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Rapid Responses: Rapid Responses published:
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![[Read Rapid Response]](/icons/misc/sectionDOWN.gif)
Mystique on the drug market
- Aviva Sheb'a (1 November 2003)
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publication or publicity ?
- Patrick SILVESTRE (3 November 2003)
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Good Personal Experience using Rosuvastatin
- Dr Grant Dex (5 November 2003)
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Don`t mislead our patients
- Lucas A. Kleemann, MD (12 November 2003)
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Aviva Sheb'a, Writer, Educator, Performer South Australia 5066
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This article fuels my suspicions. I've been taking antiulcer medications for a number of years. Each one has been helpful in some ways but I've had to change due to side- effects. A week ago, I received a new medication, Nexium, made by AstraZeneca. No patient information leaflet was enclosed, but an incredible amount of environment-damaging packaging was. If the company can afford such packaging, why can't they put in a leaflet? The medication's done wonders for the heartburn, but I've become a mobile methane factory. I hunted for patient information on the web, to no avail. I got dozens of links to buy more of AstraZeneca medications including Nexium, even a free trial sample if I want one (!), and there was one link to info for professionals. All I could gather from that one, was that Nexium seems to be capable of producing any side effect imaginable. I hope I'm wrong! What I want to know is, given my lack of success in finding out what this medication may be doing to me, and now this article, what is being kept from public knowledge? I don't think I need to ask why it's being kept from us. Competing interests: None declared |
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Patrick SILVESTRE, General practitionner 60590 FRANCE
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I am really surprised by this new naivety of the Lancet The results of many trials are often distorted or embellished by the industry. For example, what about global mortality in Ascot study ? Strange and significant increase of cancer in Prosper study ? Discutable conclusions of Life Study ? It is our role, and our duty, for the good of our patients, to distinguish between scientific truth and advertising (misleading ?) features P SILVESTRE MD Competing interests: None declared |
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Dr Grant Dex, GP Principal Nottingham, UK NG9 6AH
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As a GP practicing in the UK, it would have been difficult to avoid the marketing hype of "Crestor" and have personally attended a number of educational seminars conducted by local Cardiologists and Chemical Pathologists advocating the use of this statin. Comparison data against atorvastatin was impressive and I began using it in my clinical practice. I have been very impressed with the resulting favourable lipid profiles of my patients and have gained target lipid levels without exception at the starting 10mg dose. In addition, patients previously treated suboptimally with higher dose atorvastatin or simvastatin 40mg, have enjoyed similar normalisation of their lipid profiles. I now use rosuvastatin as my first choice statin, and have encountered no adverse reactions or liver function test derangements or haematuria/proteinuria. The Lancets "editorial" is irresponsible and am reassured by the BMJ's more measured approach. Competing interests: None declared |
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Lucas A. Kleemann, MD, statin war A-3500 Krems
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I cannot believe that the Pfizer cooperation needed to punish the new statin rosuvastatin. I collaborated in the crestor-study and i can tell you that this drug is safe and powerful and is a new drug to treet familial hypercholesterinemia safely. And when the study is really finished and published we will see if the pleiotropic effects are real or not. Ther ist a big market for all statins to prescribe and we don`t need another failure like cerivastatin - about a third stopped their statin therapy !! with kindly regards to the editor in the Lancet Dr. Lucas Kleemann Competing interests: None declared |
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