Healthy Skepticism Library item: 16824

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Woloshin S, Schwartz LM
Bringing the FDA's Information to Market
Arch Intern Med 2009 Nov 23; 169:(21):1985-1987
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/169/21/1985

Abstract:

Here is a challenge: Imagine you are asked to turn a new prescription drug into a blockbuster. The drug is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat arthritis pain. That is good news because the arthritis market is huge. But you face some big challenges. First, there are several over-the-counter drugs available that treat pain equally well and at one-fiftieth of the cost. Your only comparative advantage is that your drug causes less gastrointestinal tract (GI) bleeding than other arthritis pain medicines. But this reduction is not very big and only applies to a very small slice (probably <5%) of the market-people at high risk for GI bleeding. And, oh yes, your drug may triple the chance of myocardial infarction.

Do you think you could get physicians to prescribe your drug to over 20 million Americans? Could . . .