hmmmmm

1 Comment

    • ON: Thu Feb 14th 19:06 PM
      Commented on:
      Cholesterol Drug Trial Results Mean Bad News for Schering-Plough, Merck
      Your article is somewhat imbalanced. This trial is not an outcomes trial as you said early in the piece. The definition of "outcomes" is being used in two different contexts and is confused when the word "outcomes" is mentioned again - "But the downstream clinical data (the artery measurements and outcomes) overrule that." No they don't, at least not yet. The time period was not long enough, there were not enough patients and how can you interpret numbers from this population of cholesterol producers who make cottage cheese for blood to the entire population? You can't.

      All of the information is not available as the trial has not been peer reviewed, presented or published. This process is fairly well laid out and will be completed. Scientific discourse should be allowed in this case as well before weighing in and scuttling the whole thing.
      We don't even know what the significance of IMT measurements are so to conclude anything from this trial is inappropriate. Does IMT = plaque? (We don't know.) Have there been legitimate outcomes studies with IMT? (Find them.) Are there more than one failed IMT studies out there? (Absolutely)
      How can you say there is no benefit to the drug when the LDL's were dropped by 58% and you point out yourself the p value of .01? There is significant data showing the relationship of LDL and cardiac events. I don't think you can settle that this is completely bad info until the rest of the data gets released & reviewed.

      It certainly is bad politically for Schering. One might ask more about what is going on behind the scenes? How did this trial get released one day and show up with Katie and the good doctor the next morning? Hmmmmm? Overall, I think there is some strong mischaracterizations here by experts and by writers who do a lot of damage when damage is not warranted.

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