Replies to post #19933 on DNAprint Genomics (DNAG)

[ann441j]

Quote from same article:

Many of the laws that govern the FDA's powers were written decades ago, for a different industry. Today, big, consolidated pharmaceutical conglomerates wield their bulked-up sales muscle to sell medicine chests of products, many of which treat chronic conditions like high cholesterol or "lifestyle" problems like erectile dysfunction. Drug companies spent $8 billion on "detailing" to office-based physicians -- sales people dropping off marketing materials and speaking to them about drugs -- in the 12 months through October, according to Verispan, a health-information company. That's up from $3.6 billion in 1996. At the same time, drug makers are reaching out directly to patients. They spent $4 billion on direct-to-consumer advertising this year through September, up from up from less than $1 billion in all of 1997.

Ann

[DorseyE]

No touchdown but we are beginning to see a momentum shift of public and government opinion of adverse drug reactions.... DNAP day is getting closer!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DNAP!

[frogdreaming]

Unexpected Adverse Drug Reactions......Who's to Blame?

The latest panic and the most fashionable story on the nightly news this week. Unfortunately it will eventually fade away as it is an unresolvable dilemma. Whenever emotional panic confronts the reality of reasonable risk management, there are no easy answers.

The hard realities are that there are very few easy decisions in the drug business. How do you weigh the suffering of millions against the potential death of a few?

The emotional among us are, even now, in pious tones, saying "the choice is obvious....lives are sacred".

This simplistic mindset is obviously untenable at the outset, as such a viewpoint would immediately shut down such major sectors as commercial air travel and the automobile industry, while both have major beneficial aspects they also carry a major liability in adverse side effects.lol

The final outcome of the latest FDA turn on the media hotseat, will be a few studies and a great deal of political posturing by those willing to use the forum for personal attention. The end result may be some adjustment in the weighting of the various factors (1 death is equal to the suffering of ??? million victims) but that is all. The hard decisions will still have to be made and a bunch of people will step up to the plate and make those hard decisions, even though they will never get credit for them but will inevitably get blamed, the next time the media spotlight revolves around to them.

regards,
frog