BMJ  2006;333:761 (7 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7571.761

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Lasting damage from the trastuzumab storm

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In May 2005 the annual conference of the American Society for Clinical Oncology included a powerful speech by a US patients' advocate that highlighted the damage from "access advocacy," whereby drug companies undermine research, licensing, and appraisal (PLoS Medicine 2005;2: e358). Also presented were fast tracked abstracts of preliminary results for trials of trastuzumab (Herceptin) for localised breast cancer. Publicity for the society's annual conference is stage managed by its drug company sponsors, and the trastuzumab story buzzed through news wires worldwide.

Unlicensed, expensive new drugs without peer reviewed published data do not jump the queue over other priorities. If patients want drugs for cancer that are unlicensed or not approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), and hence not funded by the local primary care trust, they generally pay for them themselves. This, though regrettable, does not normally attract . . . [Full text of this article]

Bristol North Primary Care Trust angela.raffle@bristolnorth-pct.nhs.uk

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NICE appraisals should be everybody's business

Jane Wells and Claire Cheong-Leen
BMJ 2007 334: 936-938. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Wilson, P. M, Booth, A. M, Eastwood, A., Watt, I. S (2008). Deconstructing media coverage of trastuzumab (Herceptin): an analysis of national newspaper coverage. JRSM 101: 125-132 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Wells, J., Cheong-Leen, C. (2007). NICE appraisals should be everybody's business. BMJ 334: 936-938 [Full text]  

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The local media do Big Pharma's work for them

Neville W Goodman
bmj.com, 9 Oct 2006 [Full text]

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