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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Blue Cheer 1 on March 16, 2002, at 9:02:47
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/14/business/14DRUG.html
Blue
Posted by Ritch on March 16, 2002, at 16:00:26
In reply to Shady off-label marketing of Neurontin, posted by Blue Cheer 1 on March 16, 2002, at 9:02:47
Blue,
Very interesting article. It doesn't surprise me a whole lot though. The scary thing about it is-how many other meds are put through the same hoops to increase sales? I have been on Neurontin for a couple of years now and it works ok for several things, but it isn't a "big gun" by any means. My pdoc has a new 3-dimensional poster for Adderall, and I got a script for dexedrine (although I don't need it now). I have seen shrinks for 23 years and rarely seen a drug company sales rep. in the waiting room until the last three or four years. Now just about every 3rd visit my pdoc is talking to a sales rep. I sat and talked with one for about 20 minutes in the waiting room a couple of months ago. As far as bipolar disorder goes, there is only *ONE* med for long-term prophylaxis and that is lithium. Well, we all know that many people respond better to the various AED's. Perhaps, the FDA is too rigid about approving subsequent indications for a medication? Could the process be too time-consuming and expensive for most pharmaceutical companies to get additional indications? Or-if the additional indication is present for the medication is it *worse* because the shift of liability is spread to the drug company instead of the physician? Is it far easier and cheaper to just promote off-label use and not have to worry about the liability? I don't like it. I think it should be easier for companies to get meds approved for subsequent indications in a more conventional scientific manner.
Mitch
Posted by hal on March 16, 2002, at 18:46:02
In reply to Shady off-label marketing of Neurontin, posted by Blue Cheer 1 on March 16, 2002, at 9:02:47
Hey There,
Yes, the drug companies use many underhanded marketing schemes to sell medication. The American Medical system today is very much a business, and drug representatives play a huge part.
But as the article mentioned, doctors in most cases prescribe a medication only if it indeed works. If the medication was ineffective, the patient would not improve and never return ..... if you were on neurontin and keep having seizures everyday, you would go to a new doctor.
So in defense of neurontin, it is a multipurpose medication effective for seizures, neuropathic pain, migraine headaches, bipolar disorder, insomnia, etc. The problem for the drug companies is they have to spend 1 to 2 million dollars to fund a trial for a new application of the drug and then wait months/years for FDA review and hopeful approval.Hal
This is the end of the thread.
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