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Pepin's
Pharmaceutical Prattle for 02-08-2010Quote of the day:
It is only possible to live happily ever after
on a day-to-day basis.
Margaret Bonnano
Good Morning!
Food, Water and Air
Egyptians and Native Americans used the crude salicylates found in willow bark extracts for fever reduction long before Bayer ever came around. Civilizations managed for centuries without prescription drugs (no matter what you see on TV commercials). The recent earthquake in Haiti again demonstrated the resilience of humans. One man was pulled out alive after 2 weeks under the rubble. Survival records show that humans can survive for about 3 weeks without food. Water is quite a different matter; 10 days without water is stretching the limits of human endurance (shorter survival times prevail as the temperatures rise above 80 degrees). Oxygen deprivation? Most would last about 6 minutes without brain injury and death.
Some people hold that voting for a political candidate based primarily upon a single issue is irrational. They claim that all issues must be given equal weighting when deciding who is to receive your vote. They wish us to give candidates “a pass” on life issues because the candidates can “do so much good” on other issues. I could not disagree more. Economic issues and social justice issues are the “bread and water” issues on which society will prosper and survive. Disruptions or delays in addressing them will hurt and can kill. Life issues, abortion and euthanasia, are the “air” issues of a civilized people that are most important and immediate. Without life there is no need for social programs. Ignore the primacy of life and our society will eventually starve itself to death like other “great civilizations” before us.
Have a GREAT week!
Steve
ps Have a great Birthday Greg!
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ps. Best answer this week to the question "How are you?" was "I'm looking forward to a superfantastic Superbowl"
pps. Please note that some of the links may not be up for very long and that
you should capture or print anything that you may wish to keep.
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1) CVS to reap “windfall” from generic Lipitor
The economics of generics favors everyone, save the pharmaceutical originator losing the patent. Retail and mail order pharmacies stand to make a higher margin off of brand name drugs going generic next year. Generic Lipitor and Plavix will be the big guns.
2) Original paper “linking” Autism to vaccines was withdrawn by Lancet
It is a rare and serious matter when a journal must retract a scientific paper. The pain and mental anguish that the authors put parents of children with Autism and the pharmaceutical company expenses of performing studies to prove vaccinations safe as well as the many children who were never vaccinated out of fear far exceeds any embarrassment that the authors will endure.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(10)60175-7/fulltext
3) If we could wish ourselves to feel happy why would anyone ever feel sad?
Untreated minor depression can morph into major depression if untreated. Depression is a chemical imbalance that is unresponsive to "boot strapping" of the will... but antidepressants do work.
http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=635574
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4) ED price increases do not cut into sales
Cialis and Viagra have about doubled in price while sales haven’t fallen as a result. Price now stands at about $16 per pill… about the same price of an entrée or a dozen roses.
http://industry.bnet.com/pharma/10006409/=content;load-all-news
5) The Russians are coming… the Russians are coming!
An old Russian antihistamine has been picked up by Pfizer as a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s. Patent will not protect it but it may receive an FDA marketing exclusivity for enough time to make it worth while.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=a7LVuJ3IBd7w
6) Glaxo abandons pain for rare disease research
How to pharmaceuticals combat patent loss? Glaxo thinks it is with more patents on drugs for rare diseses. Of course “rare” usually means “high buck”.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601202&sid=aOfbCLHQqhsY
7) 007 he was not!
Indian national accused of stealing Bristol-Meyers company secrets in hopes of setting up a new pharmaceutical competitor in India. Looks like a big fine and up to 10 years in jail, after which he would be about the same age as Brett Favre is today... but a lot poorer.
http://www.pharmalot.com/2010/02/bristol-myers-employee-stole-company-secrets/
Have a SUPER-FANTASTIC week!
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Disclaimer: "Pepin's Pharmaceutical Prattle" (AKA "The Prattle") is the property of PHARMWORKS, LLC and Steven M. Pepin, Pharm. D, BCPS. The opinions expressed are those of the bald-headed author. To start or stop any drug without the advice and supervision of your physician would be stupid. So don't do anything based upon what you read here without professional advice. To be added to or removed from the distribution list please e-mail your request to spepin@pharmworks.com . All insightful comments from readers are thoughtfully considered (the rest are callously discarded). Copyright 1998-2010 PHARMWORKS,LLC all rights reserved.
Copyright 1998-2010 PHARMWORKS, LLC all rights reserved