Pepin’s Pharmaceutical Prattle for 03-21-2005

 Good morning !

 The most liberal thing you can do

“Liberal” and “conservative” are terms tossed around like hand grenades. Hubert Humphrey (VP from Minnesota) was “liberal” in the best possible way…. he fought for those with no voice…those who were weak and in need. The current “liberals” are more about protecting the rights of able-bodied voters than of those in need of a champion. Don’t think in terms of “liberal” or “conservative” when it comes to social issue. Instead try to ascertain Veritas, the truth. I hope that everyone can learn to defend the defenseless. 

Terri Schiavo has brain damage; she is not “brain dead”. She has lived with this damage for the last 15 years because she has been nourished through her feeding tube. This is not “heroic” treatment but simple, standard support. “Liberal” judges, lawyers and legislators have championed the cause for her death while others have fought for Terri’s life. It appears that, barring some extraordinary intervention, she will soon be dehydrated and starved to death since the order for tube feeding removal. If a death row inmate was condemned to have all food and water withheld until death ensued this would be considered “Cruel and unusual punishment”. Understand that this is about PRIDE. PROUD men and women do not want to be TOLD that they are prohibited from ANY activity or that they HAVE to do anything. This isn’t a new issue. Remember the story of Adam and Eve? The ancient Greeks would take the old and infirm and leave them on a mountain side to die. If Terri lived back then, her mother and father would have been free to retrieve her from the mountain-side and care for her. Not so today.

Seek the truth, defend those without a voice, give to the poor, do the right thing. If nothing else, do it for yourself. Hopefully we can change the mindset of the country before you and I become disabled, mute, poor, or defenseless.

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ps. Best answer this week to the question "How are you?" was "Still kickin'...and if it wasn't for this bone in my leg, I'd be kickin' higher!" (Airport security screener at the MPLS airport) 

1) Eminent Domain on drugs?

Washington DC councilman proposes to seize intellectual property as is done with land. This proposes to unravel the patent laws of the world!

When are these elected officials going to realize that when they propose such stupid policies that foreign governments will jump all over the issue and "vacate" US patents. When the Anthrax issue first hit the news, someone proposed vacating the patent on CIPRO if the manufacturer would not sell the drug to the government at cost. It wasn't too much later that the world community started pushing to be able to manufacture AIDS drugs in spite of patents. China recently "vacated" the patent on Viagra so that it could "legally" manufacture and sell "Chinese Viagra".

If drug patents are ok to seize then why not automobiles, pacemakers, lawn mowers, computers, software and just about anything? 

 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1350896/posts

 The link is to a blog site. You can register and join in the discussion or just read the pithy comments.

2) Ain't that sweet

New antidiabetic drug approved to use in conjunction with insulin. It is injected like insulin but this derivative of Gilla Monster spit acts in a different way to provide better control of blood sugars. It took 10 years to get this approved so there are only 10 years left on the patent (if patents continue to exist). I believe the drug to be a revolutionary step in the treatment of diabetes.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/world/11161951.htm

3) Asthma just because more expensive

Xolair has been around for several years now. Conventional therapy involves the use of high dose inhaled corticosteroids, long-acting beta2-agonists, controller medications and/or oral corticosteroids.  At about $3500 per month, Xolair has been reserved for the most serious, refractory cases of asthma. This study shows that it works. The key will be making sure that traditional therapy has failed before stepping up to this “big gun”. Not surprisingly, the manufacturers supported this research… not necessarily a bad thing but something to note.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=594&ncid=594&e=6&u=/nm/20050317/hl_nm/asthma_xolair_dc

 4) Pick the young doctors

This study shows that old doctors practice old medicine while the young ones are more up to date on the literature and practice “better” medicine. Those old physicians and pharmacist who actively recertify through specialty boards would be expected to be better that their piers through additional study and testing.

http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-dscovc4176183mar15,0,1262361.story?coll=ny-health-headlines

5) Fat Farmaceutical Faces Formal Fracas

Meridia (used for weight control) may be the next drug to face class-action litigation. Slightly raises blood pressure in some people. Expect a change in labeling but for the drug to be around for a long time.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0503120289mar13,1,3016644.story?coll=chi-business-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

 6) Danny Devito and Arnold?

Chances of having Twins are not increased by the use of folic acid. Women who are pregnant or will be so in the near future should build up their stores of folic acid. This vitamin appears to fend off certain types of birth defects attributed to low folic acid levels. An over the counter prenatal vitamin can do the trick but switch to generic prescription strength when you know you are pregnant.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2005-03-18T183439Z_01_B268501_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-FOLATE-TWINS-DC.XML

 7) Medical maggots?

Not for the faint of heart. They eat only non-living flesh so actually are able to clean wounds. Maggots sell for over $150 per pound. I can just see the future SPAM ads for maggot farming opportunities. A clinical trial has been launched to test them against treatment with medication. Would I use them if it was appropriate?…. Yes (if the evidence proves them better)!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7229059/

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