E-DRUG: Is money being wasted on statins for women?
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Dear E-druggers,
The meta-analysis below adds to previously published evidence about the lack of efficacy of statins used for primary prevention of heart attacks and coronary heart disease in women, without prior cardiovascular disease. (Another current paper with same conclusion is in Int J Cardiol. 2008 Sep 13). I wonder how such evidence will be translated into practice in developing countries, ie. first at the regulatory level: regulation of product information, labelling claims and drug promotion claims and secondly in recommendations by national treatment guidelines.
In 2006, Pfizer's Lipitor (atorvastatin) alone generated global revenues
of $13.6bn. Though most of this money was spent in high income countries I wonder if it could still be a significant amount of money wasted in poor countries, if statins will continue to be promoted for women for primary peventions of MI and CHD. As cheaper generic versions of statins are coming out it may appear more affordable to use statins for prevention of heart disease, but if half of the target population (females) does not benefit from this, it could save significant amount of money in a limited resource setting to make this very clear
Klara Tisocki
Dr. Klara Tisocki
EU Technical Assistance for Health Sector Policy(TA4HSP)
Bureau of Food and Drugs
Civic Drive, Alabang,Muntinlupa City, Philippines
Tel./Fax:+ 63(0)2-807-8285; Mobile:+63(0)920-9076956
Email: klara.tisocki@gtz.de, ktisocki@yahoo.ie