Press releases by those who create them are possibly in collusion with various sources of the mass media as well as other outlets who receive these types of announcements. The sponsoring organization that composes press releases do so in order to promote their organization and its products more, it seems, than the newsworthiness of the contents of such releases. These well constructed statements meticulously composed and customized specifically to be beneficial for their business are then issued to targeted editors for mass media publication, I believe. As this is done, the mass media outlets are instructed on how to present these completed statements, which typically include directions to such media sources not to alter the press releases, regardless if they are flawed or biased in some way that may or may not be discovered by the media source. In addition, the time at which the publication of the sponsor’s press release is to be published is instructed to these targeted media outlets as well.

Press releases are a form of public relations for those companies who create what is supposed to be a type of revelation that is speculated to impact the reader of the press release by possibly adding insight to a particular topic. Yet often, the press release created by a business organization is again designed to benefit them and their profitability rather than focus on providing authentic and fully accurate news to the reader.

Unfortunately, press releases are often embellished, biased, and incomplete with deliberate intent in order to benefit the creator of such releases, who again develops their creation as a form of promotion as well as an enhancement of their public relation efforts which seems to be disguised as something of value in the form of news. One could surmise that the mass media who receives these press releases are transformed into mass front groups who perhaps coercively offer third party legitimacy for the content of the press release. These intentional flaws often contained in such press releases reflect reckless disregard for the public- the readers who believe that what they read in such press releases is objective and complete, which often it is not.

An example is an anonymous press release posted on the Medical News Today website (www.medicalnewstoday) that is dated in March of 2006. The title: “Cymbalta Safely and Effectively Treats core anxiety symptoms associated with generalized anxiety disorder.” Clearly, this title itself includes words associated with relief or elation, which appear to be somewhat subjective and not what should possibly be objective elements which would clearly be more appropriate, according to some.

The first paragraph of this press release seems to repeat the results mentioned in the title of this article, but also states Cymbalta offers relief of painful symptoms associated with anxiety, as well as improved functional impairment- also claimed in this press release to be associated with anxiety. These conclusions are speculative at best, according to some, as these conclusions appear to be unexamined by others.

Cymbalta was not approved for anxiety or any of the symptoms associated with this condition at the time of this press release. In fact, Cymbalta was not filed with the FDA for this speculated new indication desired by Eli Lilly until May of 2006. By definition, this press release is possibly off-label promotion as well as misbranding that was performed overtly in this manner of this press release, one may speculate.

Shortly before the lightly stated disclaimers about Cymbalta were annotated in this press release, testimonials were intentionally created and implemented into this composition, so it seems,and were stated in relation to this study about the impactful results achieved with Cymbalta as one continues to read this press release. The first testimonial was from the lead author, who expanded the claims made initially and previously stated with various medical terms included, followed by his hope about the great potential of Cymbalta based on this study, as this particular study was well planned to be shortly announced and discussed in greater detail soon after this press release was made available to others at a national anxiety association meeting weeks after this press release was made available to the public. The second testimonial was Eli Lilly’s Medical Advisor expressing his elation about what the lead author just stated, followed by how much he was encouraged by these results that will benefit so many others.

What was not discussed in this press release was the devastating post-marketing adverse events suspected to be associated with Cymbalta- which include what is termed discontinuation syndrome if the medication is discontinued by the user, along with suicidal ideation and cases of suicide by those who had taken Cymbalta. There are more issues that were not disclosed, but these are the most concerning to others, yet not stated overtly, if at all, in this press release.

As with any reporting by the media, objectivity and thorough completeness of the topic discussed in a press release is a necessary requirement with any publishing that is potentially exposed to so many others- more so with such medical issues in particular, I believe. Because these so many of these potential readers are in fact us- public citizens who deserve much more than half truths and possible fabrications created and presentd by those whose purpose is supposed to be the sharing of complete and unbiased information, yet apparently and clearly is not the case, as shown in this illustration.

Dan Abshear

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The numbers you quote are absolutely absurd and can easily be shown to be false with a little research into published figures from the 1970’s.

Prozac the first SSRI was approved Dec 29, 1987.

I was in school much earlier than this and even in school I was taught that the numbers for having a major depression were on the order of 5% of the population.

I personally believe that psych drugs are misused, inappropriately promoted, and the dangers are underplayed. But putting forth simply absurd figures only diminishes valid arguments.

Salmon

However, the rate of depression is now estimated to be in the range of 50,000 to 100,000 cases per million, or between a 500 to 1,000-fold increase, according to Jane Currie in the ‘Marketization of Depression’, in the May 2005 journal Women and Health Protection”.

Fox is in charge of the hen house!

I will give you the improvements in HIV therapy but again antiretoviral therapy was introduced in 1996, since about 2001 the number of individuals who have died from the AIDS virus itself has remained relativley stable in the US. The most significant declines have been in the number of new borns who have had the HIV passed on to thme thorugh their HIV infected mother. An HIV diagnosis is no longer a death sentence and can be treated with a single drug or a combination of drugs. As far as COPD I could not find any recent significant improvements in the treatment of this disease. Although, from what I read it is suggested that some therapies have improved the quality of life the reports did not indicate that these therapies were particularly new. I have found 2 drugs developed outside the US that reportedly showed some promise in the treatment of COPD; Cilomilast and Roflumilast, neither of which shows up in the FDA’s database and in the Roflumilast it appears Pfizer discontinued its partnership with the German manufacturer.
As to Comudian replacement, you got me on that one, unless you are referring to dabigatrin as a replacement for coumadin, which from as far as I can tell has not been approved in the US and again it’s an upgrade to existing medication whose total benefits cannot be accurately assessed at this time.
You ask whether I want class improvements or disease state improvments, the answer is obvious, disease state improvements, as I mentioned in my previous post the companies are constantly claiming class improvements but again most evidence has demonstrated that there is insignificant benefits with the so called Class Improvments. Although you did not make this reference to a disease state improvements, a longer life span does not translate into a disease state improvement if the quality of life is poor. However the medical and pharmaceutical industries, I believe count extended life as disease state improvement, I believe in this area HIV is the exception rather then the rule.

I guess you don’t read this site much. You have an industry that has not had any truly innovative products in years; they basically repackage the old ones to extend patent protection. Where is the new innovation? Most of the the large pharmaceuticals buy the innovations from start up companies and even in that area please tell me what great breakthrough discoveries you are talking about? Any breakthroughs in cancer have mostly been the result of early scanning methods, not medication; what’s new in diabetes? Byetta, apparently that has some problems. How about drugs that lower cholesterol such as Zetia and Vytorin, apparently they give you a lower LDL reading and that’s about it. Maybe it’s the multitude of anti-depressants that the pharmaceutical industry has introduced? You know the ones that both the medical community and the government, have us convinced that even children should take them. Then again maybe its that cure for M/S or ALS? Oh, that’s right they don’t have one of those.
Just maybe if the pharmaceutical industry wasn’t so busy lining the pockets of doctors they actually would have some money for real R&D, rather then paying money to promote their dubious claims.
As far as your 102 year old goes; with all the breakthroughs that you write about, the latest statistics on mortality in the US say that the average life span in the US is probably going to decline. Maybe if the focus was on better health through lifestyle changes rather than take this pill, this would not be the case.
I will give you this one though, the beer commercial that spouts drinkability is totally irresponsible.