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Biotech / Medical : ArQule

ARQL 20.00

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Jan 16 4:00 PM EST

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To: Herc who wrote (375)	8/2/1999 9:15:00 PM
From: tommysdad	Read Replies (1) of 399

<<SEPR goes in and slightly alters a known drugs molecule so that it will have less side effects and can be patented for however many years are allowed for a new drug?>> Sometimes they don't even alter it. They just "purify" it. Sometimes they just make an active metabolite. <<But can't the generic drug companies undercut their price with the old compound now off patent? It's not like SEPR is creating whole new classes of drugs.>> Yes. But, theoretically, the new drug is better than the old drug -- why risk malpractice by prescribing an old, inferior drug? Many (most?) new drug introductions are simply improvements over existing medications. <<I'm an ophthalmologist and can tell you that most people don't suffer side effects from drugs. Otherwise the drug would have never been released in the first place if the hazards outweighed the benefits>> I have no experience with ophthalmology drugs. But: Side effects are the number one reason for people not taking medications. Ever ask somebody how they like chemotherapy for cancer? Ever ask a large group of women how they feel while they're on the pill? Have you ever read a package insert for any oral medication? It's a wonder anyone takes anything. Getting around side effects keeps pharmaceutical companies in business. Side effects kill hundreds (if not thousands) of people every year. The benefit may outweigh the risk, but if I can discover a drug with significantly less risk (say, reducing the risk of liver damage from 1 in 50,000 to 1 in 300,000) than the one you're taking now, which would you rather take? Even at twice, 3x, 5x the price? Why are people paying so much for Vioxx? Why does every pharmaceutical company on the planet have a PDE5 program to compete with Viagra? Why is Rezulin destined to be an also-ran? Why was/were fen-phen pulled? (A: Side effects.)

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