QDIS Blog

I found this recent Forbes article interesting. It reports on a large study called DREAM of the diabetic drug Avendia and how some see it as indicating an increase in heart attacks and strokes.

Glaxo’s Faustian Pill - Forbes.com

The increase in risk is described as 37% but in 62% of the patients with high blood sugars avoided developing diabetes. Without more data on the potential benefits, I don’t see this drug going anywhere. It may be useful in conjunction with a genetic test that might be developed to identify those who are at highest risks. If I was developing this drug, that’s definitely one area I would be actively investigating.

I think that the Vioxx factor may be playing a part. It seems everyone is looking for cardiovascular problems with just about any drug and if you look hard enough you find what you are looking for. now, I want to make it clear that I’m not saying we shouldn’t evaluate risks but that you have to weigh the risk against the reward. In this case, defining the rewards are much more difficult.

Technorati Tags: Avendia, GlaxoSmithKline, Vioxx factor

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I reported on pharming before but wanted to point out this latest article from the Times of London.

‘Pharm’ goats give birth to new drugs - Sunday Times - Times Online

The drug being produced is ATryn, an anti-clotting drug used to treat patients with hereditary antithrombin deficiency (HAD). This makes the patients vulnerable to deep-vein thrombosis. The drug is being developed by a US company called GTC Biotherapeutics.

There is also mentioned another company developing the drug Rhucin for treatment of angioedema (swelling of soft tissue). This is being developed by the Dutch company Pharming.

It is great to note that these life-savings drugs are being approved. I would note that this really only applies to biologics. I can’t see small molecules being produced in this way anytime in the near future.

Other resources

• Transgenic Animals
• Transgenic animal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• GlaxoSmithKline: The role of transgenic animals in biomedical research
• Public Perception of Transgenic Animals (pdf)
• Barnyard 101: An Introduction to Transgenic Farm Animals

Technorati Tags: ATryn, GTC Biotherapeutics, pharming, Rhucin, transgenic animals

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