Study: Physicians give less credence to studies funded by pharmaceutical industry
By Chelsea Conaboy, Globe Staff
Doctors are less likely to trust studies funded by the pharmaceutical industry even when they are well-designed, a study lead by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School found.
Recent ethical transgressions in industry-funded studies likely have affected how physicians view industry research, the authors write. But pharmaceutical companies continue to play a big role in drug development.
Doctors should be wary, said Dr. Aaron Kesselheim, lead author on the study published in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine. “On the other hand,” he said, “there is a lot of good industry-funded research out there. If people are being too skeptical and painting everything with the same brush, then that will reduce the inclination for physicians to act on really good research simply because it’s being funded” by pharmaceutical companies.
The researchers evaluated the responses of 263 internists assessing a series of studies for hypothetical new drugs to treat persistent chest pain, diabetes, or high blood cholesterol. The physicians were asked to score the studies on how confident they were in the results and how likely they were to prescribe the drug.
The studies were of variable levels of quality. Some were characterized as large, randomized, long-running studies that included reports on a drug’s safety. Others were significantly smaller, with no safety report and no “blinding,” meaning patients and physicians knew whether they were in the study group or control group, which can bias the results.
The studies also had either no funding disclosure or were described as being funded by a pharmaceutical company or by the federal government’s National Institutes of Health.
Kesselheim said he was “heartened” to see how well the doctors distinguished between strong study designs and weaker ones. The ways in which they interpreted funding disclosures were trickier.
Doctors generally discounted the credibility they assigned to studies funded by industry, as compared with those that were government-funded or had no funding disclosure at all. That was true even when the strength of design was the same across the studies.
The authors note that a doctor’s willingness to prescribe a new drug may be determined in large part by a single significant study, so a physician’s perception ultimately can affect patient care.
Kesselheim said the results should put pressure on the pharmaceutical industry to prevent further ethical lapses. They highlight the need for more NIH funding of drug studies and continued efforts to monitor research to guard against results tampering, he said.
Chelsea Conaboy can be reached at cconaboy@boston.com. Follow her on Twitter @cconaboy.
http://www.boston.com/whitecoatnotes/2012/09/20/study-physicians-give-less-credence-studies-funded-pharmaceutical-industry/xd8MAnN5SqizUiBO6kTTOJ/story.html
GOTBO = glimpse of the bleeding obvious read more..
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Chelsea Conaboy's GOTBO
Another 'must read'
A Must-Read Book That Exposes the Impact of Big Food, Big Ag and Big Pharma on Our Lives
Born with a Junk Food Deficiency: How flaks, quacks, and hacks pimp the public health
Martha Rosenberg
Prometheus Books
ISBN 978–1–61614–593–4
373 pages; Hardcover
Can anyone remember life before "Ask your Doctor" ads?—Born with a Junk Food Deficiency, p. 17
How can drugs designed to make animals gain weight fast not have an impact on national obesity?—Born with a Junk Food Deficiency, p. 219
Certain books are for certain people. Born with a Junk Food Deficiency is for people who eat, use prescription drugs, have or intend to have children, or care for or expect to care for aged parents. People who are concerned about women's health, veterans' health, animal welfare, consumer rights, truth-in-advertising, state or federal budget crises, or the undue influence of corporate money on democracy will want to read this book. Given that the food and pharmaceutical corporations that are mentioned in the book are transnational, I would also recommend it to anyone in the world who reads English.
Born with a Junk Food Deficiency is a thoroughly researched and documented exposé of what Big Food, Big Ag, and Big Pharma are doing to us, to animals, and to our ways of practicing business, medicine and democracy, all in the name of Big Profit. The author, independent investigative journalist Martha Rosenberg, told me in a telephone interview that she took seven years to do the research and another year to write and illustrate the book. What emerges from Rosenberg's research is a no-holds-barred indictment of corporate control over some of the most intimate aspects of our lives: The food we eat and the medicines, especially psychiatric medicines, we take.
Despite the title, the first part of Born with a Junk Food Deficiency is all about prescription drugs. The first chapter, "When the Medication is ready, the Disease (and Patients) will appear—OR when TV makes you sick," takes us on a journey through pharmaceutical advertising, starting in the '50s and '60s in professional journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) through the current Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) advertising touting medications for every condition from seasonal allergies to bipolar disorder. She shows that these ads are heavily sexist and ageist and that in the effort to develop new markets, the pharmaceutical industry has developed a population that sees itself as ill. (According to About,com, nearly 4 billion prescriptions were written in the United States in 2010). People self-diagnose on websites, then report to their doctors demanding the latest advertised drug, sometimes with a coupon in hand. Rosenberg states in the book that doctors have had to take classes in refusal skills to deal with these patients.
Of course, sometimes people really do become ill, no thanks, in part, to our junk food diets. But the problem is not just too much soda and a sedentary lifestyle. Sometimes the problem is the chemicals with which Big Ag has laced our foods, especially our animal products, to make the most money in the shortest amount of time. A recent Agence France Press article, about the southern region of the U.S. being the most obese in the country, cast the blame on "cliché" Southern foods such as fried chicken and fried okra. As I pointed out to Rosenberg in our interview, these foods had been popular in the South long before the obesity epidemic. And as Rosenberg wrote in Chapter 9 of the book, titled The drugstore in your meat, " . . . [C]hickens were once slaughtered at 14 weeks old, when they weighed about two pounds, but by 2001, they were slaughtered at seven weeks, when they weighed between four and six pounds." (Hint: cooking does not rid the meat of growth-promoting hormones and antibiotics the animals are fed.)
For me, the best things about Born with a Junk Food Deficiency are the sometim read more..
Friday, 28 September 2012
Intone-Prweb
InControl Medical has certified Lora Plaskon, M.D., M.S., to prescribe InTone for women with bladder leakage.(PRWeb September 20, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/9/prweb9904655.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
Shelba J. Bethel, M.D., Receives InTone Specialist Certification
InControl Medical has certified Shelba J. Bethel, M.D., to prescribe InTone for women with bladder leakage.(PRWeb September 22, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/9/prweb9906364.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
Premature Ventricular-Chest Pains-Esperide-Intone-Facog
I am suffering from premature ventricular beats as well as premature atrial beats. Also getting short chest pains, This happens all day on and off and is definitely exercise induced. Cardiologist keeps on saying nothing to worry about. I lost my husband 4 months ago and have been on Esperide for about 6 months. I have suffered from arrythmias before when not on Esperide but nothing half as bad as at present. Could this be drug induced? I also take Zanor SR - 4 Replies read more..
Marko J. Jachtorowycz, MD, FACOG, FACS, Receives InTone Specialist...
InControl Medical has certified Marko J. Jachtorowycz, MD, FACOG, FACS, to prescribe InTone for women with bladder leakage.(PRWeb September 13, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/9/prweb9886889.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
Monday, 24 September 2012
Ovarian Cancer Patients-European Union Group-Swiss Drug Maker-European Panel
Avastin, the world's best-selling cancer drug from Swiss drug maker Roche, received a positive opinion Friday from a European Union group to treat a subset of ovarian cancer patients.The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, essentially recommended that EU authorities approve Avastin in combination with the chemotherapy agents carboplatin and gemcitabine to treat women with recurrent, platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer, the company said Friday.Avastin was developed by South… (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines)MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please have a look at this new site driven by MedWorm: The Breast Cancer Daily read more..
Thursday, 20 September 2012
Misleading Advertising-Pharma Campaign
Got Low T? In one sense, it is refreshing to see men being the target of pharma, after all these years of women being the focus of relentless and misleading advertising. On the other, we re seeing the start of yet another pharma campaign to dupe the public by the unnecessary medicalization of symptoms to create new drug markets. I used to be a fairly enthusiastic pharma fan, but over recent years have become increasingly disillusioned. The hype over testosterone is the latest example of why. With so many pressing problems in the world, I wish pharma would focus their attention on doing something more useful with their energies. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please have a look at this new site driven by MedWorm: The Breast Cancer Daily read more..
Saturday, 15 September 2012
Food Safety Modernization Act-Center For Food Safety-Regulations-Provisions-Fsma
By Ricardo Carvajal –The Center for Food Safety and the Center for Environmental Health filed suit in the Northern District of California to compel FDA and the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) to implement several major provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act (“FSMA”). Those provisions require rulemaking to establish or provide for:
- Hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls
- Clarification of activities that subject a farm to facility registration requirements
- Science-based minimum standards for the safe production and harvesting of fresh fruits and vegetables
- Protection against intentional adulteration
- Sanitary transportation of food
- Foreign supplier verification
- Standards for third-party audits
Plaintiffs cite the numerous outbreaks that have occurred since the passage of FSMA in support of their allegation that “the agency’s unlawful delay is putting millions of lives at risk from contracting foodborne illness.” They contend that FDA’s failure to issue the regulations and OMB’s failure to provide timely review “constitutes unlawfully withheld and unreasonably delayed agency action” within the meaning of the Administrative Procedure Act ("APA"). They also contend that FDA’s failure to enforce FSMA’s self-executing provisions constitutes an APA violation. Plaintiffs ask the court to order FDA to issue the regulations “as soon as reasonably practicable” pursuant to a court-ordered timeline, and to order OMB to approve the regulations and “cease interfering with FDA’s promulgation” of those regulations. Plaintiffs also ask the court to order FDA to “enforce all self-executing FSMA regulations immediately.”
The filing of this lawsuit comes as little surprise given the constituencies that backed passage of FSMA and the delays in the completion of OMB’s review. APA litigation to compel agency action is typically protracted, so we expect to follow this case for months (if not years) to come. read more..
Wednesday, 5 September 2012
Blood Loss-Health Tip-Anemia-Risk
-- Anemia occurs when there's not enough iron in your blood. While the condition can affect people of any age or gender, women of childbearing age are at greater risk, due to blood loss from menstruation.The U.S. National Heart Lung and Blood... read more..
My Muscle Mentor
As gyms experience a surge fitness classes attendance, they're finding the linchpin of a successful class is a charismatic instructor. (Source: WSJ.com: Health) read more..
National Health Surveillance Agency-Counterfeit Versions-Counterfeit Drugs-Schering-Plough
Authorities in Brazil have seized counterfeit versions of two Schering-Plough drugs that are popular among bodybuilders.The country's National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) says enforcement officers seized and destroyed three lots of counterfeit Schering-Plough products. According to SecuringPharma, the counterfeits were two lots of Schering-Plough's Deca-Durabolin and one lot of hormone-based therapy Durateston, which is made by its subsidiary Organon. SecuringPharma says Schering-Plough confirmed that it had not manufactured the products and that the lot numbers on the packaging didn't match numbers it uses on its own products. It also noted that one lot of Deca-Durabolin drugs seized was labeled as being 250 mg, which is not a formulation Schering-Plough makes.Durateston is a testosterone product and Deca-Durabolin is used to treat postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Both promote muscle growth and are frequently sought out by bodybuilders. The seizures of counterfeits have been on the rise around the world. The European Union recently reported an enormous increase in counterfeit drugs, many of them coming out of China. China recently announced that it had rounded up nearly 2,000 drug counterfeiting suspects and destroyed 1,100 production plants. The U.S., meanwhile, has arrested and prosecuted a number of counterfeiters.
- read the SecuringPharma story
Related Articles:
EU counterfeit drug seizures surge; most fakes from China
China sweeps in on drug counterfeiters
Counterfeiting conviction highlights danger of cold chain lapseLike what you're reading?
Click here to get more news delivered to your inbox everyday >> read more..
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
Photodynamic Cosmetic Treatment-Plastic Surgery-Dynamic Results-Timeless Skin
Iowa Plastic Surgery is thrilled to be offering Allumera as a new photodynamic cosmetic treatment that produces dynamic results for timeless skin and offers a new way for women & men to look their...(PRWeb August 30, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9847593.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please have a look at this new site driven by MedWorm: The Breast Cancer Daily read more..
Monday, 3 September 2012
Dr.Reddy&Amp;#39;S Laboratories-Cancer Patients-Stock Options-Equity Shares
SUNDAY, Sept. 2 -- Even though research has shown that exercise offers significant benefits in cancer care and recovery, many patients are reluctant to exercise and few discuss it with their oncologists, according to a new study.Exercise can... read more..
Anti-Aging Site Announces Review for Combating Aging Symptoms After...
Anti-aging website, AntiAgingProductsReviewed.com, is announcing new anti-aging reports so they can help women not only combat the signs of physical facial signs of aging but with other aging symptoms...(PRWeb September 02, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/MarineD3/MarineD3Ingredients/prweb9861322.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors read more..
Dr.Reddy's Laboratories Ltd Announces Allotment Of Equity Shares On Exercise Of Stock Options
Dr.Reddy's Laboratories Ltd Announces Allotment Of Equity Shares On Exercise Of Stock Options
Reuters Key Development - 2 hours ago read more..
Sunday, 2 September 2012
Atrial Fibrillation-Irregular Heartbeat-Support Services-Globe Newswire-Cline Cellars
SONOMA, Calif., Aug. 29, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cline Cellars, a family-owned and operated winery located in the Carneros growing district of Sonoma, has announced that for the second year, Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) has been named as the beneficiary of a $25,000 donation. The money will fund low or no cost education and support services for women and their caregivers. The partnership between Cline Cellars and LBBC began in 2011. (Source: Medical News (via PRIMEZONE)) read more..
Irregular Heartbeat May Pose Higher Stroke Risk for Women Than Men
FRIDAY, Aug. 31 -- Women older than 75 who have a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation are 20 percent more likely to have a stroke than men in the same age group with atrial fibrillation, according to a large new study.However,... read more..
Kidney Problems-Kidney Stones-Younger Women-Alcohol Abuse-White Matter
FRIDAY, Aug. 31 -- New research suggests that people who have kidney stones -- especially younger women -- are slightly more likely to develop more serious kidney problems later in life.The study, published online Aug. 30 in BMJ, doesn't prove... read more..
Women's Brains React Differently Than Men's to Alcoholism, Study Finds
FRIDAY, Aug. 31 -- Long-term alcohol abuse affects men differently than women, according to a new study of recovering alcoholics that found white matter in women's brains recovers faster than it does in men.Over time, alcoholism results in the... read more..
Michael R. Ellen, M.D., Receives InTone Specialist Certification
InControl Medical has certified Michael R. Ellen, M.D. to prescribe InTone for women with bladder leakage.(PRWeb September 01, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/9/prweb9851169.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
Friday, 31 August 2012
Sudden Cardiac Arrest-Exercise
THURSDAY, Aug. 30 -- People who suffer a cardiac arrest during or shortly after exercise are three times more likely to survive than those who have a cardiac arrest not linked to exercise, a new study finds.Sudden cardiac arrest results from an... read more..
Another One Bites The Dust-Chairman And Ceo-Investor Concern-Health Insurer-Powerful Women
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29 -- Thirty minutes of daily exercise achieves the same amount of weight loss as 60 minutes, according to a small new study.The research included 60 heavy but healthy Danish men who exercised for either 30 or 60 minutes a day... read more..
Another One Bites The Dust: Angela Braly Resigns As CEO Of WellPoint
WellPoint Chairman and CEO Angela Braly resigned yesterday amid increased investor concern over the health insurer’s performance. She was tapped as chief of the $61-billion (sales) company, the second largest health insurer in the U.S., in 2007. Braly was recently named No. 24 on the FORBES list of the world’s most powerful women and is one of many prominent businesswomen who have stepped down or been pushed out of their companies in the last year. (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News) read more..
Cancer Drug Herceptin-Breast Cancer Drug-Physical Exercise-Cardiac Problems
THURSDAY, Aug. 30 -- Women who've had three or more abortions are at increased risk for premature and low birth-weight babies when they first give birth, a new study indicates.Researchers looked at more than 300,000 Finnish mothers and found that... read more..
Breast Cancer Drug May Harm the Heart More Than Thought
THURSDAY, Aug. 30 -- Women with breast cancer who are treated with the cancer drug Herceptin may have more long-term cardiac problems than experts have thought, new research suggests.It has been known that women treated with anti-cancer drugs... read more..
UK physiotherapy sells out to Big Pharma. Is chiropractic next?
Be prepared to buy another dictionary next year because the one you have is going to be obsolete. Today, physiotherapy is defined as "the treatment of disease by physical exercise, massage etc., not drugs." This definition; however, will need to be amended to indicate... (Source: NaturalNews.com) read more..
Thursday, 30 August 2012
Alzheimer&Amp;#39;S Disease-Living With Fibromyalgia-Mental Deterioration-British Researchers
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29 -- A "happy" gene that affects females but not males may explain why women are often happier than men, research suggests.In the new study, researchers analyzed data from 193 women and 152 men who were assessed for happiness and... read more..
Mental Skills Decline More Sharply for Women With Alzheimer's: Study
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29 -- Mental deterioration occurs more quickly in women with Alzheimer's disease than in men with the devastating brain illness, a new study finds.British researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 15 published studies of Alzheimer's... read more..
Health Tip: Living With Fibromyalgia
-- Fibromyalgia is a little-understood disorder that causes pain and other symptoms throughout the body.The womenshealth.gov website offers these suggestions for better living with fibromyalgia:Get plenty of sleep.Exercise as much as you can.... read more..
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners-Definitive Agreements-Common Stock
CORAL GABLES, Fla., Aug. 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc. (Nasdaq:CPRX) announced today that it has entered into definitive agreements to sell (i) 4.0 million shares of the Company's common stock, and (ii) common stock purchase warrants to purchase an aggregate of 1.2 million shares of the Company's common stock, in a registered direct public offering. The aggregate offering price for each share and corresponding warrant is $1.50, resulting in gross proceeds of $6 million. The common stock purchase warrants have a five year-term and an exercise price of $2.08 per share. (Source: Medical News (via PRIMEZONE)) read more..
Physical Therapists-Physical Therapy-Eating Behaviors-Emotional Link-Eating Habits
TUESDAY, Aug. 28 -- Older women who want to keep off weight -- no small feat for many after menopause -- might consider four specific eating behaviors, according to new research."Losing weight and maintaining a weight loss is incredibly... read more..
New Emotional Link to Eating
Women with abnormal eating behaviors misinterpreted facial expressions in others, especially anger and fear. (Source: WSJ.com: Health) read more..
Palmer Physical Therapy moves further east to Remington Place
Palmer Physical Therapy for Women is now in a new space, and with that comes aspirations of growth.Owner Pam Palmer says moving her clinic to a 3,300-square-foot suite in Remington Place Executive Park at 10333 E. 21st St., near Greenwich Road, gives it room to grow. Palmer says that now the move is complete she can focus on adding two more physical therapists. The new space, Palmer says, also has more parking.Palmer Physical Therapy had been in a 2,500-square-foot space next to Cambridge Family… (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines) read more..
Midlife Fitness
MONDAY, Aug. 27 -- Staying physically fit in middle age makes it less likely that you'll develop chronic diseases ranging from heart disease to certain cancers in old age, new research finds."Not only do the people with higher fitness live a... read more..
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Sexually Transmitted Diseases-Federal Appeals Court-Health Care Program-Planned Parenthood
A federal appeals court has overturned an injunction by a district judge that was keeping Texas officials from barring Planned Parenthood from a health care program that serves low-income women, the Austin American-Statesman reports.Planned Parenthood has been the largest provider of services for the program since it began in 2006, serving more than 40 percent of the 130,000 uninsured patients who receive screenings for cancer, hypertension and sexually transmitted diseases.The state of Texas… (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines) read more..
Penn State University-University Of Akron-Physical Health-Better Health
MONDAY, Aug. 20 -- Mothers who work full time report better mental and physical health than stay-at-home moms or women who work part time, according to a new study.Researchers from University of Akron and Penn State University found that women who... read more..
Testosterone Supplementation in Women with Diminished Ovarian Reserve...
New York City fertility clinic Center for Human Reproduction is initiating a new clinical trial to study testosterone supplementation as a treatment for poor ovarian reserve.(PRWeb August 20, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/diminishedovarianreserv/prweb9813285.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
Breast Cancer Recurrence-Risk
MONDAY, Aug. 27 -- Women who are overweight or obese when diagnosed with the most common form of breast cancer have a higher risk of recurrence than slimmer patients, according to a new analysis."Patients who are obese are significantly more... read more..
American Academy Of Orthopaedic Surgeons-Osteoporosis-Bone Cells-Health Tip
-- Some people are more likely than others to develop osteoporosis, since their bone cells don't replenish themselves quickly enough.The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says exercise can help, but it may not thwart osteoporosis entirely.... read more..
Bladder Leakage-Prweb
InControl Medical has certified Troy Robbin Hailparn, M.D., to prescribe InTone for women with bladder leakage(PRWeb August 24, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9830716.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
Saturday, 25 August 2012
Lifestyle Factors-Lack Of Exercise-Health Concerns-National Survey-Osteoporosis
FRIDAY, Aug. 24 -- Along with adult women, teen girls should receive medical advice about bone health and the lifestyle factors that could affect their risk for fractures or osteoporosis, such as smoking, poor eating habits and too much weight loss,... read more..
Couch-Potato Kids Are Top U.S. Child Health Problem: Poll
FRIDAY, Aug. 24 -- Lack of exercise and obesity are the top two health concerns for U.S. children, according to adults who took part in a newly released national survey.The respondents were asked to identify the 10 biggest health concerns for... read more..
Friday, 24 August 2012
National Institutes Of Health-Circle Of Friends-Health Benefits-Health Tip
-- Dancing is a fun way to exercise, and it can offer many health benefits for people of any size.The U.S. National Institutes of Health says the health benefits of dancing could include:Better muscle tone.Improved flexibility.Improved... read more..
More Friends, Greater Well-Being at Midlife?
THURSDAY, Aug. 23 -- Having a wide circle of friends helps middle-aged men and women have a greater sense of well-being, according to new research.A network of relatives is also important, they found, but only for men.Study author Dr. Noriko... read more..
Migraine Sufferers-Relpax-Pfizer-Replax
The "DDR on DTC" column in the August 2012 issue of MM&M magazine ripped into a print ad that showed a woman migraine sufferer being able to mop the floor after taking the Pfizer anti-migraine headache drug Replax.
"DTC ads used to be over-aspirational," said the author, Deborah Dick-Rath, "we saw relieved arthritis sufferers running marathons or playing Frisbee. With Relpax, the insight seems to be that sufferers just aspire to do such everyday activities as mopping the floor...We hope that Relpax is a success for Pfizer and that migraine sufferers find relief. We also hope they get (strictly aspirationally) excused from swabbing the deck" (see "DDR on DTC: Relpax").
Here's the ad that DDR reviewed:
This is probably the result of Pfizer's conservative view of what modern women aspire to at 11:00 Am in the morning (note the clock).
I couldn't find this ad in a recent issue of People Magazine, which is the publication in which DDR found the above ad. Instead I found this much more politically correct, although still not too inspirational, ad:
In this version, two hours after taking Replax, the migraine sufferer is able to go out and do whatever her business is -- probably commuting to work given that the clock is showing 8;00 AM (or is it PM?).
Perhaps Pfizer read DDR's column and revised the print ad campaign, at least as far as image is concerned. Surprisingly, however, the Replax.com Web site still portrays the woman mopping the floor:
It appears that it takes longer to swap out a Web image that a print ad image.
Pfizer is asking Replax.com visitors to tell their "stories" by submitting photos or video. "Tell us about your experience with migraines by submitting a story," says the promo page (here). "Your story can include a photo or video. If chosen, your submission could be featured on RELPAX.com."
I don't imagine a single submitted photo or video will feature a woman mopping the floor. Do you?
You can tell that pharma marketers are getting desperate when they have to beg consumers to submit stories to compensate for the fact that their image of the modern consumer dates back to the 1950's. read more..
Thursday, 23 August 2012
Rapid Advancements-Veteran Patients-Arts And Crafts-Modern Medicine-Globe Newswire
WINCHESTER, CALIF., Aug. 22, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In today's fast-paced world, modern medicine has seen rapid advancements and undergone enormous changes. Many procedures that used to require hospitalization are now done on an outpatient basis, and high tech medical equipment has aided in saving countless lives that otherwise would have been lost to massive injury.There is one thing, however, that hasn't changed, and that's the therapeutic value arts and crafts can have on veteran patients during injury recuperation or rehabilitation.In VA and military hospitals everywhere, young men and women injured and disabled in Iraq and Afghanistan are utilizing this different kind of medicine--medicine sometimes referred to as "medicine in a box." Many of these patients have sustained hand, arm ... read more..
Heart Attack Victims-Fifth Graders-Vaginal Odor-Tip Sheets-Depression
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 22 -- A new study finds that spouses of heart attack victims are at increased risk for depression, anxiety or suicide, even if their partner survives.The researchers also found that men are more susceptible than women to depression... read more..
Minority Fifth Graders Face Health Obstacles, Study Finds
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 22 -- Black and Latino fifth graders in the United States are more likely than white students to be obese, to get too little exercise, to witness violence and to ride without seatbelts and bike helmets, all signs of significant... read more..
GetRidofVaginalOdor.com Releases Tip Sheets on How to Eliminate this...
The Tip Sheets Include Reassuring Advice and Tips that Can Help Women Get Rid of Vaginal Odor, Itch, and Other Issues(PRWeb August 23, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9825211.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
Pelvic Floor Muscles-Urinary Incontinence-Bladder Leakage-Amniotic Fluid-Stem Cells
TUESDAY, Aug. 21 -- Stem cells from amniotic fluid might one day help treat stress urinary incontinence, a condition caused by damaged pelvic floor muscles in which bladder leakage is brought on by exercise, coughing or simply laughing, a new study... read more..
Teva launches authorized generics: Actos, ACTOplus met
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd has launched authorized generics of products indicated for use with diet and exercise to improve blood glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes. (Source: Drug Topics - Pharmacy News) read more..
Kidney Failure-Lifetime Risk
MONDAY, Aug. 20 -- Men are at greater risk for kidney failure during their lifetime than women, according to a new Canadian study.Researchers from the University of Calgary followed 2.9 million adults in Alberta, Canada from 1997 to 2008. When the... read more..
Tuesday, 21 August 2012
A prospective, open-label, single-arm study to evaluate efficacy, safety and acceptability of pericoital oral contraception with levonorgestrel
To assess the efficacy, safety and acceptability of pericoital use of oral levonorgestrel over 6.5 months in women who have infrequent sex. Healthy women who expected to have sex 1–4 days per month and who agreed to rely solely on the experimental contraceptive for 6.5 months were recruited at three sites in Brazil and the United States. We instructed each participant to take one tablet containing levonorgestrel 0.75 mg (HRA Pharma, Paris, France) within 24 hours before or after each sex act. Urine pregnancy testing was conducted at each of three scheduled follow-up visits (2.5, 4.5 and 6.5 months) and at home between scheduled visits. (Source: Contraception) read more..
Sunday, 19 August 2012
Marriage-Divorce-Women
SATURDAY, Aug. 18 -- Can marriage -- or divorce -- drive people to drink?A new study suggests the answer depends a great deal on gender: Marriage appears to lead to more drinking among middle-aged women, while divorce seems to drive middle-aged men... read more..
A Few Hours of Weekly Exercise May Help Women's Bones
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 15 -- Engaging in more than two hours of physical activity per week appears to help pre-menopausal women maintain healthy bones, new research suggests.The finding is based on the impact that even small amounts of exercise seem to... read more..
FDA approves first generic Actos to treat type 2 diabetes
FDA approved Mylan Pharmaceutical's 15-mg, 30-mg, and 45-mg pioglitazone hydrochloride tablets, the first generic version of Actos (Takeda), along with diet and exercise to improve blood glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes. (Source: Drug Topics - Pharmacy News)MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors read more..
Saturday, 18 August 2012
Florida Coastal Dermatology Now Offering the Latest Photodynamic...
Florida Coastal Dermatology is thrilled to be offering Allumera as a new photodynamic cosmetic treatment that produces dynamic results for timeless skin and offers a new way for women & men to...(PRWeb August 17, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9803626.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
Anti-Aging Site Announces Reviews to Help Women Combat All Aging Signs...
Anti-aging website, AntiAgingProductsReviewed.com, is announcing new anti-aging reports on Alzheimer’s prevention to help women not only combat the signs of physical facial signs of aging but with...(PRWeb August 16, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/MarineD3/Seanol/prweb9809170.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
Thyroid Treatment Guidelines-Endocrine Society-Hormonal Problems-Thyroid Hormone
TUESDAY, Aug. 14 -- Thyroid hormone is critical for normal fetal brain development, and hormonal problems among pregnant women must be properly managed, according to the Endocrine Society, which just revised its guidelines on treating... read more..
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-College Students-Cervical Disease-Preterm Delivery
FRIDAY, Aug. 17 -- College students who "hook up" too much lose the respect of other students, a new study indicates.Although there is less of a double standard for women, nearly half of students have negative attitudes toward other students who... read more..
Cervical Disease Treatment Not Linked to Premature Birth Risk
FRIDAY, Aug. 17 -- Treatment for cervical disease does not necessarily increase a woman's risk for preterm delivery, according to a new study.The British researchers noted their findings are significant because about 40,000 women in England... read more..
ADHD May Raise Girls' Risk for Suicide as Young Adults
FRIDAY, Aug. 17 -- Girls diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide as young women, a new study suggests.Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley also found these... read more..
Friday, 17 August 2012
Healthcare Marketers-Healthcare Decisions-Virality-Women
Once again I am responding to a Pharmaforum guest blogger post that was promoted by the author (Kelley Connors) on Twitter: "How Pinterest Creates the Love for #Healthcare #Marketers #hcsm #pharma #womenshealth #socialmedia @pharmaforum ow.ly/c8jiF"
Connors' post, entitled "Understand the rules of engagement with Pinterest" (here), starts out with this observation:
"Since healthcare is such a personalized experience, and 90% of healthcare decisions are made by women, I find it interesting that more healthcare marketers aren’t exploring Pinterest."
She forgot to add that 82% of Pinterest users are women (see data in this infographic).
Pinterest, according to Connors, beats Twitter hands down in terms of "engagement" and "virality."
"Remarkably," says Connors, "over 80% of pins are repins, demonstrating the impressive level of virality at work in the Pinterest community. By contrast, a study conducted by HubSpot at a similar point in Twitter’s history found roughly only 1.4% of tweets were retweets."
From my experience, Twitter drives much more traffic to websites than does Pinterest. I learned about Connors and her post, for example, via Twitter, not Pinterest. What's the purpose of "virality" if it doesn't drive people to your website where you can "close" the deal (ie, get subscriptions, distribute coupons, etc.)? Maybe it's different for shoes than for Rx drugs or B2B pharma marketing news items.
There is one other very important reason why pharmaceutical marketers do not use Pinterest: they cannot turn off or moderate comments like they can with Facebook and YouTube. The only Pinterest comment editing option -- as far as I know -- is to delete the pin and repin it without the comments. That is draconian (it deletes ALL comments, not just offending one) and labor intensive. Pharma is not only worried about possible adverse events mentioned in comments, but also off-label claims. For more on this, read "What's Your Infographics Strategy?" (use discount code 'pgpin4').
These problems may never arise if pharma pins only innocuous images and videos on Pinterest. That is, pins whose purpose is to generate goodwill, share disease information, promote corporate responsibility, and broadcast other non-branded messages. All of which are of no interest to pharmaceutical marketers who want to promote brands.
For some reason, however, Pinterest is of interest to a few pharma corporate communicators and PR preople. Therefore, you do see a few Pinterest sites that obviously are corporate PR campaigns. Unfortunately, however, the demographics of Pinterest (82% women and mostly consumers) is NOT the target demographic of PR people who want to reach mostly reporters and investors.
Ergo, IMHO, as long as Pinterest does not have a pharma-friendly commenting policy, it will not interest pharma marketers even though its "women's world"/consumer demographic and virality is enticing to them. In addition, Pinterest will not generate much ROI on pharma PR investment. Eventually, the pharma Pinterest pioneers, few though they may be, will drop out even though, as Connors surmises, the Pinterest net "attrition rate" overall is "close to 0%." read more..
Health Tip: Are You Overtraining?
-- When it comes to exercise, as with any other activity, it's possible to overdo it.The American Council on Exercise says if you feel more exhausted than energized after a workout, you may be overtraining. The council offers these additional... read more..
Sleep Apnea Affects Many Women, Too
THURSDAY, Aug. 16 -- Although sleep apnea is a condition often associated with men, new research reveals that many women also have the disorder, especially those who are obese or have high blood pressure.Sleep apnea causes frequent pauses in... read more..
'Obese Kid Running' Nike Ad Is Genius: Why The Critics Have It Wrong
The Nike ad that launched during the Olympics, featuring an obese boy running down a dirt road, gave me goose-bumps. Maybe I?m a sucker for those ads that try to knock you in the gut with modest cinematography and a British voiceover (or perhaps it?s because I spent a good portion of my younger life overweight), but I found it incredibly powerful. I can?t imagine it didn?t get a few people off the couch and onto the road, or at least into a less grueling form of exercise than distance running. (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News) read more..
Routine Screening Won't Cut Rates of Domestic Violence, Study Suggests
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 15 -- Routine, computer-based doctor's office screening for domestic violence does not improve women's health or safety, a new study indicates.Researchers led by Dr. Joanne Klevens, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and... read more..
Chemo During Pregnancy Doesn't Seem to Harm Newborn
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 15 -- Women who need chemotherapy for breast cancer during pregnancy should not compromise their treatment or deliver their babies early, a new study says.In the study, published online Aug. 15 in The Lancet Oncology, researchers... read more..
High-Potency Pot in Pregnancy May Cause Brain Damage
THURSDAY, Aug. 16 -- New high-potency marijuana and synthetic "weed" can interfere with early brain formation in developing fetuses, according to a new study, and many pregnant women may be unaware of the heightened risk.Harmful effects of... read more..
Thursday, 16 August 2012
Arteriovenous Malformations-Pregnant Women-Health Tip-Risk-Baby
TUESDAY, Aug. 14 -- Pregnant women are at higher risk of bleeding in the brain from vessel abnormalities known as arteriovenous malformations, a new study indicates.Arteriovenous malformations are tangled bits of veins and arteries that can affect... read more..
Health Tip: Get Baby Moving
-- No one is too young to exercise. Even for infants, it's a key way to become stronger and healthier.The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers this advice about how parents can help their young ones get moving:Take time each day to play... read more..
Bay Area Entrepreneur Swims to Promote Cancer Awareness
OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 6, 2012, the Oakland-based media entrepreneur is leading her Pink Access Foundation – www.pinkaccessfoundation.org – team in the Swim-A-Mile for Women with Cancer fundraiser. When Scott founded... read more..
Warner Chilcott-Bloomberg News-Cash Dividend-Drugmaker
Warner Chilcott Ends Sale Effort, Announces Dividend
Warner Chilcott Plc (WCRX), a drugmaker specializing in women’s health and dermatology, said it has ended efforts to find a buyer for the company.
The drugmaker said in April it was weighing options including a possible sale. Bloomberg News reported the company had received interest from strategic and private-equity buyers.
Warner Chilcott now will renew a $250 million share buyback program and expects to pay a special cash dividend of $4, the Dublin-based drugmaker said yesterday in a statement.
“It seemed clear that the attempts to be bought by someone had stalled,” said James Molloy, an analyst with San Francisco- based ThinkEquity LLC. The drugmaker paid a special $8.50 dividend in 2010, so Molloy said he wasn’t that surprised by the announcement.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-07/warner-chilcott-ends-effort-to-sell-itself-announces-dividend.html? read more..
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
Study Questions Guidelines-Radiation Treatment-Physical Activity-Breast Cancer-Brisk Walking
MONDAY, Aug. 13 -- Giving radiation treatment to older women with early-stage breast cancer who have undergone a lumpectomy could lower their risk of needing a mastectomy later on, new research shows.This suggests that current guidelines... read more..
More Evidence That Exercise in Middle Age Boosts Health
MONDAY, Aug. 13 -- Keeping up a leisure-time physical activity regimen for a decade or more could help middle-aged adults improve their heart health, researchers report.Over time, routine activities -- such as brisk walking, biking, or even doing... read more..
Standardised National List-Pharmaceutical Schedule-District Health Board-Hospital Pharmacists
PHARMAC forming national hospital medicines list
Monday, 6 August 2012, 10:36 am
Press Release: PHARMAC
PHARMAC takes next step in forming national hospital medicines list
National pharmaceuticals funder PHARMAC has begun a significant step towards standardising hospital medicines throughout the country.
PHARMAC has released two lists of medicines that it proposes every District Health Board hospital would fund. Once finalised, these lists will form a hospital version of the community Pharmaceutical Schedule. The first lists relate mainly to cardiovascular (heart disease) and rheumatology (arthritis) treatments.
Medical Director, Dr Peter Moodie, says the ultimate objective of the current process is to give patients, clinicians, hospital pharmacists and DHB management certainty over what medicines are available in all hospitals.
“We want to avoid the situation where medicines are funded in some DHB regions but not in others,” says Dr Moodie. “A standardised national list would ensure people have the same access to the same hospital medicines regardless of where they live.”
“It would also mean a smoother transition of patients from hospital into the community, as it would ensure the medicines that are initiated in hospital will be also funded in the community.”
Dr Moodie says PHARMAC has been engaged in an extensive information-gathering exercise over the past two years, to find out what medicines DHB hospitals are currently providing for patients. PHARMAC has collated the information and used it to construct a list of the medicines that are commonly funded by all DHB hospitals at present.
As part of consultation on the draft lists to be nationally funded, PHARMAC is also including a list of medicines currently funded by some DHBs, but which it is proposing won’t be included on the national list.
“We want to know people’s views on the positive and negative lists. We also want people to think carefully about the things that aren’t there, to ensure we have all the information we need,” says Dr Moodie. “The proposals will affect different DHBs in different ways – for example the type of medicines currently available in big city hospitals may be different to those in provincial areas, even taking into consideration the differences in specialist services at each hospital. This may have different impacts on the clinicians within those hospitals. These are the sorts of views we want to hear through the consultation process.”
“This list will become the schedule of funded medicines that PHARMAC specifies for hospitals, just as we currently do for all medicines funded in the community.”
PHARMAC is releasing the consultation lists to all DHB hospitals, pharmaceutical suppliers, medical groups, patient groups and posting it to the PHARMAC website. In addition to issuing the document, Dr Moodie says PHARMAC will also be offering to meet with groups wanting to discuss the proposals face to face.
Consultation will run for five weeks until 7 September. read more..
Monday, 13 August 2012
Impulse Activator-Chiropractors-Neck Pain
SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Aug. 12, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advanced Chiropractic Group in Santa Barbara announced that the practice has had success using the Impulse Activator for back and neck pain treatment. The Impulse Activator Technique utilizes a scientifically designed adjustment instrument to precisely deliver corrective impulses. According to the Santa Barbara chiropractors, because of the instrument's accuracy and controlled light force, it is suitable for patients of all ages, including athletes with sports injuries, pregnant women, seniors and children. (Source: Medical News (via PRIMEZONE)) read more..
Health Care Provider-Consumer Perceptions-Prescription Drug-Federal Register-Dtc Advertising
The FDA is concerned that the use of sales promotions such as free trial offers, discounts, money-back guarantees, and rebates in direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug ads "artificially enhance consumers' perceptions of the product's quality" while also resulting in an "unbalanced or misleading impression of the product's safety." To test whether or not this is true, the FDA will soon start yet another study focused on Rx print ads: "Effect of Promotional Offers in Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Print Advertisements on Consumer Product Perceptions" (see Federal Register Notice archived here).
[I recently posted about another planned FDA study to determine if disease awareness information in branded ads confuses consumers. See FDA Concerned About Product (eg, Lyrica) Ads That are Too "Educational"]
The history of this study is long and mysterious. I first blogged about it 2006; read "FDA, Coupons, and Sleep Aid DTC Ads." Shortly after that the Federal Register notice regarding the study was "yanked" (see "FDA Backs Down on Coupon Study"). Also, the Advertising Age and Wall Street Journal articles cited in those posts can no longer be found in the archives.
In September, 2011, however, the proposed study re-emerged in the Federal Register (here). Whatever happened between 2006 and 2011 is anybody's guess, but I assume that the Bush era FDA leaders axed the proposed study when they learned of it. By September, 2011, these people were on the way out and the door was open again to propose the study anew.
Anyhoo, I want to focus here on comments that PhRMA made in response to the proposal. Alexander Gaffney (@AlecGaffney), Health wonk and writer of news for @RAPSorg, summarized the general attitude of PhRMA (see "US Regulators Move Ahead With Planned Study on DTC Marketing"):
In its statement to FDA, PhRMA wrote it was “concerned that the study, as currently envisioned, will not yield information that is relevant to FDA’s regulatory responsibilities to ensure that DTC advertising is truthful, accurate and balanced.”
“Although the study may provide interesting information about the effect of promotional offers on consumer attitudes toward a brand,” explained PhRMA, “it likely will provide little information on whether promotional offers create or contribute to false or misleading advertising, particularly under real-world circumstances or whether additional regulatory requirements are warranted.” PhRMA: The Physician is the Decider
I dug a little deeper into PhRMA comments (here) and was surprised to learn that PhRMA's position is that "it is the physician, not the patient (my emphasis), who ultimately must decide whether the benefits of the advertised drug outweigh its risks for any particular patient." Thus, says PhRMA, "the risks of 'misperceptions' ... should be even lower [PhRMA's emphasis] for prescription drugs than for experience goods [i.e., a product or service where product characteristics, such as quality or price are difficult to observe in advance, but these characteristics can be ascertained upon consumption] because any potential misperception, of necessity, will be quickly corrected prior to use through consultation with the patient's treating physician."
This is a very paternalistic POV in this day and age of social media and patient empowerment. Actually, it is the old "learned intermediary" defense that the drug industry often raises (in the past, less so these days) to shield itself from blame when things go wrong.
FDA must respond to comments submitted, but I couldn't find a direct response to PhRMA's comments cited above. I did find, however, the following comments and FDA's response that addressed the issue of the patient-physician relationship generally:
(Comment 22) Two comments mentioned that the study does not assess how consumer perceptions of product risks and benefits are translated into a discussion with their health care provider. read more..
Sunday, 12 August 2012
Sports Medicine-Health Problems-Outdoor Summer-Summer Sports-Expert Tips
SATURDAY, Aug. 11 -- Many Americans enjoy outdoor summer sports and exercise, but they need to take precautions to prevent health problems, a sports medicine expert warns."The warm summer weather draws people outdoors and young athletes are also... read more..
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor-Medical Marijuana Dispensary-Patient Education Resources
Tree Of Wellness dispensary in Colorado Springs grows all its plants under 100% LED grow lights from Prosource Worldwide.(PRWeb August 10, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9787116.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
iPatientCare, Inc. Announces Partnership with PDR Network to Deliver...
iPatientCare Expands on ‘Prescribing Decision Support’ by Integrating PDR Brief to iPatientCare EHR with the Existing Patient Education Resources and Drug Monographs.(PRWeb August 10, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9788262.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
Rottenstein Law Group Supports New Legislation Requiring Drug and...
The Rottenstein Law Group, which represents clients whose children have suffered birth defects allegedly caused by the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant Paxil, applauds four...(PRWeb August 10, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9787268.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
Environmental Impact-Corporate Citizen
At Merck, we've always worked hard to reduce our environmental impact and conserve key resources. Not only because doing so is consistent with our values as a good corporate citizen, but also because it makes good business sense. By operating in a sustainable manner, being careful about energy, water and raw material consumption, and minimizing our environmental impact, we are able to operate more efficiently - as well as more responsibly. read more..
Domestic Violence Intervention-60Th Birthday-Whitefeather-Women
Elaine Whitefeather, director of the Domestic Violence Intervention Center in Citrus Heights, recently celebrated her 60th birthday — and “celebrated” isn’t too strong a word, to hear her tell it. “Sixty is my signature age,” she says. “I’ve been waiting for it since I was a little girl. It meant I would become a ‘gray hair.’ The idea is that by then I’d have learned from my experiences, not just survived them. If you don’t think of life that way, then all you’ve done is… (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines) read more..
Saturday, 11 August 2012
Health Issues-Barack Obama-Mitt Romney-Women
President Barack Obama, campaigning in Denver Wednesday, said opponent Mitt Romney’s views on women’s health issues are “more suited to the 1950s than the 21st century.”Appearing at the downtown Auraria Campus’ event center to open a two-day campaign swing through Colorado, Obama spoke to a mostly-female crowd of about 4,000 behind a sign touting “Women’s Health Security.”“The decisions that affect a woman’s health — they’re not up to politicians; they’re not up to insurance… (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines) read more..
American Council On Exercise-Health Tip
-- Jumping rope is no longer just for 6-year-old girls. Experts say it's a great way to exercise your heart, and it can improve eye-hand-foot coordination.The American Council on Exercise offers these suggestions for jump ropers who are just... read more..
Aids Healthcare Foundation-Hiv Prevention-Gilead-Women-Ahf
CDC's Support for Gilead's HIV Prevention Pill for Women is Reckless Says AHF
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the ...
AIDS Healthcare Foundation read more..
Hormone Replacement Therapy-Postmenopausal Women-Consensus Statement-Pharmacy News
Short-term hormone replacement therapy is a relatively safe treatment for healthy, recently postmenopausal women, according to a new consensus statement. (Source: Drug Topics - Pharmacy News)MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors read more..
Physical Activity-Premature Death-Diabetes-Exercise
MONDAY, Aug. 6 -- People with diabetes who boost their level of physical activity can reduce their risk of premature death, according to a new study.And a separate study found that weight training alone may reduce the risk of developing diabetes... read more..
Active Video Games-Obese Mothers-Moms
FRIDAY, Aug. 10 -- Active video games, or "exergames," are not as good as actual exercise, but they can help sedentary people become more active, a new study suggests.While not a cure-all for the nation's lack of physical activity, the researchers... read more..
Babies of Heavy Moms Grow Slower: Study
FRIDAY, Aug. 10 -- Babies with overweight or obese mothers appear to gain less weight and grow more slowly during the first three months of life than babies born to normal-weight women, according to a new study.Researchers from the University of... read more..
Women
THURSDAY, Aug. 9 -- New research suggests that stress makes men more likely to be attracted to slightly heavier women, possibly because evolution has programmed them that way.The study is small -- it tracked just 81 male college students -- and... read more..
Bankruptcy Protection-Court Protection-Bankruptcy Court-Pregnant Women
K-V Pharmaceutical Files For Bankruptcy Protection
K-V Pharmaceutical Co. (KV/A), a provider of women’s health-care products, filed for bankruptcy after it said lax federal enforcement and state Medicaid restrictions prevented it from attaining the “full value” of a medicine intended to help pregnant women avoid premature births.
The drug company, which sought court protection along with several subsidiaries, listed debt of $728 million and assets of $237 million in a Chapter 11 petition filed today in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan. Based in Bridgeton, Missouri, K-V said it will keep operating as it seeks to reorganize.
“The company has been unable to realize the full value of its most important product, Makena, because of a lack of enforcement of the orphan drug marketing exclusivity granted to K-V for Makena by the Food and Drug Administration,” Greg Divis, chief executive officer of K-V, said in a statement. “The lack of enforcement has also led certain state Medicaid agencies to impose barriers to access to Makena on low-income pregnant women at high risk for recurrent preterm birth, despite those states’ legal obligation to cover FDA-approved drugs.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-04/k-v-pharmaceutical-files-for-bankruptcy-protection.html? read more..
Friday, 10 August 2012
When Partner Has Breast Cancer, Men Find Their Own Ways to Cope
THURSDAY, Aug. 9 -- New Canadian research finds that male partners of women with breast cancer aren't big fans of spousal support groups and instead choose to de-stress by exercising or hanging out with friends.For the study, published in the July... read more..
Male Diners Tip Better When Waitress Wears Red: Study
THURSDAY, Aug. 9 -- Waitresses who wear red receive bigger tips from their male customers, researchers have found, noting that the color red has been shown to increase women's physical and sexual attractiveness to men.In conducting the study,... read more..
Businessweek-Yasmin-Prweb
As Businessweek reported on July 31st, 2012, Bayer said settlements of U.S. lawsuits over claims that its Yasmin line of birth-control pills caused blood clots in women have increased to more than...(PRWeb August 08, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9762629.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals) read more..
Thursday, 9 August 2012
Food Poisoning-Pregnant Women-Expectant Moms-Health Tip
-- Expectant moms and their growing babies are more susceptible to the dangers of food poisoning.The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says pregnant women should avoid these foods to help reduce their risk:Don't eat raw or undercooked fish,... read more..
American Diabetes Association-Exercise Program-Ticket-Cdc
TUESDAY, Aug. 7 -- Almost two-thirds of Americans now say they take regular walks, a significant jump upwards, a new study finds.However, experts add that far too many people are still not getting enough exercise to improve their... read more..
Health Tip: Diabetes Isn't a Ticket to Inactivity
-- Having diabetes need not confine you to the couch or park bench. But before you begin an exercise program, speak with your doctor.The American Diabetes Association offers these suggestions before you start working out:Talk to your doctor about... read more..
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
Bayer’s Yasmin Lawsuit Settlements Rise to $402.6 Million - Bloomberg
via bloomberg.com Bayer AG (BAYRY) said settlements of U.S. lawsuits claiming that its Yasmin line of birth-control pills caused blood clots in women have increased to more than $402 million.
Bayer, based in Leverkusen, Germany, has resolved almost 1,900 cases alleging its Yasmin and Yaz contraceptives caused clots that can lead to heart attacks and strokes, the company said today in a stockholders’ newsletter. Bayer said it has paid out $402.6 million in settlements of one category of clot cases, for an average of about $212,000 a case.
Bayer also more than doubled its reserve for Yaz cases, setting aside 496 million euros ($610.5 million), the company said. The drugmaker had set aside a total of about 200 million euros in 2010 and 2011, according to securities filings.
“We believe we have made appropriate provisions for most of the cases we consider to be worthy of settlement with these accounting measures,” Bayer officials said in an e-mailed statement.
Drug-industry analysts, such as JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Richard Vosser, have said Bayer may be forced to pay more than 2 billion euros to resolve all the cases over the contraceptives.
In April, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered Bayer and other contraceptive makers to strengthen blood-clot warnings on their products. Posted via email from Jack's posterous read more..
Tuesday, 7 August 2012
Mammogram Controversy-Pertussis-Infants
-- The weight-loss battle isn't over once you lose the extra pounds. The challenge becomes keeping it off.The American Council on Exercise offers these suggestions to help you maintain a healthy body weight:Weigh yourself weekly, so weight gain... read more..
The Latest Mammogram Controversy: Density
Many women aren't told their breast type may cloud cancer screening. More states consider notification. (Source: WSJ.com: Health) read more..
Pertussis vaccination strategies for young infants
More effective ways of combating pertussis in young infants – such as vaccinating pregnant women – should be considered, according to the authors of a new study. (Source: Drug Topics - Pharmacy News) read more..
Consecutive Accreditation-Financial Results-Joint Commission-Clinical Quality-Medical Clinics
WOONSOCKET, R.I., Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on its established record for clinical quality, MinuteClinic, the walk-in medical clinics inside CVS/pharmacy, has become the first retail clinic provider to achieve three consecutive accreditation awards from The Joint... read more..
China Nepstar Chain Drugstore to Report Second Quarter 2012 Financial Results on August 23, 2012
SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- China Nepstar Chain Drugstore Ltd. (NYSE: NPD) ("China Nepstar" or the "Company"), the largest drugstore chain in China based on the number of directly operated stores, announced today that the Company will report its second... read more..
IBA Molecular y Piramal Imaging firman un acuerdo para el nuevo agente de imagen amiloide F-18
- IBA Molecular fabricará y distribuirá 18F-Florbetaben en Europa y Estados Unidos
DULLES, Virginia y BOMBAY, la India, 6 de agosto de 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- IBA Molecular y Piramal Imaging SA (Piramal) han anunciado un acuerdo a través del cual IBA Molecular fabricará y... read more..
World Health Organization-Hiv Transmission-Mother's Day
For the mothers2mothers organization, every day is Mother's Day. Each year millions of children in the developing world are born to mothers living with HIV. Without intervention, as many as 40 percent of them will transmit the virus to their newborns, and each year more than a 500,000 children under the age of 15 will die from HIV/AIDS-related illnesses, according to the World Health Organization. read more..
Sunday, 5 August 2012
California Women-Pharmaceuticals-Transvaginal-Prweb
The Law Offices of Matthew J. Quinlan are currently filing lawsuits on behalf of California women who have suffered injuries related to vaginal mesh complications...(PRWeb August 02, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9761600.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors read more..
Fruits And Vegetables
SATURDAY, Aug. 4 -- For good health, be sure to eat fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and lie as seldom as possible.A Notre Dame researcher is hoping this tongue-in-cheek advice will someday take hold, based on results of a "science of... read more..