I’ll See You In Health! Stephen Colbert Rebuts Ridiculous Crestor Claim

Posted on 18. Nov, 2008 by Kerry Friesen, M.D. in Neuromarketing Niche'ities, The End of Psychology

OZ: THE LAND OF INFINITE MEDICAL ANSWERS
(THAT DOESN’T EXIST)

What does it mean when Comedy Central becomes the voice of reason in all things medical?

Only that when you get to the Emerald City and pull back the curtain and discover the Wizard of Oz is really the Wizard of Biz and incapable of solving all of your problems (but more than willing to take your money), you have finally reached the realm of medical realism rather than some pharmaceutical fantasy land.

Despite all the media hype and medical experts claiming otherwise, the so-called pleiotropic effects of statins are not sufficient to cure cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, aortic stenosis, cardiac myocyte hypertrophy or any other “trophy” for that matter.

Off-label applications excluded, all HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, in other words, “statins” are effective at lowering LDL cholesterol and raising HDL cholesterol (minimally)—but that’s it.

PHARMACEUTICAL FAIRY TALES

The AstraZeneca claims for Crestor however have to do with the inherent anti-inflammatory property of some statins.

Both vascular and neuro-inflammation are in fact critical risk-factors for cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disease. However, to suggest that everyone would benefit from taking Crestor is bad science and crass commerce.

There are better ways to reduce vascular inflammation. Taking a prescription medicine would be last on my list.

In a Wall Street Journal interview, AstraZeneca CEO David Brennan downplayed the commercial impact of the Jupiter study while simultaneously suggesting that analyst’s forecasts were “pretty bullish”.

Given our current economy, where will the estimated 10 billion additional health care dollars come from that it would take to implement the plan, enforce compliance and manage the inevitable adverse drug reactions?

And what if the expected health benefits are never realized?

OUR DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER ADVERTISING IDIOCRACY

Pharmaceutical companies spent an estimated $2.5 billion in 2000 on direct to consumer advertising and more than $4 billion in 2005.

In one year, prescriptions written for the 50 most heavily prescribed drugs increased by a whopping 25 percent compared to just 4 percent for all other drugs combined!

While direct-to-consumer advertising is illegal in Canada,it is nearly impossible to enforce.

Meanwhile here in America, pharmaceutical DTC advertising thrives in a virtually unregulated environment, emboldened by PhRMA, the lobbying group of the US drug industry.

THE PAL PROJECT AND THE “BITTER PILL” AWARDS

It has been left to watchdog groups (see PAL—the Prescription Access Litigation Project), to reign in the ridiculous.

For example, in 2006 both AstraZeneca’s Crestor and Pfizer’s Lipitor, received the coveted “Got Cholesterol?” award, given for “overpromoting expensive brand name statins,”.

A total of 5 of the country’s best selling drugs received “Bitter Pill” awards in 2006 for overly agressive and misleading DTC advertising.

That same year, AstraZeneca received a disciplinary letter from the FDA for a DTC advertising campaign claiming Crestor was more effective than other statins.

STEPHEN COLBERT AND THE COLBERT NATION: IS THE DOCTOR OF FINE ARTS IN?

Forget the Mayo brothers, if you need a sound dose of medical realism and a cheap second opinion, head straight to the office of Dr. Stephen T. Colbert DFA.

He may not have the bedside manner of a country doctor, but he at least has his medical facts right.

And except for Prescott Pharmaceuticals, Big Pharma doesn’t own him.

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4 Responses to “I’ll See You In Health! Stephen Colbert Rebuts Ridiculous Crestor Claim”

  1. John Tedder

    23. Nov, 2008

    You said, “There are better ways to reduce vascular inflammation. Taking a prescription medicine would be last on my list.” Can you share what would be on your list?
    Do you think that high doses of vitamin C can help?
    Thank you.

    John Tedder’s last blog post..I’ll See You In Health! Stephen Colbert Rebuts Ridiculous Crestor Claim

    Reply to this comment

  2. Kerry Friesen, M.D.

    24. Nov, 2008

    Hi John. Vitamin C has a checkered history. Excessive amounts of any antioxidant trigger a pro-oxidant effect. A previous article addresses this very phenomenon. For a fairly exhaustive list of polyphenols with anti-inflammatory properties, check out the “Eat Your Antioxidants or Else” post listed under “Molecular Detoxification”.

    Reply to this comment

  3. eml256

    23. Feb, 2009

    Dr. Friesen, Am currently researching link btn statins (lipophilic ones) and neurodegenerative diseases. Prompted by anecdotal cases of 8 individuals with whom I am acquainted being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (ages 50-65) after Lipitor therapy (3 yrs -10 yrs) without positive fly hx. Only 2 of these are acquainted with each other–and only slightly. Statins’s effects of interupted mevalonate pathway (and thus the isoprenoid products of this pathway) and decreased brain choelsterol provides sufficient experimental information to account for this class of drugs either inducing or unmasking neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Xuemei Huang, UNC Chapel Hill (http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/114026000/abstract), has proposed a prospective study to determine if a link btn statins and PD exists; Dr. Ralph Edwards, Director Drug Monitoring WHO, strongly advised a prospective study to determine an association btn statins and ALS-like syndrome. Last I was informed, Dr. Huang ahd not found funding for her study; am unaware of any prospective studies prompted by Dr. Edwards’ report.
    Experimental evidence of increased toxicity in yeast model of PD from lovastatin reported today!
    http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-02/wifb-cga021809.php
    Could you share your opinio on this topic, if you have one?
    thanks

    Reply to this comment

    • Kerry Friesen, M.D.

      03. Mar, 2009

      Hi, eml256.
      There is no question that brain health is inextricably linked to cholesterol metabolism. I reserve statin use for only the most high risk individuals and even then carefully monitor them for cognitive changes. Subtle memory impairment is most common and not necessarily reversible when statins are discontinued. Clearly some patients are more vulnerable to the negative effects on memory and learning, especially those with limited cognitive reserve.
      I have an additional concern regarding widespread statin usage, namely that of targeting the higher risk pediatric population. From a neurodevelopmental standpoint, they clearly have more to lose if the hypothesis is indeed correct. Here is a news flash from a recently published Iowa State University study :

      “Yeon-Kyun Shin, a biophysics professor in the department of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, says the results of his study show that drugs that inhibit the liver from making cholesterol may also keep the brain from making cholesterol, which is vital to efficient brain function.”

      No surprise given what we understand about cholesterol metabolism in the brain.

      Finally, a “prospective study” is in fact being undertaken as we speak! It is a purely observational study with no control group, no funding and no ethical oversite—it’s called life, and it happens every time a prescription is written for a statin and full consideration is not given to the possible adverse neurological impact!

      Thanks for the comment. Come back. Let me know how things are progressing in your world!

      Reply to this comment

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