GLG News by Physicians who Treat Hypertension (US)

The article indicates that medications will be designed to be effective for particular populations.  This will prevent the need to try medications which are effective for 50% of the population or less.

1:Crestor is the most potent statin in the market,yet is 3d in sales behind Zocor and Lipitor.2:The efficacy supriority together with its capacity to lower CRP levels led to the highest rate of ASCVD prevention in the shortest period of time evr documented in statin trials.3:The trial in near 18,000...

The JUPITER trial showed that people with what is regarded as normal ('bad') cholesterol and elevated C-reactive protein benefit more from the choleterol lowering drug rosuvastatin (Crestor, Astra-Zeneca) than from placebo. The first question is: is this true only for this particular type of statin...

     There will need to be some changes in the process by which the FDA evaluates drugs and devices. Quick vetting will require: 1. Safety: No signals of danger 2. Cost: No increase in cost, or actual savings 3. Benefits: When compared to current therapy, not placebo      ...

The Endeavour stent appears to have a higher restenosis rate than currently marketed Drug Eluting Stents without the improved safety profile claimed by the company.  This finding is at odds with the companies marketing message to cardiologists.  These studies, along with the introduction of...

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...

C. difficile is only linked to antibiotic use about half the time.  In addition c. difficile can complicate IBS more that previously thought.  This may be why antibiotics that cover c. difficile have been useful in treating irritable bowel syndrome.  

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,...

The articles more often go unpublished if the study indicates that there is no benefit to new drugs over older drugs.

How can we best determine if the correlation is a direct cause an effect.  Do the anticholinergics cause increase MI and cardiac disease or do the anticholinergics lead to something else that results in MI and carddiovascular disease.