ppp 09-19-05

Quote of the day:

The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.

Chinese Proverb

This week a Wisconsin man was convicted of the murder of 6 hunters last November. Only one victim was armed at the time that he chased them though the woods and shot them in the back. I figured that he would be convicted when he took the stand on the last day of the trial and stated that 3 of the people he killed "deserved to die" because they disrespected him. The state of Wisconsin does not have the death penalty so he dealt out a more severe punishment for "disrespect" that he will receive for multiple murders.

Have you ever been "disrespected"? How did it make you feel? Were you really worthy of any special respect when this happened? The best way to get respect is to treat all others with dignity and respect at all times. When cut off in traffic, don't reach for your "driving finger" but be thankful that you were alert enough to avoid an accident. And for all of the cement heads (who I am trying so hard to respect)… the exit lane was not put there for your personal convenience; don't tailgate (can you really go any faster than I can in the same space in rush hour traffic?); and weaving in and out of traffic may work on video games but there is no reset button on real life (when you die you can't press the restart or "do over").

Will it be safer for the hunters to be in the woods this fall than last year? Maybe,,, if everyone takes this tragic story to heart and realizes how quickly a confrontation can take an ugly turn, especially when guns are involved. Still about 6 weeks before the season opens. Let's hope that the collective memory will last at least that long.

ps. Best answer this week to the question "How are you?" was "If I were any better, I'd be done with my homework!" (my son who just started grad school earlier this month)

pps. Occasionally, some of the links require FREE registration.... I'm sure you can handle THAT slight inconvenience.

This isn't exactly PHARMACEUTICAL prattle but touches a subject in which I have taken a great interest over the years…. breast cancer. There is a definitive answer on the more expensive and less available DIGITAL examination. Both systems were used on the same day and the digital exam detected more cancers. Digital won, especially for women under 50 years of age. Treatment is most effective when given early so this earlier detection can be translated into more saved lives. ANY mammography is better than NO mammography but insisting on the DIGITAL test is important…. and the technology is improving.

Inhaled insulin could be approved just days before the end on October. I find it strangely funny…… with all of the candy out on the street at that time of year. If they don't launch for a few weeks then at east they'll have Thanksgiving/ Pfizer could use a break….with all of the other Pfizer Pstuff to hit the Phan lately. (at least they are not Merck!)

There are already about 9 Growth Hormones on the market but none are considered "generic". Growth hormones could become available generically if Novartis gets it way in court. They are forcing the FDA to set a date for a decision. If successful then you will see more generic forms of many other biotech drugs.

… what happening down on the Pharm. Human genes introduced into chickens who now lay eggs with human monoclonal antibodies that fight cancer... Each chicken becomes a pint-sized chemical factory. When species are mixed the resultant creature is a chimera (or "monster") Just how did those human genes get introduced? Sounds like a bad British sci-fi picture plot. What's wrong McFly?…. Chicken?

Hormonal contraceptive are notorious for causing blood clots and other such problems. Should not be a big surprise that this happened. If these women are smokers then they should collect a dime. It is known that if patients are over 300 lbs that the patch may not prevent pregnancy….but then again these big girls would be expected to have other problems to boot… including health problems.

Pennsylvania hired 9 pharmacists to "counter-detail" physicians who write prescriptions for their poor charges. They expect to save money (or why do it?). Will "best" just mean "cheapest"? No details are found in the story. Expect heavy emphasis on generics. Some PBMs have been doing this for years. I believe the ratio used is about 300 physicians for each pharmacist. So they can expect to see about 27,000 physicians… that is if the physicians will see them. (There are about 40,000 physicians licensed in the state but estimates are that about 28,000 are actively practicing ).

A lot of drugs in the news lately about Myelodysplastic Syndrome. To educate yourselves about the disease you can always visit.

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