Posts Tagged ‘Pfizer’

Pfizer Follow-up/Other Blogs

09/12/2007 , 10:55 AM by Alex Sicre

I am so behind on reading other blogs and postings that I failed to see others have written more in-depth and critical blogs about the Pfizer study I wrote about in my last post.

It has been pointed out to me that Dr. Showalter at AlignMap felt my post was “lacking in the kind of embittered cynicism characteristic of the AlignMap perspective.” And by pointed out, I mean I read it on his blog.

He offers a much deeper analysis of this “study” as well as better comments on his blog dated 09.08.07: http://alignmap.com/category/blog. (I promise one day I will learn how create the best links and pictures and all of that).

I appreciate his experienced take on the Pfizer press release and his embittered criticism of the pharma industry spinning this study. I am slowly getting a handle on how to properly interpret the different “findings” and “studies” funded by pharmaceutical companies.

Dr. Rost also rips pharma reporters and Pfizer on his Question Authority site. This is not new for him considering he is a former Pfizer VP and whistleblower. I think he is somewhat full of himself but I will not go into right now.

There is a funny blog that started a few days ago that just rips into Rost and his QA blog, as well as his new gig as writer for BrandweekNRX – plus the blatant self-promotion of himself, the ranking of his blogs and his novels: http://pharmayobbosphere.blogspot.com. I don’t know if it is serious or not since the tone is quite funny, and the blogger himself is quite full of himself.

Self promotion is important, but to a point. When that promotion gets in the way of what you are supposedly presenting/representing in your blog/space/whatever. i.e. Question Authority, I assume, wants to question the authority of the pharma industry. There is a blurb from Fortune that says Rost is the “drug industry’s most annoying – and effective – online scourge.”

There is a sidebar where you can buy his novel – everyone has to make money.

His post from 9/11 is a Daily Show Clip parody. Very Funny. Then a listing of top medblogs, then a piece about a woman banned from smoking in her garden, followed by a promotion about Rost being involved in a Senate investigation regarding taxing big pharma.

9/10: Mentions he is getting suggestions to do pharma related postings on NRX and post things on his own blog for “regular readers”. Followed by a map showing how America is #1 in our minds, a clip about a beer scooter, and two pieces about the best blogs.

9/8: States that is time for a change and that he is tired of pharma blogging – but has to do if for work on brandweekNRX. Then cites Pharmalot as doing a better job (which it is) of reporting real news.

9/7: A posting of a hand shadow show from YouTube.

9/6: A posting about the best pharma sites.

Doesn’t this signal that it is time for Dr. Rost to put Question Authority to pasture? He could keep the url: perterrost.blogspot.com – and just have it to promote himself.

That is my recomendation – but I have only had 450 or so visitors in 3 months – not the thousands Rost gets daily, so who really cares what I think?

To keep inline with what I present/represent: stay adherent to your medication regime – drugs don’t work unless you take them.

Pfizer Funded Study Says: Don’t Stop Taking Your Lipitor!

09/06/2007 , 10:57 AM by Alex Sicre

This story was covered by many news outlets, but this reprint comes from FirstWord which is a pharma newsletter. I was really surprised that the non-adherence rates were higher for those patients that switched off the Lipitor. I would think that the patients would stop taking Lipitor or switch medications, and continue on the generic – not stop all together. Probably a little twist from Pfizer in reporting – or the generic did not prove any significant results and the Lipitor was too expensive? We all know the most common reasons for switching medication is cost – as exhibited here – and DTC advertising.

The heart attack rate really doesn’t surprise me considering it is sometimes dangerous to change one’s drug routine in the middle of treatment. No, I do not work for Pfizer.

Pfizer: Study results suggest switching from Lipitor to simvastatin raises cardiovascular risks
by Daniel Beaulieu

Data from an observational study suggest that patients who switched from Pfizer’s Lipitor (atorvastatin) to simvastatin experienced a 30-percent increase in the relative risk of major cardiovascular events, compared with those who remained on Lipitor, according to Pfizer. The study, which was funded by Pfizer, was presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress and will also be published in The British Journal of Cardiology.

As part of the retrospective analysis, researchers analysed a UK database that included records on 11 520 patients who took Lipitor for at least six months between October 1997 and June 2005, including 2511 patients who were switched to simvastatin, and 9009 patients who remained on Pfizer’s drug. The findings showed that there was a 43-percent increase in the risk of major cardiovascular events including heart attacks, strokes, and certain types of heart surgeries, for those who switched to simvastatin compared with those who remained on Lipitor. However, there was no difference in all-cause death between the two groups.

A secondary analysis demonstrated that patients who changed drugs were more than twice as likely to discontinue treatment, compared with those who stayed on Lipitor. Reasons for why treatment was discontinued were not available from the database, Pfizer indicated, adding that reasons for switching from one drug to the other were also not available. Furthermore, Pfizer explained that patients in the study were not randomised to each arm, which limits the significance of the findings.

According to lead author Peter Jan Lansberg, many physicians are switching patients to simvastatin because US insurance companies and European governments are under pressure to reduce costs. Lansberg remarked that “it’s not beneficial to have a universal switch to cheaper statins. We need to make a distinction between patients who benefit from generic statins and high-risk patients who need a more aggressive therapy.”

Spiriva Inhaler to help Compliance

07/25/2007 , 11:40 AM by Alex Sicre

I have been hinting about the new pharmaceutical devices that help aid medical compliance, so it is now time to write. It is the best interest of the pharma brands to come up with devices to make their patients more compliance with their medication regime.

First it makes them money (here’s the math: average drug therapy cost: $200; average length of therapy: 3 months – $600 plus another $200 per person per additional month). Second it makes the patient better (sometimes I like to think the pharma companies want to heal people). When the patients are better, their doctor’s look like they know what they are doing and prescribe the medication to more people – thus making the pharma brand more money to put back into their pockets, I mean R & D. It is a great cycle that compliance fuels.

BI and Pfizer just got European approval for Spiriva Respimat Inhaler for people who suffer from COPD. Here are the highlights from their press release:

“SPIRIVA Respimat represents a major step forward in COPD and inhalation therapy. Many patients find certain inhaler devices difficult to coordinate and use,” said Professor Marc Decramer, Respiratory Division, University Hospitals, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. “SPIRIVA Respimat has a unique and sophisticated delivery system, and a user friendly design, making it easy to use and suitable for a broad range of patients with COPD. In addition the long-lasting, soft mist cloud generated by SPIRIVA Respimat ensures optimized delivery of SPIRIVA to the lungs, helping patients breathe more easily,” he added.

In clinical studies comparing inhaler devices, patients preferred Respimat Soft Mist Inhaler, which may help increase patient compliance with therapy. The novel dose-delivery system of the SPIRIVA Respimat also means that unlike dry powder inhalers, the dose delivered is not dependent on patients’ inspiratory flow.

SPIRIVA(R) (tiotropium), a first-line maintenance therapy for COPD, positively impacts the clinical course of the disease, helping to change the way patients live with their condition. The efficacy of SPIRIVA has been demonstrated by an extensive clinical development programme, which has treated over 25,000 patients. It is the most prescribed brand in COPD in the world.

The SPIRIVA Respimat delivery system relies on energy released from a spring, rather than propellants, to produce a long-lasting, slow moving Soft Mist. The innovative design makes SPIRIVA Respimat easy to use, and the Soft Mist results in improved delivery of SPIRIVA to the lungs, with reduced deposition in the mouth and throat compared to a pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI). One study showed that 72% of all patients use pMDIs incorrectly and almost half (47%) have problems with coordinating use of the device.

600 million people worldwide live with COPD and its prevalence is predicted to rise making it the world’s third leading cause of death by 2020. It is estimated that up to 50% of Americans and 75% of Europeans with COPD are undiagnosed.””

I don’t know if I believe that 600 million people suffer from COPD, but this is from a pharma company so their measurement for COPD is probably a cough. Even though I think the percentages of undiagnosed COPD are high, I am not surprised that is a commonly undiagnosed condition.

I never had an inhaler, but I remember kids in school with them. It was either very nerdy, kinda neat or something for the bullies to steal. Whatever the case, it was always difficult to get a good pull. With the new spring loaded mist, I can hear all the COPD affected breathe a sigh of relief!