Posted by Ritch on January 26, 2002, at 0:17:57
In reply to Re: Psychiatrist won't let me try amphetamines. » Mr. Scott, posted by Elizabeth on January 25, 2002, at 1:34:48
> > These days the launch of any new Rx product with a good marketing budget will create a fad diagnosis.
>
> I think it's all these new anticonvulsants -- not just Depakote, but also Lamictal, Neurontin, Topamax, etc. It's interesting to note that many of these new AEDs are approved only for "adjunctive therapy" of epilepsy, not for monotherapy. It appears that the manufacturers just wanted to get them on the market and then see what doctors would prescribe them for.
>
> There's also the realization by doctors that "borderline personality disorder" is in fact responsive to medications -- it makes them want to redefine it as bipolar II.
>
> -elizabeth
Elizabeth-Mr. Scott,What about the idea of "fad new diagnoses" creating *new Rx products*??
You are correct (one-dimensionally) about the *new* anticonvulsants. Pdocs have been looking for a lithium alternative for years and now they have an entire menagerie to explore.
The *monotherapy* thing has mostly to do with *cost*. It is far cheaper to develop and get approval for an adjunctive medication for epilepsy than it is to get it run through the "hoops" for epilepsy monotherapy by the FDA. They are just now doing monotherapy trials for gabapentin when it is close to becoming available as a generic.
Mitch
poster:Ritch
thread:91193
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020124/msgs/91643.html