News & Features

January, 2008

January edition of M.D. Pharmacy's monthly newsletter. Articles regarding your medications, their safety, and the politics behind the price you pay for them. Please share this with your neighbors.

Before we get into the newsletter, please accept our wishes for a healthy, happy New Year!

New warnings on Avandia

Just as the dust is settling on the Avandia heart–failure issues, the popular diabetes drug is feared to cause an increase in bone thinning.

Though not yet fully explored, this could help explain why diabetics can have an increased risk of fractures. "Considering the widespread use of these drugs and the known action in people it is surprising that such a key observation had been missed" said Ronald M. Evans of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Avandia is one of the most popular drugs used to treat Type II diabetes.

Medication timing may help heart and kidneys

"Switching the time of day blood pressure medication is taken could help some patients avoid kidney and heart complications", according to a study published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. The study is built on the basis of the common observation that anti-hypertension drugs work best in the first hours after they are taken. The National Kidney Foundation points out that the simple act of taking a pill at night instead of first thing in the morning can have an important effect on the health of patients with chronic kidney disease who are particularly vulnerable to cardiovascular and kidney complications.

Novartis Plans Four New Cancer Drugs

Most big pharmaceutical companies are increasing their investments in cancer research, a segment that has experienced strong sales growth in recent years while other therapeutic areas have flagged. Drug companies have found that they can price effective cancer drugs at a high level, making them particularly profitable. Novartis has said that at least one of its four new drugs could eventually achieve sales of one Billion dollars or more annually, starting in 2011. None of the drugs have as yet been approved for use in humans.

Humana on the hot seat for "deceptive marketing practices" for Medicare Part D plans

The state of Oklahoma used its limited authority to fine Humana almost as much as the federal government has fined all Medicare Advantage players combined. Still the state felt that it had uncovered serious abuses that deserved far harsher punishment, but under law $500,000 is the maximum amount they could fine the company. Oklahoma insurance commissioner, Kim Holland said in a recent interview "if we could have fully exercised our authority it (the fine) would have been a whole lot more". Now, frustrated state commissioners are increasingly calling for reforms. (ed. note: Amen!).

Big Pharma faces grim prognosis

Over the next few years the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry will lose patent protection on most of their billion dollar blockbuster drugs. Some of the top-selling drugs in the industry's history will become history as patent protections expire, allowing generics to rush in at much lower prices. Generic competition is expected to wipe $67 Billion from top companies' annual U.S. sales between 2007 and 2012 as more than three dozen drugs lose patent protection. At the same time, the industry's science-engine has stalled, unable to come up with any significant replacements for the patent-expired drugs, such as Lipitor, Plavix and Zyprexa. Typical gross margins for Big Pharma's patent-protected drugs show high profitability with profit margins around 90% to 95%. The loss of these drugs' estimated sales will cause a decline of revenue for Big Pharma, which would be the first decline in nearly four decades.

Influenza doubles risk of heart attack or stroke

According to a study published in the European Heart Journal, the potential risk of experiencing a fatal heart attack or stroke doubles in the week following a respiratory infection, but recedes soon after. Scientists say the study provides convincing evidence that people with heart trouble should get a flu shot every year.

The pharmacists and staff at M.D. Pharmacy, your neighborhood pharmacy.

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