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Biotech / Medical : Sepracor-Looks very promising -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: j_fir2 who wrote (3632)	8/25/1999 11:05:00 PM
From: Don Miller	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 10280

33% Adults & 25% pediatrics astmatic skip meds. Per this article Also see post 1476 in YC clubs.yahoo.com for similar informaton in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI) entire supplement devoted to the discussion of levalbuterol. Per this infromation better than half the current asthma suffers are experiencing side effects. If so the market for a side effect minimizing drug is probably larger than we have been estimating. Abstracts from the article and a link are below. -Don ASTHMA STUDY REVEALS TREATMENT CONCERNS PATIENTS SKIP MEDICATION TO AVOID SIDE EFFECTS bigcharts.com ..up to one-third of adults and almost one-quarter of pediatric patient caregivers reporting side effects had skipped doses or taken less medicine than prescribed in an attempt to reduce medication side effects and improve quality of life.. ..Physicians' Reactions to Patient Concerns A clear majority of respondents -- 57 to 79 percent of pediatric patients' parents and 63 to 79 percent of adult patients, depending on dosage forms used -- experience unwanted side effects from bronchodilators, the most widely used form of anti-asthma drug. Although more than four out of five parents of users of all types of bronchodilators discussed medication side effects with their physicians, the study found that less than four percent perceived their physicians as prepared to discuss concerns, possibly because of the lack of alternatives. Parents reported that only 16-24 percent of physicians were willing to change the dose, frequency, or brand of bronchodilator treatment regimens with the goal of minimizing side effects, although there are currently a growing variety of treatment options for asthma. "Physicians have many choices of medication to control asthma but unfortunately not many of the choices eliminate side effects," said Dr. White. "Oftentimes the benefit of the medication outweighs the risk and we haveto ask patients to tolerate the side effects. Fortunately, new medications are being introduced every year -- some with the ability to reduce side effects without compromising efficacy -- like levalbuterol, a new bronchodilator labeled for nebulizer use in patients 12 years of age and older."..