The Curious Case Of AstraZeneca v. ACE
By GUEST BLOGGER | Published: JULY 31, 2013
by Mike Kelly and Andrew Dupre
Insurance contracts are a language game that must be played very carefully, as AstraZeneca learned.
From 2003 to 2012, AstraZeneca Plc was locked in one of the largest mass tort litigations in the United States, defending its blockbuster second generation atypical antipsychotic product Seroquel from allegations of failure-to-warn of risks of metabolic injury such as diabetes mellitus Type II. AstraZeneca prevailed on the lone case to reach a jury, won an additional nine cases during pretrial proceedings nationwide–losing none, and then end...
Source: PharmaGossip - August 1, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs
Lilly Freezes Pay Raises For Employees In Response To Generics
REPEATING FROM LAST NIGHT: Two months after disclosing plans to lay off more than 1,600 sales reps (back story), Eli Lilly is now planning to suspend base pay raises for most employees - including executives - next year and reduce employee bonuses that are paid in 2015 in a cost-cutting move that is designed to save some $400 million through 2016.
The move comes as the drugmaker faces significant competition from low-cost generics. The patent on the Cymbalta antidepressant, which generated $4 billion in global sales last year, expires in December and then next year, the patent on the Evista osteoperosis treatment, which ...
Source: Pharmalot - July 18, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: esilverman Source Type: blogs
You May Likely Gain Weight on these 6 Psychiatric Medications
I had been on the drug Zyprexa (olanzapine) for four weeks and had already gained 15 pounds which, you know, didn’t help my depression.
After going to a wedding and catching a side view of myself, I called my doctor and told him that my name was now Violet Beauregarde, you know, the gum chewer in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” who becomes a blueberry balloon. Except that when I rose to the top of the room I was crying.
“The two most common questions that patients ask me are, ‘Will I become dependent on the medications?’ and ‘Will I gain weight?’” says Sanjay Gupta, M.D.
It’s a serious concern fo...
Source: World of Psychology - June 28, 2013 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Therese J. Borchard Tags: Antidepressant Antipsychotic Disorders General Health-related Medications Mental Health and Wellness Self-Esteem Treatment Anticonvulsant Charlie And The Chocolate Charlie And The Chocolate Factory Chemical Compound Clozaril De Source Type: blogs
Coming Soon: Ever-More-Concentrated Varieties of Insulin. Buyers Beware!
Recently, Lilly held what it called its second diabetes social media summit, although in truth, the company did not fly anyone into Indianapolis for the first summit, so in reality, this was the company's first. I was not invited, which frankly doesn't surprise me, because I've been critical of the company and I honestly think they're terrified of me - seriously, they were looking for people who wouldn't challenge them on much (like their decision to outsource some insulin manufacturing away from its own plant in Indianapolis to Hospira in McPherson, Kansas only to bring it back in-house this year), and that's probab...
Source: Scott's Web Log - June 24, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Scott S Source Type: blogs
FDA Investigates Two Deaths In Zyprexa Patients
Here is a mystery that will be closely tracked. The FDA is probing the unexplained deaths of two people who were injected with long-acting Zyprexa, the antipsychotic, which is sold by Eli Lilly. Each died three to four days after receiving the drug, which the agency notes is "well after" the three-hour monitoring period following injection that is required with the REMS, or risk evaluation and mitigation strategy, safety program.
According to the FDA, both patients had "very high" levels of the injectable drug in their bloodstreams. The FDA notes that high doses of Zyprexa can cause delirium, cardiopulmonary arrest, cardia...
Source: Pharmalot - June 18, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: esilverman Source Type: blogs
FDA Probes Deaths Linked to Long-Acting Zyprexa
By John Gever, Deputy Managing Editor, MedPage Today
Published: June 18, 2013
SILVER SPRING, Md. -- Two patients died 3-4 days after injections with the long-acting antipsychotic drug olanzapine pamoate (Zyprexa Relprevv), prompting an FDA investigation.
The agency has not determined whether the drug caused the fatalities. "At this time, FDA is continuing to evaluate these deaths and will provide an update when more information is available," it said in a statement Tuesday.
Both patients received intramuscular injections of the drug at appropriate doses, the FDA said, but tests showed "very high olanzapine blood...
Source: PharmaGossip - June 18, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs
Meet the Doctor Big Pharma Can't Shut Up
For the last 33 years, David Healy, an Irish psychiatrist and professor at Cardiff University School of Medicine in Wales, has written heavily researched university press books and academic journal articles on various aspects of psychopharmaceuticals. His output includes 20 books, 150 peer-reviewed papers and 200 other published works. He is not only well-pedigreed, with degrees and fellowships from Dublin, Galway and Cambridge medical schools, he is a widely recognized expert in both the history and the science of neurochemistry and psychopharmacology.Yet Healy says his output and reputation have ...
Source: PharmaGossip - June 3, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs
The Best Governance for Medicine ... is in Thailand
Discussion of deception, conflicts of interest, crime and corruption affecting large health care organizations is muted and anechoic. I know of precisely one course on health care corruption in any US medical, public health, or health administration school (look here, and its focus is on developing countries.)Time to head to Bangkok?.... But if we all cannot... In the US, we will not have a chance of meaningfully improving our health care system until we start listening to unbiased health care professionals and academics (in particular, who have not been paid off by vested interests), civil society ...
Source: Health Care Renewal - May 23, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Tags: WHO Good Governance for Medicines Programme National Health Assembly pharmaceuticals Thailand Source Type: blogs
The Best Governance for Medicines ... is in Thailand
Discussion of deception, conflicts of interest, crime and corruption affecting large health care organizations is muted and anechoic. I know of precisely one course on health care corruption in any US medical, public health, or health administration school (look here, and its focus is on developing countries.)Time to head to Bangkok?.... But if we all cannot... In the US, we will not have a chance of meaningfully improving our health care system until we start listening to unbiased health care professionals and academics (in particular, who have not been paid off by vested interests), civil society ...
Source: Health Care Renewal - May 23, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Tags: WHO Good Governance for Medicines Programme National Health Assembly pharmaceuticals Thailand Source Type: blogs
Big Inside Joke About Doctor Surveys: 90% of Physicians Believe They Graduated in the Top Half of Their Class
Richard Meyer, author of World of DTC Marketing Blog, is a big believer in physician surveys, including the survey that the FDA intends to do regarding how physicians feel about direct-to-cinsumer (DTC) advertising.Rich was interviewed on HuffPost Live recently along with a health reporter and former Zyprexa Drug Rep, Shahram Ahari, who now is a consultant for Pharmedout. The 30-minute interview -- see embedded video at the end of this post -- was titled "Big Pharma's Pill Pushing." The description reads: "Big Pharma spends almost twice as much on promotion as it does on research and development. Drug company revenues clim...
Source: Pharma Marketing Blog - May 8, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Tags: Survey Physician Marketing DTC Advertising Sales and Sales Reps Source Type: blogs
Transdermal Granisetron for Refractory Nausea and Vomiting
Discussion: There were many factors that likely contributed to the dramatic improvement in Ms Emma N’s refractory nausea and vomiting. Better psychiatric care through the palliative care psychologist and psychiatrist almost certainly played a role in her overall clinical turn-around. The close attention, serial visits and supportive counseling she received in the Palliative Care clinic could also have been therapeutic. Up-titration of her olanzapine also likely was helpful. Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic that works on multiple receptors including dopaminergic, serotonergic, adrenergic, histaminergic and mus...
Source: Pallimed: A Hospice and Palliative Medicine Blog - May 1, 2013 Category: Palliative Carer Workers Authors: Christian Sinclair Source Type: blogs
Cases: Transdermal Granisetron for Refractory Nausea and Vomiting
Discussion: There were many factors that likely contributed to the dramatic improvement in Ms Emma N’s refractory nausea and vomiting. Better psychiatric care through the palliative care psychologist and psychiatrist almost certainly played a role in her overall clinical turn-around. The close attention, serial visits and supportive counseling she received in the Palliative Care clinic could also have been therapeutic. Up-titration of her olanzapine also likely was helpful. Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic that works on multiple receptors including dopaminergic, serotonergic, adrenergic, histaminergic and mus...
Source: Pallimed: A Hospice and Palliative Medicine Blog - May 1, 2013 Category: Palliative Carer Workers Authors: Christian Sinclair Source Type: blogs
Six ways Big Pharma manipulates consumers - Salon
This article originally appeared on AlterNet.
The blockbuster pill profit party is over for Big Pharma. Bestselling pills like Lipitor, Seroquel, Zyprexa, Singular and Concerta have gone off patent and sites which their ads sustained are withering on the vine. WebMD, for example, the voice of Pharma on the Web, with a former Pfizer exec serving as CEO, announced it would cut 250 positions in December.
But don’t worry, Wall Street. Pharma isn’t going to deliver disappointing earnings just because it has little or no new drugs coming online and has failed at the very reason for its existence. Here are six new Pharma ma...
Source: PharmaGossip - April 28, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs
branscannr on drugs
Which is better: the generic or the name brand? Now drug companies have a tool to test out the moods induced by the name of their latest drug.brainscannrfree brain scans for everyone! Over thirty million served! 1Let's start with some benzodiazepines!brainscannr resultsThis is your true brain, the emotions that run your life!Uh oh, not so great for lorazepam. How about for the name brand, Ativan?There. Don't you feel more relaxed now?Moving right along to some atypical antipsychotics. Let's start with olanzapine.Hmm, no psychiatrist wants to see a strip of skulls down their patient's postcentral gyrus. Not to mention a fro...
Source: The Neurocritic - April 10, 2013 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: The Neurocritic Source Type: blogs
Guest Blogger Dr. Allen Frances on the Dangers of Premature Diagnosis
We've talked before about psychiatric diagnoses and whether the label can be part of the problem. See Diagnostic Labels that Change Lives, for starters.
Today, Dr. Allen Frances joins us to talk about whether a diagnosis with a poor prognosis can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I'll leave you to decide.
_________________________
The Dangers Of Premature Diagnosis
Psychiatric diagnosis is a serious business. Done well, it can
significantly help a life, sometimes save it. Done carelessly, it can
lead to disaster, even to premature death. I have...
Source: Shrink Rap - March 25, 2013 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Dinah Source Type: blogs
