up more expensive and no more effective. ...
Analysis of:
Abbott signs deal to promote Crestor in U.S. (www.chicagotribune.com)
As the market for branded statins dries up slowly now with generic simvastatin and lipitor poised for the same fate, the fixed dose combos are the only salvation for the branded drugs. Abbott has failed to capitalize on the fact that they have the only safe effective and approved drug for raising...
Analysis of:
National Trends in Psychotherapy by Office-Based Psychiatrists (archpsyc.ama-assn.org)
Given the increased awareness for toxicities related to SSRIs, this article is quite important.