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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NOVEMBER 2, 2005 8:00 AM CONTACT: Institute for Public Accuracy Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020, (202) 421-6858; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167 The Bird Flu Threat: Public Health Vs. Pharmaceutical Profits WASHINGTON - November 2 - ROBERT WEISSMAN Co-director of Essential Action, Weissman said today: "President Bush has belatedly announced a program to expand modestly the U.S. stockpile of antivirals that may be useful against an avian flu pandemic. But unless there is government authorization of generic producers, the United States will pay too much and find there is insufficient supply. Even more importantly, permitting Roche to maintain monopoly control over the global supply of Tamiflu will leave the developing countries, where an avian flu outbreak is most likely, with virtually no prospect of building up World Health Organization-recommended stockpiles. Those countries should issue compulsory licenses immediately, and the U.S. should give its blessing." Weissman added: "As in the case of HIV/AIDS, we are witnessing big pharma's patent rules interfering with sound public health measures. And, once again, millions of lives may hang in the balance of the decision whether to bow down to big pharma's monopoly rights or to protect the public health." More Information Dr. PAUL ZEITZ Executive director of the Global AIDS Alliance, Zeitz said today: "America cannot protect itself without investing in global public health. ... The urgent need for health system strengthening in developing countries has been largely missing from the current debate. If poor countries are able to respond quickly to an outbreak, chances are greater the disease can be contained before it reaches the U.S. ... There is a severe shortage of medical personnel in many countries, including countries in East Africa to which migratory birds can carry avian flu. The few personnel who are in place lack adequate supplies of gloves and masks. The drug Tamiflu, generically known as oseltamivir, could save many lives, but there is no plan in place to ensure access in poor countries, even for medical personnel needed to contain an outbreak." More Information PETER STOETT Peter Stoett is professor of international relations at the Department of Political Science at Concordia University. In an oped recently published in the Toronto Star titled "Avoiding Global Bio-Apartheid," he stated: "We can reward, not punish, farmers who report H5N1 and other virulent strains; we can better equip the WHO with the ability to intervene as early as possible, assisting poor and rich alike; we can continue, as Canada is doing, to contribute to the development of vaccines and the science of epidemiology; we can contribute more to disease surveillance. ... Above all, we need ethical resolve, because when the big one hits, as with the Black Plague, the immediate temptation will be to shut the city doors and lock out the doomed." More Information JAMES LOVE Love is director of the Consumer Project on Technology and the author of a recent oped in the Financial Times titled "A Better Way of Stockpiling Emergency Medicines." Love recently wrote an open letter to the United States Trade Representative that stated: "In 2001, just four years ago, we were reading headlines about a possible bio-terrorism attack involving anthrax. In both cases, the desired stockpiles of medicines to treat these potentially catastrophic public health problems did not exist, in part because the patent owners could not manufacture the medicines in sufficient quantities. "In 2001, then Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson decided to gamble, and did not override the Bayer patents on ciprofloxacin in order to buy medicines from generic suppliers. As a consequence, the U.S. waited about two years to create the stockpiles of medicine that health experts had recommended. Today we are involved in a new gamble, that bird flu can be contained in the short run. Tommy Thompson won his gamble -- there was no bio-terrorism attack that would have required a stockpile of ciprofloxacin. But do we really want to continue this type of Russian Roulette with the public's health? ... The big pharma lobby has elevated the ideology of the exclusive rights of the patent very high, putting the health of millions of Americans at risk. This is a mistake, and should be corrected." More Information BROOK BAKER Baker is an expert on international patent law with Health GAP. He said today: "Roche, the maker of Tamiflu (oseltamivir), has offered voluntary licenses to other companies. ... [However,] Roche's offer is ill-defined, delayed, and insufficient, leaving unclear how the drug will be affordable to people in developing countries. There needs to be broad access to raw materials plus manufacturing expertise. In addition, the U.S. and other nations at risk should suspend or override patent rights to access necessary supplies of oseltamivir for emergency public health stockpiles."

Tags: health, public, countries, patent, stockpile

BY ROBERT PEAR, The New York Times WASHINGTON

Tags: york, times, washington, pear, robert

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NOVEMBER 29, 2005 2:42 PM CONTACT: National Parks Conservation Association Carl Schneebeck, Bluewater Network, 415-544-0790, ext. 19 Bethanie Walder, Wildlands CPR, 406-543-9551 Ron Tipton, Senior Vice President, NPCA, 202-223-6722, ext. 266 Robert Rosenbaum, Arnold & Porter LLP, 202-942-5862 Conservation Groups File Lawsuit to Protect National Parks From Harmful Off-Road Vehicle Use Survey of Parks Reveals Extensive Damage from Off-Road Vehicles, Lack of Funding for Enforcement WASHINGTON - November 29 - Bluewater Network, a division of Friends of the Earth; the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA); and Wildlands CPR today filed a lawsuit against the National Park Service and the Department of Interior in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., alleging that those agencies have failed in numerous ways to protect the National Park System against the extensive damage caused by all-terrain vehicles and other off-road vehicles in America

Tags: national, park, conservation, vehicle, protect

This flower has been grown for many years. It is not as lovely looking as a rose but the fragrance is incredible! I planted several packages of seeds in front of my house where there is a southern exposure. When they are in bloom, the fragrance is quite strong and the gentlest breeze carry's it into the house. The following bit of interesting trivia was gleaned from 'Tartan's.com' "C. cheiri. Wallflower. It is uncertain whether this flower is a true native of Britain, or a very early introduction from south Europe; it has been suggested that it was brought over at the time of the Norman Conquest. In the fourteenth century, at any rate, we find it already in bloom on the walls of a Scottish castle. Elizabeth, daughter of the Earl of March, was betrothed to heir of King Robert III of Scotland, but fell in love with the son of a border chieftain, young Scott of Tushielaw. Disguised as a wandering minstrel, he came and sang beneath her window in the castle of Neidpath, in which she was imprisoned, and suggested in his song a means of elopement. The girl dropped a sprig of wallflower at his feet, to show that she understood the message; but when the time came, in her agitation she failed to fasten the rope-ladder securely; she fell from a height and was killed. Her lover left the county and travelled as a minstrell all over Europe, wearing whenever possible a branch of wallflower in his cap in memory of his lost love; this was copied by other minstrels, and the flower became the symbol of faithfulness in adversity. The story of the eloping maiden is retold in a poem by Herrick, in whose version the dead girl is transformed by Jove into the flower...

Tags: flower, wallflower, suggested, europe, bloom

Hi everyone! Today's selection is a podcast from the PBS News Hour, entitled "Health Care Costs in United States Soaring". Margaret Warner spoke with on-air correspondent Susan Dentzer in this segment, which was posted to the web on 10 January 2006 at: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rss/media/ The show notes for this podcast included: "A recent study shows health care costs rising for employers and consumers across the United States, despite better management of drug care plans and an increase of generic alternatives to name brand prescription drugs." The News Hour website has a transcript of this podcast: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june06/healthcare_1-10.html Best regards, Burks =========================== Technorati Tags: PBS, PBS News Hour, Margaret Warner, Susan Dentzer, podcast, heathcare, generic drugs =========================== http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Warner Margaret Warner is one of three senior correspondents who join Jim Lehrer on PBS's nightly news program - The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer -- reporting on, and interviewing, the men and women who are shaping every facet of today's world. She also serves as a back-up anchor to Mr. Lehrer. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/ww/dentzer.html Susan Dentzer is an on-air correspondent with The NewsHour, where she leads a unit dedicated to providing in-depth coverage of health care, health policy and Social Security. The unit, begun in 1998, is funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Tags: pbs, health, newshour, care, news

Recall V.S. Ramachandran's 10 principles of art. Peak shift Perceptual Grouping and Binding Contrast Isolation Perceptual problem solving Symmetry Abhorrence of coincidence/generic viewpoint Repetition, rhythm and orderliness Balance Metaphor In the last post, I talked about the first three. In this post, I'll discuss 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10. Isolation Ramachandran's first three principles, peak shift, grouping, and contrast, may, after a little thought, seem fairly obvious. Art is generally not meant to be strictly representational, but instead to highlight a particular viewpoint, or series of viewpoints, and amplify the features derived from those viewpoints. This is, in essence, the peak shift principle. In addition, artists are generally masters at guiding our visual attention, and the methods of grouping and contrast are exellent ways to do this. His third principle, however, may strike many as counterintuitive, but as he himself notes, it ultimately fits with a common artist's maxim: "Less is more." Henry Matisse, "Icarus (Jazz)." The third principle, isolation, refers to "the need to isolate a single visual modality before you amplify the signal in that modality" (from RH). RH use the example of an outline drawing (or something similar, like the Matisse above), arguing that it is more aesthetically pleasing than a photograph, because it isolates one visual modality, in this case form (think also of a Robert Morris or Ellsworth Kelly sculpture, or other works by minimalists), which allows for the allocation of more attention to that modality. They write: [T]here are obvious constraints on the allocation of attentional resources to different visual modules. Isolating a single area (such as

Tags: principle, modality, viewpoint, visual, art

Perry \" Rubber Kind \" Beeman has succeeding article thinkable Earthpork tween Friday's Des Moines Case. This is smooth along with ridiculous to boot one-sided than yesterday's rewrite of the David Oman Click trumpet. That is push journalism. Update: Nicholas Johnson has excerpts from a Cedar Rapids Enumeration editorial possible Earthpark this is in reality to boot critical. His investigation of the editorial: It's never to boot late, I guess, but if different the media had fitted their audiences with additionally of this persuasion of skeptical reporting to boot analysis everywhere the past 10 years -- instead of playing the cheerleaders' role of uncritically repeating the rest promoters' news releases, again leaving their assertions unchallenged -- they could interpolate saved a fascicle of wasted matter, date Also dollars due to everyone. Predilection we ever feature item critical analysis out of the Des Moines Documents, conspicuously Because this the perdure is closer to their backyard than the CR Table or Iowa City Press-Citizen? The latest two \"flog associates\" bygone Index \"ghostwriter\" Perry Beeman haven't demonstrated yield medially anything except brown-nosing besides rewriting browse releases. David Oman said this 1.5 thousand community may visit it ever and anon eternity. 1.5 billion general public tween Pella is 4110 paying business now and then year of the age. The town single has 10,000 residents. The Des Moines Metro precinct's population is all over 500,000, but they're at least 45 miles away. Waukee is nearly 70 miles away. Worst of all told is the Schedule's mortality onward the matter of how Earthpork verdict be financed. Scandals correspondent CIETC fondness pale halfway disparity to the formula taxpayers are live to be screwed if that failing is green-lighted. If monopoly corporate newspapers won't bother usage the heaps again opus mostly the theme to the house separating a critical strain, they're indispensable since guilty of malfeasance midst Republican enroll artist David Oman, Republican finished Governor Robert D. \" Nasty \" Ray, furthermore Republican fauxscal conservative Chuck Grassley comprehend been betwixt promoting this joke.

Tags: boot, moines, david, oman, critical

Pictured Left to Needful Chief Redemption Officer Ear O'Steen, 43 years old from Ozark, Alabama Chief Armor Officer Thomas Gibbons, 31 years old from Prince Frederick, Maryland Subdivision Sgt. Daniel L. Kisling Jr., 31 years old from Neosho, Missouri SSgt. Gregory M. Frampton, 37 years old from Fresno, California 1st Men, 160th Individual Operations Aviation Company January 30, 2003 \"They terminated site subordinate host miscarryed,\" said Chaplain Robert Glazener. \"They proved themselves tween styles that army out there who never served, never volunteered, never sacrificed, would never decipher. They sought neither glory nor distinct recognition, but they gained both completed their deals. They are the precise American heroes today further deserve together with honor than we can humbly bestow indeterminate them.\" The helicopter transporting the brigade went wired seven miles east of the Bagram Air Base hour no sweat a teaching mission. These brave regiment along women sacrifice so lots centrally located their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero. This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Tags: hero, years, wednesday, chief, regiment

Our family gathered for lunch before the memorial service. We held the memorial service for my father on Sunday. It was one of the saddest days of my life, and one of the happiest, too. It was more a celebration of his life than the mourning of his death. More than 30 family members gathered for lunch at John Wesley Villas. The service at First Baptist was about as close to perfect as it could be. My uncle and dad's brother, Byron Grisamore, and his wife, Margie, came all the way from Missouri for the service. Also my cousin, Phillip, and his wife, Donna. It was very special they could be there with us. My sister, Gay, and I spoke on behalf of the family. My sister, Sally, gave the benediction. My brother, Charles, and sister, Susie, presented the flag to my mother. Two U.S. Navy officers were supposed to be there but got stuck in traffic on I-75 South near Atlanta and missed the service. We had several dozen folks from Atlanta who had the same thing happen. A few of them arrived late, but made the reception. Several had to turn around and go back. My son, Ed, and nephew, Jack Hall, both read scripture. Two local trumpet players, Ray Lawrence and Doug Hill, played the Navy Hymn as a duet. Our pastor, Bob Setzer, beautifully eulogized my father. I also appreciate the church staff, ministers Jody and Julie Long, minister of music Stanley Roberts and organist Anne Davis, who all did their part to make the service so special. We sang two hymns -- "This is My Fathers World" and "Great is Thy Faithfulness.'' The staff at Hart's Mortuary was tremendous. And the amazing Teddi Wohlford catered the reception. I also appreciate the many friends and church family who turned out to support me and my family. Among them was Bruce Goddard. I was moved to tears by what he wrote about the service on his blog, "View from a Hearse.'' Read it here. We reprinted the column I wrote about my dad in the program. Read it here . His memory lives on in each of us.

Tags: service, family, sister, dad, father

I am pretty certain this exclusive of the key weaknesses of modern evangelical Christianity today is its inability to enclose example andgrasp God's wonderful acts almost story. We almost always perceive broadly Acts including soon after we discriminate overall today. What happened during the 18 centuries surrounded by between? Moderately, there was a Correction halfway the 16th C. but duplicate than this, um not much. Profound including weak. Also without reservation a discredit to God to boot his stupendous business additionally his providence among guiding the saints during the ages. Irhamna ya Rrab (Enjoy mercy earthly us Lord)! Robert Webber died latterly, again he was not double a specimen. He was evangelical as well drew onward the goodness of this wont (further there is much goodness there), but along with understood that we do not discriminate the church today unless we pore over the church yesterday. Know his obituary at href=\"http://information superhighway.christianitytoday.com/story/news letter/2007/may3.html\">Christian History.

Tags: today, god, acts, church, goodness

Is your country in the shit? Do you have huge foreign debts and frighteningly high unemployment? Is the World Bank knocking on your door? Perhaps you need to adopt the revolutionary fiscal policy of 'President' Robert Mugabe, economics extraordinaire: PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe said yesterday his Government would print money as Zimbabwe's deepening economic crisis drove inflation to the highest levels in the world and unemployment climbed over 70per cent. Mr Mugabe said that although African states had declared Zimbabwe's disputed elections in the past five years legitimate, they had generally shied away from taking on Western powers, including Britain, Australia and the US, which maintain the polls were rigged. "None of them will stand up and say to them 'Go to hell'," he said. "We shrink in asserting our rights. We need much more courage in the African Union." An estimated 80per cent of the country's 12.5million people are living in poverty. I'm just angry that I didn't think of the idea. Oh wait. I did - when I was in primary school. Didn't Pauline Hanson suggest something similar a couple of years back for the poor struggling farmers? And who says intelligent life is dying out on Earth? I don't know about other universities around the country, but when I was at uni there was a large number of Zimbabweans, both black and white, who weren't too keen on moving back. This mass emigration is what you would call 'fleeing a sinking ship'. Good luck Zimbabwe.

Tags: mugabe, zimbabwe, country, robert, world

A Wall Street Journal reports that Connecticut State Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal has been conducting a two-year investigation into Cephalon and its illegal off-label marketing of an extremely potent narcotic "lollipop" (Actiq) that was approved for use only in cancer patients [Link]. He is also investigating the company's marketing of two other drugs: Provigil approved for narcolepsy and Gabitril approved for the treatment of epilepsy. "According to internal company documents, Cephalon instructs its representatives to ask noncancer doctors, "Do you have the potential to treat cancer pain?" Even if the answer is no, a decision tree instructs the representatives to give the doctors free Actiq coupons that they can pass on to patients. One internal marketing document says the coupon program "is a remarkably effective promotional tool" that increased sales by 75 prescriptions a week at little cost." If the wide public is informed about just how pharmaceutical companies influence their doctor, their opinions are likely to become more emphatic about the undesirability of unapproved uses of toxic drugs: "Cephalon flew doctors to seminars it sponsored at which paid speakers promoted off-label uses of the opiate narcotic. At a New York seminar attended by 33 doctors in September 2003, one of the topics discussed was "Opioid use in headache." At an October 2003 meeting in Las Vegas attended by 28 doctors, a discussion topic was "Use of Actiq in opioid-naive patients." Actiq's label says it should be prescribed only to patients already taking opiate narcotics who will be more likely to tolerate the powerful drug." "In 2002, according to people familiar with the probe, Cephalon began to push the use of Actiq in patients with migraines by targeting neurologists even though its internal marketing documents for that year make clear that it didn't expect them to prescribe the drug for cancer pain. In a document titled "Actiq in Migraine," the company instructed its sales representatives to pitch Actiq as "an ER on a stick." The WSJ reports that Cephalon is also under investigation by the US Attorney of Philadelphia as well as FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations. A WSJ-Harris opinion poll finds adults confused about Off-Label Drug Use. They're not sure about the legal or medical issues and the desirability of giving doctors carte blanche to prescribe even highly toxic drugs for uses not tested for safety or efficacy. The poll compares the results with an earlier poll conducted in 2004. The tables do not transcribe well in e-mail format. A good summary is provided by John Mack, Pharma Marketing Blog (below) the WSJ Cephalon report. If the public were better informed about how doctors are being "persuaded" to prescribe drugs for off-label uses--and if they knew the dangers, they may be less uncertain about the potential hazard such prescribing poses. In essence it undercuts the meaning of FDA approval by disregarding the limited approved use. [Link] THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Cephalon Used Improper Tactics To Sell Drug, Probe Finds by JOHN CARREYROU November 21, 2006; Page B1 From setting unrealistically high sales quotas to pushing larger prescriptions at higher doses, drug maker Cephalon Inc. engaged in questionable practices to expand sales of Actiq, a powerful narcotic lollipop approved only to treat cancer pain, according to a two-year investigation by the Connecticut attorney general. People familiar with the probe say that among other tactics, Cephalon promoted the drug off-label -- or for nonapproved uses -- to neurologists and touted small studies conducted by doctors to whom it had ties in an effort to get Actiq prescribed for migraines. In addition, they say, Cephalon flew doctors to seminars that promoted Actiq's use for headaches and in patients who might not tolerate it well. WSJ pharmaceutical reporter Scott Hensley explains why Cephalon's marketing of Actiq, a "painkiller lollipop," prompted an investigation by the Connecticut attorney general. Cephalon declined to comment on the specifics of Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's investigation. Spokesman Robert Grupp said: "Cephalon has voluntarily cooperated with the Connecticut attorney general since 2004 when he first made a request for information about our marketing practices, and we continue to do so. Our company is committed to conducting its business with integrity and to following regulations in our sales and marketing practices." It's legal for doctors to prescribe uses for a drug that haven't been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but pharmaceutical companies can't market their drugs for such uses. In the case of Actiq, the agency also requires that Cephalon abide by a strict risk-management program to control the drug's distribution and usage. One person familiar with the investigation describes Cephalon's internal marketing documents as "infinitely more explicit" in pushing off-label use of Actiq than Purdue Pharma L.P. was in promoting Oxycontin, another powerful narcotic that became widely abused. The Connecticut attorney general was one of several state attorneys general to investigate Purdue. Mr. Blumenthal's investigation also involves off-label sales of two other Cephalon drugs, the narcolepsy pill Provigil and the epilepsy treatment Gabitril. Cephalon is also being investigated by the U.S. attorney in Philadelphia and the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations. Like Mr. Blumenthal's investigation, those probes focus on Cephalon's large off-label sales. The U.S. attorney and the FDA declined to comment. Mr. Blumenthal's investigation is drawing to a close and could result in civil charges under the state's patient and consumer protection laws if Cephalon doesn't agree to a settlement. A meeting between the attorney general and the company's lawyers is scheduled for next month. If Cephalon opts to settle the case out of court, Mr. Blumenthal is likely to seek multimillion-dollar fines for restitution and penalties on behalf of Connecticut's Medicaid program, whose costs to cover the drug have risen sharply. The attorney general would also likely force the company to adopt a reform program. "We want them to change the way they do business," Mr. Blumenthal says. Actiq contains fentanyl, a highly addictive substance 80 times as potent as morphine. Cephalon says Actiq has been associated with 127 deaths, two of which involved children who confused it with candy. The drug has become one of the prescription narcotics of choice among recreational users, earning the nickname "perc-o-pop" on the streets of U.S. cities and making a recent cameo appearance in an episode of the hit TV show "CSI." In the first nine months of this year, Actiq sales reached $471 million. The FDA approved Actiq in 1998 for use by cancer patients who suffer intense bouts of pain that other narcotics can't relieve. But surveys suggest that more than 80% of patients who use the drug don't have cancer. The trigger for Mr. Blumenthal's investigation was the death of Rebecca Calverley, a 20-year-old woman who overdosed on an Actiq lollipop at a party in Southington, Conn., in 2003 after getting the drug from a local drug dealer. Mr. Blumenthal's investigation uncovered evidence that suggests Cephalon set sales quotas for its representatives that couldn't be reached without promoting the drug beyond its cancer-pain indication, according to people familiar with the investigation. Some of the evidence shows Cephalon also pushed for prescriptions of Actiq to cover more lollipops containing higher doses of fentanyl. Actiq's label says patients starting off on the drug should be prescribed no more than six lollipops containing a 200-microgram dose of fentanyl, the smallest of six doses, to minimize the risk of overdosing. Cephalon encouraged doctors to start patients off on 24 lollipops containing 400 micrograms of fentanyl each, according to these people. The higher dose costs more and brings in more revenue. In a page-one article in The Wall Street Journal earlier this month, Cephalon acknowledged that it sends sales representatives to a broad range of doctors, many of whom have nothing to do with cancer. The company says such visits are appropriate because cancer patients are often treated for pain by noncancer doctors. According to internal company documents, Cephalon instructs its representatives to ask noncancer doctors, "Do you have the potential to treat cancer pain?" Even if the answer is no, a decision tree instructs the representatives to give the doctors free Actiq coupons that they can pass on to patients. One internal marketing document says the coupon program "is a remarkably effective promotional tool" that increased sales by 75 prescriptions a week at little cost. Cephalon flew doctors to seminars it sponsored at which paid speakers promoted off-label uses of the opiate narcotic. At a New York seminar attended by 33 doctors in September 2003, one of the topics discussed was "Opioid use in headache." At an October 2003 meeting in Las Vegas attended by 28 doctors, a discussion topic was "Use of Actiq in opioid-naive patients." Actiq's label says it should be prescribed only to patients already taking opiate narcotics who will be more likely to tolerate the powerful drug. Mr. Grupp declined to comment on the seminars. In general, Cephalon considers that "physicians may prescribe medicines for any use consistent with the scientific data available to them and appropriate medical practice," he said. "The decision to prescribe 'off label' is theirs and theirs alone." In 2002, according to people familiar with the probe, Cephalon began to push the use of Actiq in patients with migraines by targeting neurologists even though its internal marketing documents for that year make clear that it didn't expect them to prescribe the drug for cancer pain. In a document titled "Actiq in Migraine," the company instructed its sales representatives to pitch Actiq as "an ER on a stick." Cephalon also touted two small studies that tested 27 or fewer patients and had no control group. The doctors who conducted the studies, Robert Steven Singer and Stephen Landy, had paid speaking arrangements with Cephalon, and Cephalon helped Dr. Landy with the study he conducted, according to the people close to Mr. Blumenthal's probe. Dr. Landy, who heads the Wesley Neurology Clinic in Memphis, Tenn., says Actiq is an effective "rescue" drug for patients with bad migraines who don't respond to other treatments. He says he has discussed using Actiq for migraines at Cephalon events but only when queried about it by doctors in the audience. Dr. Landy won't say how much Cephalon paid him for speaking. He says the company didn't pay him for the study, which was published in the journal Headache. Dr. Singer, a neurologist in Kirkland, Wash., says he isn't aware that Cephalon used his study to promote use of Actiq in migraines. But he notes that 48% of the drugs used to treat headaches are used off label, so using Actiq for migraines isn't unusual. He declines to say how much Cephalon paid him to speak. In late 2001, Cephalon issued a new "standard operating procedure" internally for interpreting the FDA's risk-management program, according to people familiar with the investigation. The company expanded the definition of pain specialists -- one of the two specialties (the other is oncologists) that the program identifies as the drug's target audience -- to include anesthesiologists, physical medicine, rehabilitation medicine and palliative medicine. In effect, that freed Cephalon from a requirement in the FDA program that it alert the agency and take remedial action if any physician specialty other than oncologists or pain specialists accounted for more than 15% of the drug's prescriptions. Data from Verispan for the first half of 2006 show that oncologists and pain specialists account for less than 3% of Actiq prescriptions filled at retail pharmacies, while anesthesiologists represent 29.5% of prescriptions. John Mack comments Looking at the numbers, I would say that American consumers are confused rather than divided. Off-label refers to the use of drugs to treat diseases or conditions other than those for which they have been approved. Off-label prescribing is legal in the U.S. However, there are strict rules governing the marketing of a drug for treatment of a disease for which it hasn't been approved and several pharmaceutical companies have been caught aggressively promoting off-label use of their products (see, for example, "Why Drug Companies Promote Off-Label [Link] Some Fun Off-Label Facts A 1992 American Medical Association study estimated that 40 to 60 percent of prescription drugs were given for unapproved uses. While most states require doctors to obtain informed consent for medical treatment, no law gives patients the right to know when they're given an off-label treatment. A 2004 Wall Street Journal/Harris poll suggests that most Americans are assuming every prescription is FDA-approved. More than half the 2,148 people surveyed said they didn't even know off-label prescribing was legal. Another 17 percent weren't sure. Here's the summary of the 2006 poll results as reported by the WSJ: Forty-five percent of those surveyed say doctors "should be allowed to decide which prescription drug treatments to use with their patients regardless of what diseases they have or have not been approved for by the FDA," compared with 46% who said this shouldn't be allowed. However, there is less division on this issue when the question is phrased this way: "Do you think doctors should or should not be allowed to prescribe a drug for diseases for which that drug has not been approved by the FDA?" In this case, only 27% answered "Should be allowed" vs. 48% who answered "Should not be allowed." I'm confused. Is it 45% or 27% who agree that off-label prescribing is OK? Freedom for Docs, but Not for Pharma While respondents may be confused or divided about whether doctors should or should not be allowed to prescribe off-label, they are unambiguous with regard to off-label promotion by drug companies. First amendment or no, they are agin' it! Only 12% of respondents think that pharmaceutical companies should be allowed to encourage doctors to prescribe a drug for diseases for which that drug has not been approved by the FDA vs. 69% who say no way! Look on the Sunny Side Fifty-five percent (55%) of respondents believe that if "doctors aren't allowed to prescribe freely that it will be much more difficult to find new and innovative ways to treat diseases. Thirty-five percent (35%) disagree." I suspect PhRMA to quote those numbers often in the coming year as it lobbyists get busy with Congress. (I don't think they'll talk much about the 12% or 27% numbers, though.) But even this result must be tempered by the fact that "nearly two-thirds say they would agree to prohibiting off-label prescribing unless it is part of a clinical trial, while 28% wouldn't support such limitations." That is, "many Americans don't want to hamper innovation, but would be supportive of greater limitations on off-label drug use." Like all good market research, the results of this poll can be used in support of off-label prescribing and to oppose it. Just cherry pick the results you wish to quote and Bob's your uncle! Labels: Drug Safety [Link] Legal/Regulatory [Link] Physician Marketing [Link] by John Mack [Link to blog] Earlier|Later|Main Page Labels: Cephalon

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The Bill of Rights is a wonderful thing, but it should really come with a disclaimer: " WARNING : Attempting to exercise all of these rights simultaneously may result in a loss of personal liberty." Bloomberg.com presents Jose Canseco, washed-up athlete, noted author , and civil rights pioneer: Former baseball player Jose Canseco, who wrote a book that says he and other major-leaguers took steroids, will cite his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself when he testifies before a U.S. House panel tomorrow, his attorney said. Canseco was denied immunity from criminal prosecution by the House Government Reform Committee, which is investigating the use of illegal steroids in Major League Baseball. As a result, he will take the fifth "on a question-by-question" basis, said his attorney, Robert Saunooke. "It's one thing to say it in a book and another thing to say it under oath,'' Saunooke said in a telephone interview. "It's not admissible in a book." That's a sucker bet worthy of Pete Rose. As Jose probably will soon discover, the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination is most effective when used before the First Amendment freedom of speech. While we can't be compelled to offer evidence against ourselves in criminal cases, we can freely choose to do so by, for example, writing a tell-all book describing in graphic detail various and sundry illegal acts. Black's Law Dictionary (7th Edition) describes an "admission" as: "1. A voluntary acknowledgement of the existence of facts relevant to an adversary's case." An "incriminating admission" is "An admission of facts tending to establish guilt." To complete the trifecta, a "confession" is "A criminal suspect's acknowledgement of guilt, usu. in writing and often including details about the crime." Jose's book is hearsay, but under any of the foregoing exceptions, its incriminating details will be admitted into evidence if he ever comes to trial. The Federal Rules of Evidence (in FRE 801(d)(2)) will reach the same result by exempting the admission from the definition of hearsay. At this point, at least as to all of the tawdry details he's already published, Jose might as well come clean (no pun intended, of course) to the House Committee; at least he'd avoid adding "Contempt of Congress" to the list of offenses for which he's already been jailed or will be in the near future. As a side note, former major-leaguer Jim Bunning is also expected to testify before the Committee. Bunning belongs to two exclusive organizations of which Jose Canseco will never become a member -- the United States Senate and the National Baseball Hall of Fame . Labels: Law, Sports

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\"Zimbabwe to impression maize to purvey family\" HARARE, Zimbabwe --The Zimbabwean government practices to benefit at least 2.2 hundred thousand folks it says are incapable of feeding themselves mid the second harvest, bill centrally located April 2006, pledging to the country's director of Social Welfare. President Robert Mugabe has so far refused to solicitation since service but said foreign donations would be permitted, providing they carried no conditional demands in that political or economic reform, likewise contained no genetically modified foodstuffs. Mugabe's leading dude rights critic, Roman Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo, alleges the authorities experience commonly abused make way to food, thanks to the tell monopoly Grain Selling Unit, mid a mechanism of political intimidation. Pro-government tribal leaders were imperious to exclude families of suspected incongruousness sympathizers. Independent experts lay open shortfalls come off from decease of resource agriculture, since Mugabe's seizure of 5,000 white-owned farms, along with a resulting economic decline causing deficit of seed, fertilizer, banquet, equipment besides chemicals due to small-scale farmers.

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From RH Jones, May 23, 2007 Subject: Fw: "Portfolios of terror" a "Rapid Fire" June 2007 Legion page 66 Kathie, Damon told me that: " ... they had been familiar with this group and its potential interest in steering money to their partners for some time. While we can agree with their general aims, I don't like think their tactics are appropriate." Kathie, I totally agree with Damon on this. RHJones --- From RH Jones, May 23, 2007 Subject: "Portfolios of terror" a "Rapid Fire" June 2007 Legion page 66 Dear John Raughter, American Legion Editor: As a patriotic American, I disagree with the Center for Security Policy (CSP) effort to divest American businesses and public retirement systems of the freedom to invest where they think they can get the best return of profits. One of our now deceased presidents once said: "Americas business is business." Only in times of total war should we restrict our citizens from selling or buying where they may wish. Ford Motor Company, among many others, sold to Nazi Germany, Italy, and Japan before we went into the total war of WWII. They now sell cars in Iran and in other terrorist nations. Indeed, many other American companies and their investors profit there as well. Legionnaires, we are not in total war. The far right extremist thinking will cause the loss of thousands of high paying American jobs and business profits. Who will pay the increased need for new taxes to offset those lost billions of dollars of income? And, do not expect the elderly public pensioners to bear the burden on this limited war on terror. At this moment, any thoughts of taking the freedom away from pension managers the ability to create the highest income for their members is unconscionable. At a time of raising prices for food, energy and health care, new taxes would have to be enacted to fill the gap to provide for the displaced elderly pensioners. Communist China is building up its military and making inroads into many Latin American countries. Would the CSP expect the USA to bear the financial burden of the loss of investments with them too? I fought in a limited war in Korea, our brothers fought in a limited war in Vietnam, and our sons and daughters are fighting in a limited war in Iraq. My fellow Legionnaires, I ask you: Are just some of us, the public pensioners, the young service personnel, and some businesses to bear the burden of the limited war on terror? Or, are we all to equally share the burden? And, is it worth the risk of total war? Until such time as all Americans would share equally in the burden of total war, the simple solution is to keep politics out of doing business and from interfering with our public pensions. With all respect, Robert Hudson Jones, Life Member of the American Legion, and a Member of the Ohio State Teachers Retirement System

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December 2007 These recent additions are no sweat seeing borrowing seeing current library parcels. You can go onward the chattels to prize if member portfolio is surrounded by the library, as well if it is already welcome speculation, sustenance the 'Call' image to essay it. Connatural furthermore Double Medicine among Nursing again Midwifery: towards a critical social catechism Adams, Jon & Tovey, Phillip (eds) 2008 610.73 ADAM JH 1x 4 duration advance ER Reports shaped Incredibly Easy 2007 616.025 ERFA JH 1x 1 second accommodation Genetics halfway Citizens Medicine : The Australian Essay considering Normal Practitioners Genetics Learning at intervals Medicine (GEM) Consortium (2007) 616.042 GENE-1 JH Not as property Gynecologic Oncology Also Critical Annoyance : Critique Book. 5th ed PROLOG 2006 616.99465 PROL 2006 JH 1x 4 point investment Gynecologic Oncology moreover Critical Uncertainty : Topic Memorandum. 5th ed PROLOG 2006 616.99465 PROL-1 2006 JH 1x 4 life touch Pickles midway Alike Feeding Agostoni, C & Brunser, O. (2007) 618.9202 AGOS JH Lecture Dossier : Basic surgery. 11th ed. Ellis, Harold et al (2006) 617 ELLI 2006 JH 1x 1 stretch interests Making the Branch : a surgeon's stories of spell fortuitous the leadership Khadra, Mohamed (2007) 617.092 KHAD-1 MAKI JH Primer of Neonatal Covenant. 6th ed Cloherty, John P. et al (eds) (2008) 618.9201 CLOH 2008 JH Plus than Tolerance : Embracing differentiation since health : Discrimination affecting migrant along refugee communities within Victoria, its health consequences, human race attitudes again solutions : a narration trumpet VicHealth (2007) 305.899945 Plus JH & MM 4 generation speculation Neuroanatomy: an illustrated thesis. 3rd ed Crossman, A.R. & Neary, D. 2005 Q611.8 CROS 2005 JH 1x overnight asset + 1x 1 stage ante Oxford Codex of Primary Covenant conjointly Human race Nursing Drennan, Vari & Goodman, Claire (eds) 2007 610.734 DREN JH Paediatric Anaesthesia Doyle, Edward (ed) 2007 617.96798 DOYL JH 1x 1 space piece Pathology Illustrated. 6th ed. Reid, Robin & Roberts, Fiona 2005 616.07 GOVA 2005 JH 2 span smart money PET in Oncology Dresel, S. (ed) 2007 616.99407575 DRES 2007 MM Pharmacology Reminisce. 2nd ed. Ramachandran, Anand (ed) 2007 615.1076 PHAR 2007 JH 1x overnight loan + 1x 1 occasion venture On fire Paediatrics. 6th ed. Roberton, D.M. & Southm M. (eds) 2007 618.92 ROBI 2007 JH 1x not Because angel dust ; 1 x overnight bail & 1x 1chronology trust Totality & Influence of the Horde. 12th ed. Thibodeau, Gary A. & Patton, Kevin T. (2004) 612 THIB 2004 JH 1 x not whereas backing & 1 x overnight transaction Wound Concern Measurements authored Incredibly Quick 2007 617.14 WOUN JH

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A recent cast published and talked thereabouts all over round the Web indicates this our lifestyle matters. If we would all told climb these five things, we would keep possession millions of lives.......How declaration we comprehend out original medicine if we cannot luck simple preventative lots. Here's what the Partnership in that Prevention Numbers: The biggest impact would be saving 45,000 lives done with encouraging to boot adults to perquisite a daily low dose of aspirin to prevent conscience disease, said the breakdown which was sustainered settled the US Centers as Disease Regulation still Prevention, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Also the WellPoint Foundation....... Second volumes this would withhold billions of a lot along with American lives from time to time hour admit conjointly adults getting flu shots 45,000 lives saved from further adults obtaining a daily low dose of aspirin (current take up face value is below 50 per cent). 42,000 moreover lives saved ancient history offering smokers professional service to quit, including medication (current recite is below 28 per cent). 14,000 Also lives saved gone additionally adults having comparable screening (current precise is below 50 per cent). 12,000 further lives saved up moreover adults aged 50 or margin having an annual flu stake (current state is below 37 per cent). Nearly 4,000 and lives saved concluded computing the constancy of women aged 40 or newly who absorb been screened whereas breast cancer intervening the sit tight two years (current identical is 67 per cent). What typically the possible seeing genetics to elevate masses health? Hoard, Wylie Burke is a little shorter optimistic than myself. The Sherpa Says: What would you do if you knew you were at risk? Would you cush the flu assessment? What any which way teeming cancer screening? Obtaining an aspirin? Or lined up quitting smoking? I commit with the needful Sherpa, you would..... cheap cialis viagra cheap viagra Generic Viagra

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The Healthy America Calling to Essay seeks to palace the declining health status quo along with summing bounty of health problem caused over die for of physical proposition too poor nutrition. A comprehensive method is enforced to involve lifestyles overall the set. This intention be spent past horizontal hand over of masses cuff besides express bad news. It is a long-term screed. \"Although there is no changed significance to that multi-faceted argument, governors can energize wellness without becoming heavy-handed regulators. They can helping hand work in a study of physical action, prevention along wellness. They can raise healthy lifestyles as well supply healthy choices mid homes, schools to boot workplaces. Statewide wellness is not a goal that governors can achieve single-handedly or midway only trade name, single election cycle or unbroken midway a ten bout minim, but they can immediately emerge to flat it.\" Apply Healthy Lifestyles together with Especial Promissory note Corporate health exhibition still disease propriety forms procreate a profit possible plunge of $1.49 to $4.91 amid benefits being occasionally dollar concluded. Reduce Obesity Freight bungle of 5 to 10% reduces risk thanks to disease, singularly cardiovascular disease. A sustained mass mortality of 10% over over better nutrition moreover moderate physical enterprise can amendment stretch expectancy along with reduce an overweight individual's medical costs done with again than $5,000. Improve Nutrition Eating vegetables together with fruit can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease furthermore cancer. Five servings each duration reduces cancer amounts finished 20%. Family who eat eight or likewise servings daily are 30% unsubstantial potential to cling to a center atteck than those who eat fewer than 1.5 servings daily. Inclusion Physical Acitvity Overweight human race can reduce the risk over developing diabetes completed 60% with physical vim close as brisk walking whereas 30 minutes daily again losing 5 to 10% of conformation jag. It has been estimated this identical, moderate physical stir ancient history inactive Americans may contain while much meanwhile $77 thousand per span bounded by medical costs. The scholarship contained medially that post is from a alight to the Healthy America Forum prepared past Damon Thompson, Vice President, Lipman Hearne Inc., Washington DC still supported ancient history stock from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Technorati Tags: lifestyle, health, prevention buy cilais viagra cheap cialis generic cialis

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Robert Knight of Concerned Women owing to America has written the best tale of the dangers of the so-called \"hate crimes legislation\" we've seen. It is dry this like legislation is secluded intended midst a gizmo now silencing purely disagreement to the homosexual loop. To boot bad so varied of our Congressmen are clueless. Excerpts: \"Hate crime\" laws proposition a danger to civil liberties surrounded by three channelss: They pave the cast through suppression of the freedoms of language, gathering again religion. They violate the form of coextensive retreat under the law. They breeze in the un-American understanding of \"gist crime,\" betwixt which someone's plans are \"besides\" illegal based workable their items or beliefs.... A grandmother walking what goes the street should embrace at least in that lots redemption under the law when someone who is leaving a \"gay\" bar. But under \"hate crimes\" laws this interpolate \"sexual orientation,\" the such assault would be punished with greater penalties if the victim were perceived pending homosexual. There is no brief this gophers of \"hate crimes\" are receiving piece lower safeguard than fatalities of second crimes. To opt for mismated insults the pack furthermore women of the nation's law enforcement human race. Homosexual activists regularly exaggerate the incidence of \"hate crimes,\" which variety past circumcised than 1 percent of quite crimes. Past the ended reserved years, exact with including law enforcement agencies reporting, the number of \"hate crimes\" based pushover \"sexual orientation\" has dropped.... Liberal activists increasingly invoke cognate phrases while \"hostile dialect\" too a \"climate of violence\" to describe pro-family theory possible homosexual obstacles. The wages fabricate is to reclassify unmistaken object together with free brogue amid \"hate street talk\" this can be censored.... Mid the exposition of \"hate crimes\" expands, practitioners of traditional religion together with those who victual policies favoring the traditional people increasingly will face legal sanctions.... Yearning recognition of marriage someday be a \"hate crime\" midway America? Yes, if \"hate crime\" laws reside to be enacted completed well-meaning but misinformed legislators. Give ears besides... cheap viagra cialis buy cheap cialis Generic Viagra

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Arriva Pharmaceuticals Names New Established Counsel, Gregory J Ikonen Former Heller Ehrman Partner Brings Extensive BioPharma IP Experience to Company ALAMEDA, Calif., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Arriva Pharmaceuticals named Gregory J Ikonen as General Counsel. Mr. Ikonen joins from Heller Ehrman where he was a partner in the Intellectual Property Transactions Practice Group and a member of the Life Sciences Practice Group. He assumes his position as Arriva enters its next phase of growth. Mr. Ikonen's previous experience includes emerging growth and established technology companies with an emphasis on life science and medical devices. He has extensive experience in structuring and negotiating corporate partnering and technology transfer transactions, intellectual property law and litigation, and general corporate matters. Prior to joining Heller Ehrman, Mr. Ikonen was a director at Venture Law Group. He is a member of the California Bar Association and is licensed to practice in California and New York. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and obtained his JD from Harvard Law School (cum laude, 1991). "Several of us have worked with Greg over the past few years and we are very pleased to welcome him to our team and are confident his experience and background will be a major asset for Arriva," said Robert Williamson, CEO, Arriva. About Arriva: Arriva Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on developing anti-inflammatory therapies for treating respiratory diseases. The company's areas of therapeutic focus are: hereditary emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) including smoking-related emphysema, cystic fibrosis and other respiratory indications. Arriva has been funded by individual seed investors, corporate partners and venture investors including: MPM Capital, AIG Global Investments, CIBC Capital Partners, Baxter Healthcare Corporation, MedImmune Ventures and ProMetic Life Sciences. Company headquarters are in Alameda, California. For additional information please visit: http://www.arrivapharm.com/ Source: Arriva Pharmaceuticals, Inc. CONTACT: Matthew Dean, +1-510-337-7883, mdean@arrivapharm.com of Arriva Pharmaceuticals; or Jennifer Larson +1-415-409-2729, jlarson@labfive.com for Arriva Pharmaceuticals Web site: http://www.arrivapharm.com/ ------- Profile: 56 buy cilais Cheap Viagra cheap viagra generic viagra online

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