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) Feeling the burn
Indeed, the uptick of diagnoses in kids and babies is “really scary," says Seattle physician Tom Vaughan, an expert on acid reflux and professor at the University of Washington. Two decades ago, it was almost unheard of. Now the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), the strongest acid-blocking drugs, for infants like Cooper—who might once have been dismissed as “colicky"—has soared by 750 per cent in the U.S. in the past decade; a range of reflux drugs have been approved for use in kids under age 11. This year, a lime-flavoured, “kid's-strength" version of the GERD prescription drug Nexium will hit the market. “More and more kids are being treated with PPIs and getting anti-reflux surgery," says Dr. Douglas Corley of Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Oakland, Calif. “And no one has any idea what the long-term effects are."Unfortunately, ignoring the symptoms—which for kids can include coughing and tummy aches—has its perils too, notes Gail Attara, executive director of the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research. More>>
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) James LeFanu: Doctor's diary
There is a possible link with the acid reflux that may occur when lying flat at night and usually causes heartburn but may, for some obscure reason, also precipitate disturbances of heart rhythm. Theoretically, then, these nocturnal attacks might be prevented by taking an acid suppressant drug before retiring.As reported in the Telegraph on Saturday, the Health Secretary Alan Johnson is preparing to announce next month that so-called top-up payments will be allowed in future. This reverses his previous opposition to NHS patients paying for private drugs, which had led to some being penalised after purchasing medicines that were not available on the health service.
Problem solved? There is, however, rather more to this issue. The drug companies will have no incentive, if this becomes widespread, to reduce the scandalously inflated price of drugs – knowing that patients are willing to pay vast sums for the hope of even a modest improvement in their prospects. More>>
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) Is pharma liable for knockoff meds, too?
Wyeth, a woman alleged that she developed a neurological disorder because of her long-term use of metoclopramide, the copycat form of Wyeth's acid-reflux med Reglan. Conte argued that Wyeth should have warned doctors that Reglan and its generic forms shouldn't be used for more than 12 weeks at a time. The trial judge ruled for Wyeth.But in a unanimous ruling, the appeals court reversed that decision. "As the foreseeable risk of physical harm runs to users of both name-brand and generic drugs," Justice Peter Siggins wrote in the court's opinion on the case, "so too runs the duty of care."
Will that verdict stand when it inevitably reaches the California Supreme Court? Liability lawyers want to say "No." Two attorneys who blog about drug and device law wrote that the ruling "stands product liability law on its head." And one of them, Mark Herrmann, a Jones Day partner, told Law.com, "Virtually all the precedents went the other way." And over at In the Pipeline, Derek Lowe pronounces himself incredulous. More>>
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) Glaxo venture arm lifts Addex stake to 5 percent
Addex reported promising results with its lead drug for treating acid reflux and migraine in September, potentially paving the way for a partnering deal with a big drugmaker.Addex already has two partnering deals with Merck & Co (MRK.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) in schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease. A third agreement, with Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), focuses on developing drugs to treat anxiety and schizophrenia. (Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by David Holmes)
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