Yourlawyer.com (Avonex News) http://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/Avonex Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:45:45 -0800 pixel-app en Drug Companies & Continuing Medical Education: It's Not Really About The Teaching http://www.yourlawyer.com/articles/read/12874 Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.yourlawyer.com/articles/read/12874
Last year, pharmaceutical companies spent over $1 billion on CME courses.  That’s a lot of money, so it should come as no real surprise that many of these courses are thinly disguised marketing ploys   But according to the Finance Committee’s report, the effects go much deeper.   During its investigation, the Finance Committee found that drug companies were using CMEs to influence clinical practice guidelines and Medicaid formularies.  That finding was particularly disturbing to the Committees Chairman, Max Baucus (D-Mont.).  “American taxpayers spend billions of dollars every year on drug treatments for Medicaid and Medicare patients, and those dollars must be spent wisely,” said Baucus.  “Medical Education funded by drug companies has to be real education, not a soft-sell designed to sway treatment decisions.”

But all too often, these CME programs are exactly that.  Take the case of Avandia, a diabetes drug that was recently linked to serious heart problems.  According to a June 13th New York Times editorial, GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of Avandia, paid for dozens of CME courses.  While the stated purpose of these courses was to inform physicians about the newest developments in diabetes treatment, they were really advertisements for Avandia.  These programs trumpeted the advantages of the drug, but never mentioned its many side effects.  Other diabetes medications that had fewer side effects were cited, but with very little enthusiasm.

It shouldn’t be this way.  The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) has rules spelling out who is allowed to pay for CME courses, and drug companies are not allowed to directly fund such programs.  But “directly” is the operative word here.  There is nothing in the rules that prohibits the pharmaceutical manufacturers from paying a third party to design and promote courses. And that’s exactly what they do.  The drug company pays a so-called “medical education communication consultant” millions to develop coursework.  And of course, the class materials always end up portraying the sponsoring company’s products in a good light.

While the Senate Committee did not issue any recommendations for dealing with the problem of medical education funding, it did say it planned to follow-up on its findings with the drug companies, ACCME and the FDA.  But these organizations have proven largely ineffective in policing this abuse.  Many patient advocates have called on states to quite accepting these drug-company courses as CME credits.  If this were done, they contend that doctors would have no choice but to look for more objective sources to fulfill their education requirements.

]]> http://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/Avonex Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/Avonex DOWNLOAD OUR AVONEX INFORMATION PACKAGE

Injured by Avonex?

On February 28, 2005, the FDA reported people suffering PML (Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy) while taking Avonex. In many circumstances those who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis take both Avonex and Tysabri together. Tysabri was withdrawn from the market after recent reports of two cases of serious effects among patients who used it along with an earlier Avonex, in clinical trials. In one instance, the person died, while in another, the person developed a suspected case of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy, a rare and frequently fatal disease of the central nervous system.

PML (Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy) often results in irreversible neurological deterioration and death. Both patients had taken Avonex for more than two years in combination with Tysabri, the companies said. Symptoms of PML (Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy) include mental deterioration, vision loss, speech disturbances, ataxia (inability to coordinate movements), paralysis, and, ultimately, coma reflecting the multifocal distribution of brain lesions. In rare cases, seizures may occur.

On March 16, 2005, the FDA warned that Avonex might cause severe liver damage. Avonex, manufactured by Biogen, Inc. was approved on May 17, 1996 to combat Multiple Sclerosis.

Biogen spokeswoman Amy Ryan said the change was “a minor update” to the Avonex label. She said the company had received “very, very few” reports of liver damage in Avonex patients, but declined to give specific numbers. “It is a very rare issue,” she said.

In 2004 Avonex, had $1.42 billion in sales.

If you or a loved one took Avonex and suffered side effects, please fill out the form at the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified drug side effects attorney.]]>