MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'celebrex'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:19:09 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118991&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FwaOpAxF9HgM%2F For three decades, John LaMattina worked at Pfizer, where he rose through the ranks before heading global R&D and retiring in 2007. This meant that he was on hand as Pfizer mushroomed in size after buying Warner-Lambert and Pharmacia. And it was during this stretch that boardroom politics - notably, growing tension between Pfizer chair Bill Steere and ceo Hank McKinnell - blossomed, leading to the ascent of Jeff Kindler, who last winter suddenly resigned as ceo. These tumultuous changes (read here and here), shaped strategic decisions that led Pfizer to close facilities, eliminate research areas and fire gobs of scientists (see this). Recently, LaMattina, who is now a senior partner at Puretech Ventures, lamented the aftermath in a piece in Nature Reviews (see this). We chatted with h... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118991 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:32:30 +0100 5118991 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069479&cid=t_109685_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnsaids-might-be-risky-for-people-with-heart-problems%2F2011.07.26 As if people with the combination of high blood pressure and heart disease don’t already have enough to worry about, a new study suggests that common painkillers called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) pose special problems for them. Among participants of an international trial called INVEST, those who often used NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and others), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, and others), or celecoxib (Celebrex) were 47% more likely to have had a heart attack or stroke or to have died for any reason over three years of follow-up than those who used the drugs less, or not at all. The results were published in the July issue of the American Journal of Medicine. Millions of people take NSAIDs to relieve pain and inflammation. They are generally safe and effectiv... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069479 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:00:35 +0100 5069479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968823&cid=t_109685_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F23%2Fcan-a-diet-low-in-carbs-high-on-protein-help-in-the-fight-against-cancer%2F Eating a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet may reduce the risk of cancer and slow the growth of tumors already present, according to a study published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Eating a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet may reduce the risk of cancer and slow the growth of tumors already present, [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968823 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 05:21:02 +0100 4968823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4061075&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F-QqYKPFOrVc%2F In the latest example of how Pfizer is trying to become a Hollywood-like conglomerate, the drugmaker has agreed to pay $3.6 billion to buy King Pharmaceuticals, which sells various pain medications. Among them is a tamper-resistant form of long-acting morphine called Embeda, which was actually developed by Alpharma, a company that King purchased last year. King also is developing a tamper-resistant, long-acting form of oxycodone called Remoxy that would compete with a new form of OxyContin that the FDA approved this month for sale by Purdue Pharma. Pfizer will also own the Skelaxin muscle relaxant and the Flector pain patch. The drugmaker has gone on record saying it wants to expand its so-called pain portfolio, which currently includes the Celebrex arthritis drug and the Lyrica nerve tre... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4061075 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:59:19 +0100 4061075 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733300&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FNGX4aEjEK1k%2F Another hot day here on the Pharmalot corporate campus, where we are keeping the water bottles handy. We hope you are doing the same. After all, a flash of hot news does not require you to get overheated. Meanwhile, there is plenty of work to keep us busy. So please join us as we survey the headlines and dig in for another round of meetings and deadlines. Stay cool, everyone… Migraine Drug From Glaxo And XenoPort Fails Test (Associated Press) Aspen Lowers Its Offer For Sigma Pharma (Bloomberg News) India Expands Role As Drugmaker (New York Times) Roche Submits Breast Cancer Drug To FDA (Reuters) University Presses Invention Lawsuit Against Pfizer (Salt Lake City Tribune) Drugmakers To Boost Efforts Against Doping (Financial Times) Germany Seeks Cuts From Pharma & Insurers (Pharm... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733300 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:02:21 +0100 3733300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3699704&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F9uSkJUlkuGQ%2F Scott Reuben, who was accused of faking research for a dozen years in published studies that suggested after-surgery benefits from Vioxx and Celebrex, was sentenced to six months in jail plus three years supervised release after he pleaded guilty earlier this year to health care fraud, MassLive reports. The 51-year-old must also repay $361,932 in research grants, forfeit assets worth at least $50,000 and pay a $5,000 fine. The former chief of acute pain at Baystate Medical Center received grants from various drugmakers but never performed the studies, fabricated patient data and submitted info to anesthesiology journals that was unwittingly published. Later, an investigation found 21 papers published in journals between 1996 and 2008 in which Reuben made up some or all of the data (backgr... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3699704 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:45:58 +0100 3699704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3526945&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FaVQzGLrQa-M%2F The high court rejected an effort by Pfizer to deep six a securities lawsuit that alleged the drugmaker misrepresented safety issues about its Celebrex painkiller (see here). The lawsuit claimed Pharmacia, which Pfizer now owns, deliberately withheld results of a study showing Celebrex offered no safety advantages over less expensive meds, The Wall Street Journal writes. Pfizer argued that investors missed a two-year statute of limitations to bring the lawsuit. But the Alaska Electrical Pension Fund maintained there was no evidence of a possible fraud until The Washington Post published an article about missing Celebrex data in August 2001, which meant its April 2003 lawsuit was within two years of the statute. The 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled last year that the la... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3526945 Mon, 03 May 2010 16:13:51 +0100 3526945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298596&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FKOaY5HiIh4o%2F Scott Reuben, who was accused of faking research for a dozen years in published studies that suggested after-surgery benefits from Vioxx and Celebrex, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of federal health care fraud. The 51-year-old anesthesiologist will have to repay $361,932 in research grants and forfeit assets worth at least $50,000 as penalty, the Associated Press reports. Prosecutors alleged the former chief of acute pain at Baystate Medical Center received grants from various drugmakers but never performed the studies, fabricated patient data and submitted info to anesthesiology journals that was unwittingly published. Later, an investigation found 21 papers published in journals between 1996 and 2008 in which Reuben made up some or all of the data (background here and here). The... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298596 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:41:43 +0100 3298596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3185620&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FcXg3NJ5cmOI%2F Scott Reuben is on the hook for nearly $300,000 for faking research he conducted on various meds. The former chief of acute pain at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Ma., sought and received research grants from Pfizer and other drugmakers but never performed the studies. He fabricated patient data and submitted info to anesthesiology journals that unwittingly published it. Reuben must also pay $16,000 in restitution to Wyeth, which is now owned by Pfizer, and $49,375 to Merck (see documents here). You may recall that, last week, federal prosecutors filed a health care fraud charge against Reuben, who is accused of faking research for a dozen years in published studies suggesting Vioxx and Celebrex offered benefits after surgery. Reuben agreed to plead guilty in exchange for a recomm... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3185620 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:07:40 +0100 3185620 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3185295&cid=t_109685_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fphysician-pleads-guilty-to-fraud-for.html As reported by the Springfield, MA, Republican:A former chief of acute pain at Baystate Medical Center has agreed to plead guilty to falsifying medical research and must pay $420,000 in restitution to pharmaceutical companies, federal court records show.Dr. Scott S. Reuben, of Longmeadow, was charged on Thursday with health care fraud. He signed a plea agreement with prosecutors a week earlier.Reuben prompted a furor in the medical community in March, when he was accused of making up research results in at least 21 published studies and inventing patients in certain instances. In one notable instance,In 2005, Reuben received a $74,000 research grant from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, agreeing to test Celebrex as a component of the multimodal therapy. He claimed to have treated 200 patients,... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3185295 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:40:00 +0100 3185295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3176117&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FM-pTZd9IiDQ%2F Federal prosecutors filed a health care fraud charge against Scott Reuben, who is accused of faking research for a dozen years in published studies suggesting Vioxx and Celebrex offered benefits after surgery. Court documents indicate Reuben, an anesthesiologist, agreed to plead guilty in exchange for a recommendation of a more lenient jail sentence of up to 10 years, a $250,000 fine and forfeiture of assets worth at least $50,000 received for the research, the Associated Press reports. Prosecutors allege the former chief of acute pain at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Ma., sought and received research grants from drugmakers but never performed the studies. He fabricated patient data and submitted information to anesthesiology journals that unwittingly published it, the AP writes,... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3176117 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:11:05 +0100 3176117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2939561&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FYWAGXS6H7F4%2F A federal magistrate awarded Brigham Young University $852,315 in attorney fees and other costs after finding the drug maker engaged in repeated delays in a lawsuit involving billions of dollars earned from the Celebrex painkiller, The Salt Lake Tribune reports. The ruling by Magistrate Brooke Wells came in a lawsuit in which BYU claims a professor’s research provided to Pfizer’s predecessor, Monsanto, helped create Celebrex, which the Utah school said has earned $30 billion as the most commercially successful drug in history, the paper writes. BYU sued Pfizer in 2006 after negotiations failed to produce an agreement. In seeking attorneys fees and expenses, BYU pointed to repeated delays in providing it with evidence in the case and said that some evidence had been destroyed. ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2939561 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:57:20 +0100 2939561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2602216&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fcan-pharma-use-social-media-to-provide.html This morning, I received a note from a visitor to Pharma Marketing Network. It was submitted via one of the forms I have on the site. It said:'I have a low-income friend, 69 yrs of age. She is almost a cripple without celebrex but Humana refused to pay for it altho the Dr. orders. Is there a program that could help her get the celebrex.'Well, there is a program, which you can find on Pfizer.com here. [The image on the left is in the header of Pfizer's "helpful answers" Web site. I am a little confused by this image, which outlines people's heads with medicine bottles, Rx pill containers, and cups. Why was that necessary?]Pfizer's "helpful answers" site offers a pretty comprehensive list of assistance programs offered by Pfizer, the pharma industry in general, and by the government.Why didn... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2602216 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:30:00 +0100 2602216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2301625&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2Fzwuyw2_BVls%2Fnew-low-in-drug-research-21-fabricated.html According to WSJ.com, Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., has asked several anesthesiology journals to retract the studies, which appeared between 1996 and 2008, the WSJ reports. The hospital says its former chief of acute pain, Scott S. Reuben, faked data used in the studies. Some of the studies reported favorable results from use of Pfizer’s Bextra and Merck’s Vioxx, both painkillers that have since been pulled from the market. Others offered good news about Pfizer’s pain drugs Lyrica Celebrex and Wyeth’s antidepressant Effexor XR. Doctors said Reuben’s work was particularly influential in pain treatment and that they were shocked by the news.Read more on the WSJ.com's health blog. (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2301625 Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:20:00 +0100 2301625 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1888457&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F423673337%2F The drugmaker reached agreements in principle to resolve “substantially all” of the personal injury cases, consumer fraud cases and state attorneys general claims involving its two Cox-2 inhibitor painkillers. Bextra, you may recall, was withdrawn three years ago, while Celebrex remains available. Here’s the breakdown: $745 million applicable to personal injury claims, $60 million for state attorneys general settlements and $89 million to resolve consumer fraud class action claims. Total: $894 million. Pfizer maintains the deals will tackle more than 90 percent of the known personal injury claims alleging the painkillers caused a heart attack, stroke or other injury. The settlement also covers third-party payor class action consumer fraud cases in which plaintiffs alleged... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1888457 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:32:45 +0100 1888457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1876476&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F419968738%2F An analysis of an infamous Vioxx study found the notorious painkiller does, indeed, double the risk of heart attacks and strokes, although the likelihood of a serious cardiovascular event lessened one year after people no longer took the pill. What’s more, other drugs in the same class, known as Cox-2 inhibitors, may pose the same risk, according to the analysis published in The Lancet. “The good news is the data suggests that the risk doesn’t persist forever. The risk goes back toward normal after a year of follow up,” Robert Bresalier of the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, one of the study authors, tells Reuters. The original study, known as Approve, was funded by Merck and designed to determine whether Vioxx could prevent polyps that increas... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1876476 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:59:26 +0100 1876476 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1826210&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F401070296%2F The big drugmaker is dramatically stepping up sales efforts in emerging markets, overhauling US business operations and slashing more costs ahead of the 2011 patent loss for cholesterol blockbuster Lipitor, the Associated Press informs us. Ian Read, speaking at the 2008 UBS Global Life Sciences conference in New York, told analysts and investors Pfizer has reduced annual costs by $1.2 billion from 2006 levels and expects to meet its goal of cutting a total of $2 billion by year’s end. But most of the remaining reductions will occur in the fourth quarter, possibly signaling more job cuts. Pfizer hopes to generate another $3 billion in revenue by 2012 just from meds losing patent protection. How? Create new doses, tweak existing products and enter niche markets. For instance, Pfizer pl... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1826210 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:23:13 +0100 1826210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1720551&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F370269113%2F Despite Pfizer’s best efforts, the lawyers for the family of a woman who died four years ago after taking the Celebrex painkiller have succeeded in convincing a New Jersey state court judge that Fred should be deposed and his videotaped testimony shown in court this fall. Why does this matter? Well, Fred was ceo at Pharmacia, which Pfizer scooped up in order to gain the profits from the Celebrex painkiller. And Celebrex was a key pill for Pharmacia which, you may recall, furiously battled Merck for dominance of the nascent Cox-2 inhibitor market when both drugmakers nearly simultaneously launched their meds nearly a decade ago. Back in the day, Fred (who’s now the Schering-Plough ceo) was out there stumping for Celebrex, so his testimony can shed light on steps taken to ensure... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1720551 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:14:03 +0100 1720551 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1683440&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F356571056%2F Seems simple, yes? And so a group of Duke University researchers developed a hypothetical model to estimate the expected incremental number of adverse drug events that could be avoided once a drug is widely available. The upshot: “Requiring larger preapproval databases could be a cost-effective means of reducing adverse events in post-approval populations,” they write in Health Affairs. As you may recall, most industry-sponsored clinical trials of new drugs are designed to determine efficacy in order to gain regulatory approval. But the researchers note that detecting adverse drug events is “rarely considered when sample-size calculations are undertaken for clinical trials.” Thus, the statistical power to find side effects is “inherently a by-product” of... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1683440 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:39:31 +0100 1683440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1679622&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F355661875%2F A federal judge overseeing litigation involving Bextra and Celebrex ordered plaintiffs to submit info designed to determine which cases are suitable for trial, The Daily Journal reports. But the order only applies to plaintiffs represented by one firm, Weitz & Luxenberg. And the narrow focus of the order, which was based on a motion by Pfizer, led the law firm to argue in court documents that the drugmaker is attempting to bully it into settling its 250 cases. In May, Pfizer reportedly reached tentative settlements with some groups of plaintiffs who allege the painkillers caused heart attacks and strokes. In its motion, Pfizer argued plaintiffs should submit expert causation reports; medical records confirming injury; prescription records documenting dosage and proof the medication wa... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1679622 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:34:24 +0100 1679622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1538302&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F318039755%2F That’s the headline on a piece in the latest issue of Men’s Health, which usually spends time looking for erogenous zones and workout equipment. Now, though, the mag writes that it sifted through the Physicians’ Desk Reference and then asked some docs, “Which medications would you skip?” Their list is supposedly your second opinion and if you’re on any of these, MH writes, talk to your doc. Okay, so which drugs? Here goes…Advair, Avandia, Celebrex, Ketek, Prilosec, Nexium, Visine Original and Pseudoephedrine. Want to know why? Look here for the explanation… (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1538302 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:29:19 +0100 1538302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1492322&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F303973122%2F Spending was off slightly - $1.2927 billion compared with $1.2935 billion - according to DTC Perspectives, citing Nielsen Monitor-Plus data. In other words, no growth. However, the consulting firm notes that the results marked a turnaround from last year’s fourth quarter, when spending declined 15.2 percent, which marked the first quarterly drop since DTC began 10 years ago. The two top media channels struggled as DTC advertising on network TV fell 3.3 percent, excluding pharma corporate advertising, and print DTC in consumer magazines dropping 2.5 percent, also excluding corporate ads, according to DTC Perspectives. Network TV, the consulting firm adds, captured almost 34 percent of all measured DTC advertising in the period. Among brands, a decline in spending by the leading slee... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1492322 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:09:06 +0100 1492322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1475422&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F299813885%2F Something tells me it’s all happening at the zoo, and perhaps this could spell opportunity for Pfizer. At Fresno Chaffee Zoo in California, the sheep and goats are on Celebrex. Why? Just like you and me, advances in medicine have made it possible for animals in zoos to live longer, even if they have illnesses that could turn them into snacks in the jungle. “It’s a relatively new phenomenon, where zoos have gotten so good at what they do that we are surpassing median life expectancy,” Andy Snider, the Fresno zoo’s director of animal care and conservation, tells The Fresno Bee. “Human pharmaceuticals are used more often than not, especially in geriatrics,” Jacqueline Jencek, chief of animal care and conservation at the San Francisco Zoo, tells the paper, “because ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1475422 Wed, 28 May 2008 12:20:45 +0100 1475422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1416437&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F282291003%2F The drugmaker reached tentative settlements with some groups of plaintiffs who allege the painkillers caused heart attacks and strokes, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing lawyers at three firms involved in the litigation. The firms represent more than 200 of the thousands who sued Pfizer over the two meds, but the drugmaker is still holding talks with other law firms, the paper writes. Unlike Merck’s recent settlement of most Vioxx lawsuits in the US, Pfizer is trying to resolve its liability on a firm-by-firm basis, the lawyers tell the Journal. A Pfizer spokesman call us to say there is no comment. And Michael Rozen, an attorney with the Feinberg Group who is negotiating the deals on behalf of Pfizer, didn’t respond to the paper’s request for comment. A lawyer at ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1416437 Fri, 02 May 2008 20:15:51 +0100 1416437 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1375200&cid=t_109685_136_f&fid=36051&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FCancerCommentary%2F%7E3%2F271000486%2F Administration of the popular anti-inflammatory drug Celebrex (celecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) in combination with Lipitor (atorvastatin, a cholesterol lowering drug or statin) halts the transition of early prostate cancer to its more aggressive and potentially deadly stage. “Anti-androgen therapy slows the prostate cancer but eventually the cancer becomes androgen-independent, the therapy becomes ineffective and the cancer cells become more aggressive,” said Xi Zheng, assistant research professor at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, who conducted the study. “Treatments available for the later stage cancers are not very good,” said Allan Conney, director of Rutgers’ Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, another resea... Cancer Commentary blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1375200 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:02:12 +0100 1375200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1372019&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F270234755%2F The objective of the Rutgers study was to indefinitely delay the transition to androgen-independence, prolonging the time during which the cancer would be responsive to low-toxicity, anti-hormone therapy, Reuters writes. Zheng says it appears that a cell signaling pathway for tumor cell growth is inhibited by the combination of the two compounds. Human clinical trials are being planned. Of course, the results are unlikely to be available before Lipitor patent protection evaporates in 2010 or 2011. But the prospect of a cancer cocktail must be tantalizing, nonetheless, especially given concerns over cardiovascular side effects that have plagued Celebrex for the past few years. (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1372019 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:48:48 +0100 1372019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1338208&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F261359949%2F Patients taking the largest dose of 400 mg twice a day tripled their chance of a heart attack or stroke, compared with people taking a placebo, according to a study presented today at the American College of Cardiology meeting. The study confirms earlier concerns that prompted the FDA three years ago to warn that Celebrex and other painkillers, including ibuprofen and naproxen, should be prescribed at the lowest dose possible, Bloomberg News writes. “There is clearly an increased risk with increased dose and because this tends to be with the higher doses it probably provides some level of comfort at the lower end of the Celebrex spectrum,” Scott Solomon, director of noninvasive cardiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and the author of the study, tells Bloombe... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1338208 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:02:26 +0100 1338208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1307873&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F253188495%2F A federal judge in Chicago last Friday denied Pfizer’s efforts to obtain confidential peer review documents related to Celebrex and Bextra from the New England Journal of Medicine, according to Science magazine. In January, Pfizer filed a motion asking for peer-review documents it had subpoenaed from 11 studies on the drugs published by the NEJM, and also sought rejected studies, arguing the manuscripts might contain data that could be useful for its defense. The drugmaker is currently being sued in federal court in San Francisco by patients who claim the painkillers caused heart problems and wants the material for its defense. NEJM argued that releasing the info would compromise its anonyous peer review process, a position supported in an affidavit by the editor-in-chief of Science,... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1307873 Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:35:24 +0100 1307873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1258589&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F241617423%2F That’s the conclusion in a piece in the latest issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics. The only exception is naproxen, according to the authors, who reviewed a meta-analysis published two years ago in the British Medical Journal, 138 clinical trials and observational studies involving Merck’s Vioxx, Pfizer’s Celebrex and Bextra, and such widely used painkillers as ibuprofen and diclofenac. The upshot is that the Cox-2 inhibitors - the Merck and Pfizer drugs - didn’t post a statistically significant greater risk of cardiovascular disease than the other non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. However, the Merck and Pfizer drugs did pose a greater risk than taking nothing, notes Charles Hennekens, a professor at Florida Atlantic University who ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1258589 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:56:21 +0100 1258589 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1250428&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F239394691%2F In a blistering editorial in Science magazine,* editor-in-chief Donald Kennedy notes that Pfizer has issued subpoenas to the New England Journal of Medicine in order to wade through confidential reviews of published studies of its Celebrex and Bextra painkillers, which are the subject of numerous product-liability lawsuits. As he sees it, Pfizer wants it both ways - an opportunity to defend itself against litigation that involves dismissing the same confidential system that validates industry research. To Kennedy, it’s a ‘fishing expedition’ that will undermine journal integrity. “At Science, we editors love our reviewers and know that our editorial colleagues elsewhere do, too. After all, the process of scientific publication depends on the volunteer services of th... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1250428 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:14:25 +0100 1250428 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1166482&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F220413834%2F Patient health in clinical trials at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, a publicly funded institution, was jeopardized due to a lack of “research compliance capability,” according to a previously undiscosed portion of a federal monitor’s report, The Star-Ledger of New Jersey reports. At issue is the university’s problem-plagued Office of Ethics and Compliance, and UMDNJ’s ability to audit research spending and report violations of clinical studies’ guidelines to the federal government. The confidential portion of the report found the ethics office, whose director recently resigned and is missing other key personnel, had failed in performing critical oversight of federal research grants, the paper writes. “UMDNJ admittedly has ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1166482 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:05:16 +0100 1166482 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1152851&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F217256259%2F In other words, no reason to panic just yet. But researchers have determined Pfizer’s painkiller can adversely affect heart rhythm in fruit fly and rat models, UPI reports. Cox-2 inhibitors, such as Celebrex, have been under fire due to adverse cardiovascular side-effects stemming from COX-2 reduction. In fact, Pfizer is currently enmeshed in litigation in federal and state courts involving claims its painkiller caused heart attacks and strokes. But the new study found the drug-induced arrhythmia is independent of the COX-2 enzyme. Satpal Singh and colleagues at the State University of New York at Buffalo tested various Celebrex doses on the heart rate of the fruit fly Drosophila. And they found the med reduced heart rate and increased beating irregularities. The finding was a surpr... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1152851 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:27:21 +0100 1152851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1140026&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F214086180%2F A New York state judge has ruled that plaintiffs didn’t present scientifically reliable evidence that the painkiller caused heart attacks or strokes when taken at a daily dose of 200 milligrams, which the drugmaker claims this is the most common dose. The decision mimics one made in November by a federal court judge in San Francisco. New York Supreme Court judge Shirley Kornreich ruled that “…the scientific evidence, whether for a heart attack or stroke, is just not there,” according to a Pfizer statement. As a result, Pfizer believes the two decisions leave certain expert opinions inadmissible, and could result in the dismissal of many Celebrex cases. However, the ruling doesn’t pertain to an unspecified number of cases involving people who took the 400mg dos... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1140026 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:20:27 +0100 1140026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1117868&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F206671457%2F Belated holiday greetings, especially to those who encountered Santa yesterday. Officially, we are off this week, but since our e-mail is easily clogged, we thought we would stop by while conducting some housecleaning and drop off a few interesting items. See you shortly…. Researchers Hunt For Suicide Gene (The Salt Lake City Tribune) Idera Pharmaceuticals President Resigns (Yahoo/AP) Cohen Boosts Stake In Pharmion (The Wall Street Journal) Celebrex Blocks Unwanted Effects Of Morphine (Reuters) Researchers Ponder Genes That Influence Alzheimer’s (The New York Times) Glaxo’s Alli Is Headed For The UK (The Daily Mail) Share / E-mail (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1117868 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:27:03 +0100 1117868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1060149&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F192459985%2F During a hearing last month in federal court in San Francisco, Pfizer trotted out an expert - a professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas - to help convince a judge that Celebrex wasn’t responsible for heart attacks. Pfizer went on to score a partial victory, because US District Court judge Charles Breyer decided the plaintiffs didn’t present scientifically reliable evidence about the most common Celebrex dose. But what wasn’t clear at the time is that the Pfizer’s expert, Milton Packer, wasn’t actually licensed - everywhere he said he is licensed - when he gave his October testimony, according to court documents (look at page 20) and the Texas Medical Board web site (click on Public Verification and then type in his name). His tem... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1060149 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:40:36 +0100 1060149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1037878&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F187664168%2F A federal judge ruled yesterday that plaintiffs didn’t presented scientifically reliable evidence that Celebrex caused heart attacks or strokes when taken at a daily dosage of 200 milligrams, and the drugmaker claims this is the most common dose. There are more than 3,000 lawsuits, but the ruling by US Districrt Court Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco kept alive lawsuits involving the 400 milligram. At the moment, however, the number of lawsuits that can proceed with the heart attack or stroke claims isn’t clear. Another issue - some patients on 200 milligrams may have taken the painkiller twice a day. “More of the cases on file are 400 so this somewhat cuts the inventory of cases, but still leaves intact the majority of the litigation,” one plaintiff lawyer, wh... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1037878 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:53:06 +0100 1037878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=996644&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F178013054%2F We apologize for the late closing. But as you might have guessed, we were distracted by an unending parade of little ghouls and goblins. We now know how some physicians must feel when unwanted sales reps keep coming to the door, although we were the ones handing out the freebies. We did, however, save you a few goodies…. Doctors Who Dispense (The Washington Post) Bayer Seeks OK To Market Thrombosis Drug In Europe (CNNMoney/Dow Jones) Johnson & Johnson Wins Patent Case Against Boston Scientific (Bloomberg News) Judge Boosts Investors’ Celebrex Lawsuit For Late Filing (SecuritiesLaw 360) Share / E-mail (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=996644 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:26:19 +0100 996644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=934113&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F166927863%2F There will be a hearing in federal court in San Francisco tomorrow to determine whether Celebrex can increase the risk of serious cardiovascuar events - otherwise known as heart attacks and strokes - and under what circumstances. US District Court Judge Charles Breyer will have to sift through expert reports, depositions and testimony before ultimately deciding whether there’s reliable scientific evidence to suggest Celebrex presents a serious cardiovascular risk. The event, which is known as a Daubert hearing in legal circles, is part of the Multi-District Litigation concerning Pfizer’s Celebrex, as well as Bextra, a newer Cox-2 painkiller that was pulled from the market two years ago due to…cardiovascular concerns. However, the hearing is only for Celebrex and appears to be an... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=934113 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:19:50 +0100 934113 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=906067&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fpoe-dtc-forevermore.html Once upon a Nightly News show dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,Over many a quagmire and unending war,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a drug ad,As of someone violently sneezing, wheezing, or erectile poor."'Tis some me-too drug," I muttered, "for the erectile poor;Only this, and nothing more."Not THAT Poe!It's time again for the POE awards! No, not the Edgar Allan Poe awards but the Perspectives on Excellence Awards -- a yearly event sponsored by DTC Perspectives (see "DTC Perspectives Magazine Announces Finalists for the POEs Awards").I reviewed the POE winners of last year after the fact (see "Awards: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly"), but this year I'd like to review the contenders and give readers an opportunity to vote before the winners are announced at the DTC... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=906067 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 11:04:00 +0100 906067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=880173&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Frisk-first-dtc-tactic-to-overcome.html First there was Risk-Free DTC (see "DTC without the Risk"). Now there is Risk-First DTC!Before I get into that, there's a related story I'd like to review about how risk is communicated in the US vs. the UK.Just when I thought the UK can do no wrong when it comes to regulating prescription drugs, I learn that its regulatory agency -- the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) -- may be doing a worse job than the FDA warning citizens about emerging drug risks (see article here).The issue of reporting drug risks in the US will be the subject of a Pharma Marketing Talk podcast this Thursday (see "An Innovative System for Communicating Drug Risks to Patients")."The concern is that, after such high-profile controversies as Vioxx and Avandia, the UK watchdog lacks initiative ... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=880173 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:36:00 +0100 880173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510404&cid=t_109685_87_f&fid=34866&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecardioblog.com%2F2007%2F09%2F07%2Fwhy-vioxx-is-so-dangerous%2F This study was not considered conclusive, but if you have questions or concerns about medications you're currently taking speak with your doctor.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments (Source: The Cardio Blog) The Cardio Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510404 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 23:00:00 +0100 2510404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=799399&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F144011996%2F Frustrated by reluctant doctors? At a loss for a new strategy? Convinced ridiculously long TV ads will excite consumers? Forget it. What you really want is for your rival to have a catastrophe. Well, it seems the Celebrex marketing team had its prayers answered the other day when Australia yanked a Cox-2 painkiller, Novartis’ Prestige, over deaths and liver transplants. As Joe Tooley, an analyst at AG Edwards, points out in an investor note this morning, this spells upside for the Pfizer pfolks. This is what he writes… “In our most current week of prescription data, the painkiller posted over a 3 percent decline in total scrips from year-ago levels. Revenue increases – we project 11 percent revenue growth for 2007 – are coming from price increases and lower rebating, ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=799399 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 12:43:59 +0100 799399 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=760660&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F137590753%2F Hard to believe, but it may be true. Mark Calcavecchia is quoted as saying he loves the painkiller - as well as Aleve. He made his remarks in response to reports that the use of steroids and other performance-enhancers has been the talk of the golf world, which occurred after Gary Player said last week at the British Open that he knew some golfers use drugs banned in other sports. “As long as they don’t ban Celebrex and Aleve, I’ll be okay; and beer,” Calcavecchia says. “Those three combos pretty much numb me up good and that’s about all I need.” Actually, he’s been saying this for awhile, according to Golf magazine. This is like a hole-in-one for Pfizer, which could use a boost after launching groundbreaking, but not terribly effective TV a... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=760660 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:54:08 +0100 760660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=601867&cid=t_109685_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F05%2F10%2Fprostate-cancer-slowed-by-green-tea%2F Filed under: Colon and Rectal Cancer, Clinical TrialsA component of green tea combined with a low dose (200mg) of a Cox -2 inhibitor (sold as Celebrex) may act in concert to slow the spread of prostate cancer.Why am I interested in prostate cancer? My father has recently learned that his Prostate - Specific Antigen (PSA) results are very high and are getting higher. He does not know whether this is prostate cancer and might choose to not know (maybe more on that in some other blogs). This has certainly made me more aware of prostate cancer and other prostate-related illnesses .The journal, Clinical Cancer Research, reports that low doses of the Cox-2 inhibitor given along with a green tea polyphenol slowed the growth of prostate cancer in cell cultures and in a mouse model of the disease. ... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=601867 Thu, 10 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 601867 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=522944&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fcelebrex-ad-lets-dive-deeper.html Recently, Pfizer ran a long animated TV ad for Celebrex that made many claims within the 2 and a half minute running time. But were these claims accurately understood by viewers? To find out, I decided to follow the ad's suggestion and "dive deeper" by hosting a little poll on this blog (see "The New Celebrex TV Ad: What Did You Learn?"). I will dive deeper and review the results of that poll here.The polled asked "Which claims were made in the New Celebrex TV Ad?" and respondents could check off claims from the following list:Rx naproxen and ibuprofen have CV risks.FDA requires all NSAIDs, including Celebrex, to have same CV warning.Celebrex use may lead to heart attack or stroke, even death.Celebrex, unlike naproxen or ibuprofen, does not cause stomach bleeding.Celebrex has never been ta... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=522944 Thu, 05 Apr 2007 16:23:00 +0100 522944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=518962&cid=t_109685_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fnew-celebrex-tv-ad-what-did-you-learn.html Pfizer's new Celebrex TV ad, which aired last night for the first time during ABC's World News with Charles Gibson, was unique in several respects. But what did viewers learn from this two and a half minute commercial? I invite you to take a little test at the end of this post.First, however, let's list the ways that this commercial was different. Pfizer obviously thinks this commercial is special -- it has placed the entire video clip on the Celebrex Web site home page.Length and the Communication of RiskThis was more of an infomercial than a typical commercial. In fact, it was the ONLY commercial interruption during the half-hour of the news program. Charles Gibson made a big deal of this right at the beginning of the show and promised that will be a new feature every Monday on ABC World... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=518962 Tue, 03 Apr 2007 13:18:00 +0100 518962