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Does someone who participates in a clinical trial make as big a contribution as an organ donor?
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 - 07:27 PM - 9 months, 1 week ago - Blog - Health Business Blog In 2006 the Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research surveyed 900 people, asking: Which one of the following do you think makes a greater contribution to mankind? The results were as follows: A person who donates an organ (40%) A person who gives blood (29%) Not sure/refused (13%) A person who raises money for charity by running in a race (10%) A person who volunteers to take part in a clinical trial (9%) The Center’s founder, Ken Getz, would like to see #5 rise to the top. From Monday’s Boston Globe (There’s virtue in volunteering, he says ) “Participating in a clinical trial can be profound,” he said. “But I don’t think the public understands the magnitude, the impact that volunteering can have, its essential role in every medicine that sits in our medicine cabinets. “If they did, they’d put it on par with organ donation,” he said, referring to the survey where organ donors finished on top. “My mission is to move us out of last place.” Actually, I think the public has these choices in about the right order and that if everyone were well educated on the topic the results might come out about the same. Here’s how I think about it: When a person donates an organ they make a direct, profound difference to someone. In many cases it’s the difference between life and death for a specific, identifiable individual. When organs are harvested from a cadaver it can save several people and provide solace to the donor’s survivors. A blood donor is like an organ donor on a smaller scale. Their blood helps one or more people live. “Not sure/refused” is a pretty good response, too. Who really knows the answer anyway and why is the surveyor asking the question? A person who raises money for charity by running a race is certainly making a noble effort, but who knows how the donation will be used? It’s pretty likely to be wasted in whole or part. A clinical trial volunteer might be contributing to mankind, but it depends a lot on the trial. Sure, other people –possibly many others– may benefit. But only a minority of clinical trial participants are in studies of novel agents. Many are taking part in trials of me-too drugs or extended release versions of products that the manufacturer is trying to get on the market to blunt generic competition. And here’s a dirty little secret: Some trial sponsors enroll patients in unnecessary trials of already-marketed drugs in order to keep competitors from recruiting patients for trials of possibly superior new products. I don’t mean to be harsh on clinical trial participants and I’m not bothered by the work of the Center. However, if I were Getz I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for attitudes to undergo a dramatic change anytime soon. |
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UK Colposcopy Clinics Abiding by Anesthesia Guidelines: Study
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 - 03:10 PM - 9 months, 1 week ago - Newspaper & TV news - Medscape Business of Medicine Headlines Research suggests that in UK colposcopy clinics, the proportion of patients treated under local anesthesia is roughly 80%, which is in line with current consensus guidelines issued in 2004 that recommend that less than 20% of treatments in colposcopy clinics be performed under general anesthesia. Reuters Health Information |
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Cosmetic Castration Banned in Thailand
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 - 02:55 PM - 9 months, 1 week ago - Newspaper & TV news - Medscape Business of Medicine Headlines Thailand's health chiefs barred hospitals and clinics on Wednesday from castrating would-be "lady boys" amid growing concern about the operation being seen as a cheap and quick alternative to a full sex change. Reuters Health Information |
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An unmet need still unmet, tough luck for Pfizer
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 - 02:15 PM - 9 months, 1 week ago - Newspaper & TV news - GLG News(sm): Healthcare Drug (monoclonal ab?) failed in a phase III trial vs chemotherapy (not particularly effective.) |
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California Delays Drug Tracking Law to 2011
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 - 02:03 PM - 9 months, 1 week ago - Newspaper & TV news - GLG News(sm): Healthcare As predicted, the California Board of Pharmacy announced its decision to extend the deadline for implementation of e-pedigree laws to 2011. The timing was unexpected but not the outcome. The Board now avoids the embarrassment of having a legislative or legal solution imposed on them. Let's hope that the Board members can put aside their pharma-bashing and get on with the hard work needed over the next 33 months. |
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FDA Safety Changes: Levaquin, Nexavar, AndroGel
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 - 02:00 PM - 9 months, 1 week ago - Newspaper & TV news - Medscape Business of Medicine Headlines The FDA has approved revisions to the safety labeling for oral and injectable levofloxacin (Levaquin), sorafenib tosylate tablets (Nexavar), and testosterone 1% gel (AndroGel). Medscape Medical News |
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Singulair suicide story won't kill Merck
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 - 11:30 AM - 9 months, 1 week ago - Newspaper & TV news - GLG News(sm): Healthcare Singulair helps millions of people suffering from asthma. While there are a few sporadic cases of suicide and depression among the millions of patients taking singulair, no causal link has been established and there is no clear mechanism of how singulair might even cause such effects. In fact, there were no occurrences of suicide in over 11000 subjects receiving singulair in 40 trials to date. It seems we are dealing with sporadic cases of an unfortunately common problem (suicide) in the setting of a commonly used drug (singulair) for a common disease (asthma). While the data will be reviewed more thoroughly, I suspect that no significant association will be uncovered, that patients will continue taking this drug for asthma, and this story will not have significant effect on Merck sales. |
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Hype and hope for another cancer vaccine
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 - 11:29 AM - 9 months, 1 week ago - Newspaper & TV news - GLG News(sm): Healthcare Biological efficacy has been shown for a number of cancer vaccines. Clinical efficacy has been shown in few of them. Clinical benefit just in one: idiotype vaccine for B-cell lymphoma. TroVax still has to clear the last hurdle, and likely also the second one. |
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MRSA Test Launched in the US
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 - 11:29 AM - 9 months, 1 week ago - Newspaper & TV news - GLG News(sm): Healthcare Methicillin resistant staph aureous (MRSA) is responsible for approximately 19,000 deaths per year in the US. Bio-Rad (AMEX: BIO) recently announced the introduction of its MRSASelect(tm) to identify methicillin resistant staph aureous (MRSA). MRSA is an infectious bacteria resistant to conventional antibiotic therapies and according to leading experts, costs US hospitals on average of $35,000 per incidence. |
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Bénéfice trimestriel plus que doublé pour Monsanto
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 - 05:46 AM - 9 months, 1 week ago - Newspaper & TV news - La Tribune.fr - ACTUALITÉ CHIMIE PHARMACIE Son profit sur trois mois à fin février a bondi de 107% à 1,129 milliard de dollars. |
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