All GLG News Analyses Filed Under: Cardiology

The report, if validated, could provide an insight into the coming pandemic.

Avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as bird flu, acts just as other strains of bird flu. It started likely in wild fowl/bird, then infected poultry raised by humans. Thus, these infected birds (which we think spread the virus among themselves via feces) come in very close contact with humans, a...

The PROMUS everolimus eluting stent system has been launched in Europe.This represents the 2nd drug eluting stent from Boston Scientific (in conjunction with Abbott).  PROMUS is a private-labeled XIENCE™ V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System manufactured by Abbott and distributed by...

*The major problem with niacin and MK-0524 is being missed*Much of the target audience cannot take niacin*Making supplements into drugs requires a better understanding of what consumers want from both

In 1975, a landmark study of 8341 patients who had had myocardial infarctions (MIs) were randomized to niacin or placebo.  Men taking niacin had a 26% reduction in MIs and 27% reduction in strokes. 15 years later, patients in the niacin group had 11% lower mortality than those in the placebo group.Researchers...

1. Pfizer Inc, the pharmaceutical giant, halted late-stage trials of the HDL increasing drug torcetrapib after investigators discovered that it increased heart problems and increased death rates in the treated population. 2. Niacin, a B vitamin that increases HDL (the good cholesterol) up to 35%, has...

Niacin has been around for years. Side effects and various preparations, which should not be interchanged put the drug on the backburner. There is a combo drug with a statin on the market. With the loss of Pfizer's HDL drug, niacin should be making a resurgence. It needs better and more press.

With the demise of the clinical development of Torcetrapib we are forced to reevaluate our views of HDL raising.We have had good HDL-raising drugs for many years, but they have gone underutilized and underappreciated.Many cardiologists (often supposed by others to be lipid experts) have never or rarely...

New medication from PFIZER halted secondary to side effects.This leaves use with Niacin to raise HDL and lower triglycerides.Flushing and side effects/restrictions with RX need to be improved for increased Niacin use.

I too await safer, cheaper, better-tolerated drugs to treat common problems (the more at one time, the better)--but we should not underestimate the value of options that are already available.