Who doesn't love a big market?
An article in today's WSJ, "New Drugs Emerge To Cut Cholesterol," states the size of that market: 50 million Americans.
What about them, what do they have in common? Well, they are all, according to some, candidates for the "most widely used and most lucrative drugs ever developed by the pharmaceutical industry," statins.
These are what some refer to as Wing-and-a-prayer announcements or priming the pump. To be sure, as one physician who was not connected with these new studies, noted: "There's not a shred of doubt that this is a very efficacious way to lower LDL (bad)" cholesterol.
But that's the wrong question getting answered. There is even less evidence that these findings will translate to preventing heart attacks and strokes, the so-called end point or reason for their existence.
With recent patent expirations popping up like spring flowers, a cynic might argue along with the aroma of spring flowers the odor of new patents is also in the air. And it's a very lucrative one.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303978304579471072404353460?mg=reno64-wsj
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