Pharmalot... Pharmalittle... Good Morning

Rise and shine. Another frigid day is on the way. We are keeping warm here at the chilly Pharmalot corporate campus by dashing around in hopes of getting the short peopole to the schoolhouses. Nonetheless, a brisk cup of stimulation is in order. Our flavor today? Pumpkin Spice. Feel free to join us. After all, a little warmth is a good thing, yes? Meanwhile, here is the latest batch of tidbits. Today should prove busy, so time to get started. Hope all goes well in your world and do stay in touch...

Biogen Longer-Lasting MS Drug Meets Late-Stage Goals (Bloomberg News)

Nebraska Plant Problems Still Weigh On Novartis (Lincoln Journal-Star)

Investors Applaud Vasella Departure From Novartis (Bloomberg News)

FDA OKs New Use For Avastin In Colon Cancer (Reuters)

Watson Buys Belgium's Uteron For $305 Million (Pharma Times)

Will Vertex Strike Deal Over CF Drug Price In Ireland? (Irish Times)

Bird Flu Research To Resume With New Safety Rules (Bloomberg News)

Amgen Profits Drop On Higher Spending (Associated Press)

Regular Aspirin Use Tied To Age-Related Vision Loss (Reuters)

Merck CEO Says Jury Is Still Out On Raising HDL Cholesterol (Reuters)

FDA Approves Botox For Overactive Bladder (HealthDay News)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Please check this post for additional items during the day

kettle pic thx to mirahartford on flickr

2 Comments

In regards to FDA OKs New Use For Avastin In Colon Cancer, the cancer research arena has reached a sorry state of affairs. The tiniest increase in the survival time or median time to progression of drug-treated cancer patients (Curing Cancer: Running on Vapor, May 1, 2007).

One example of this is the clinical reality for metastatic colon cancer. The FDA-approved combination regimen of chemotherapy (irinotecan, bolus fluorouracil, and leucovorin) plus Avastin increases median overall survival by 4.7 months.

This small increase comes with a host of side effects, which impinge upon the quality of life, as well as placing a burden on the patient, as well as the healthcare system.

The much-vaunted blockbuster drug Avastin is simply an antibody supplement incorporated into an already complex chemotherapeutic drug regimen that may slow down the cancer process depending on the genetic constitution of that individual.

When the front-line treatment for solid tumors is still chemotherapy (cytotoxic and/or targeted) and radiation, and the best that blockbuster drugs can achieve is to prolong the inevitable by either a few months or not at all, then it's surely time to stop the delusion.

Jan 24, 2013 - 3:03pm
Agreed, GP. I recall all too vividly patients (or, too frequently, family members) begging for another treatment to keep them alive a little longer when it seemed the most humane and loving thing would have been to send them home with kindnes, pain relief and caring people around them to enjoy what was left as best they could in hospice and palliative care. I hope that the current renewed interest will allow an end to illusory dreams of cures and appreciate a more realistic peaceful, pain controlled death.