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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by dbc on February 13, 2007, at 18:24:30
http://www.anxietystudyinfo.com/index.htm
Anyone know if this is on the level or just some quackery?
Posted by yxibow on February 13, 2007, at 18:32:14
In reply to What is this about? (social anxiety treatment?), posted by dbc on February 13, 2007, at 18:24:30
> http://www.anxietystudyinfo.com/index.htm
>
> Anyone know if this is on the level or just some quackery?There are a lot of for-pay clinical study companies that do work on behalf of pharmaceutical companies. However, what makes me suspicious of this site is there is no address or phone number other than an 888 number. I would want information and the name of the company conducting the trial upfront.
Posted by Phillipa on February 13, 2007, at 20:56:10
In reply to Re: What is this about? (social anxiety treatment? » dbc, posted by yxibow on February 13, 2007, at 18:32:14
Jay you're quick and isn't it paxil or prozac? Makes me hyper and wild. Love Phillipa
Posted by Reggie BoStar on February 13, 2007, at 21:36:52
In reply to What is this about? (social anxiety treatment?), posted by dbc on February 13, 2007, at 18:24:30
yxibow is right. They provide no identification of themselves. Instead they ask you for personal information.
I think they're just mining for info. I'm certainly not going to touch them.
You might be better off by checking out "brand name" clinics like Lahey, Tufts, and so on. Contact them directly by phone; at least you'll be dealing with a known quantity. They can provide referrals if they themselves are not doing anything.
Sites like the American Psychiatric Org (http://www.psych.org/) or one of their links could have some trustworthy info about clinical trials.
I don't really know what I'm talking about here, but if I were casting around for clinical trials I'd start with established outfits and go from there.
I think it might be helpful if we could do a "traceroute" on that domain. I think I have an old program around here that does that. If I can fire that up and see what section of the country that domain is actually hosted in, I'll let you know.
Best of luck to you,
Reggie BoStar
Posted by Reggie BoStar on February 13, 2007, at 22:05:03
In reply to What is this about? (social anxiety treatment?), posted by dbc on February 13, 2007, at 18:24:30
OK, I got a trace to the hosting domain, at least. It's an outfit called Bell Aliant in St John New Brunswick.
This doesn't tell you anything about the actual client who runs the anxiety website. It's only the hosting service used by the client.
However, odds are it's a place in the environs of New Brunswick.
No complaints of any kind should be sent to Bell Aliant, as they are not the originators of the clinical study program advertised on that website. It just gives you an idea of where the outfit might be located.
I don't know if this info is helpful to you, but I thought I'd take a chance and post it. I used a tracing program built into my firewall software.
Dr. Bob, I hope this is a legit posting, given my disclaimer about not contacting Bell Aliant for information or other reasons.
Take care,
Reggie BoStar
Posted by dbc on February 13, 2007, at 22:59:43
In reply to Re: What is this about? (social anxiety treatment? » dbc, posted by Reggie BoStar on February 13, 2007, at 22:05:03
Oh, i wasnt planning on attending any sort of trials for anything. Just wondering what sort of scam they were running as someone on a social anxiety board linked to this place.
Posted by Reggie BoStar on February 14, 2007, at 15:57:40
In reply to Re: What is this about? (social anxiety treatment?, posted by dbc on February 13, 2007, at 22:59:43
My uneducated guess would be that they're mining for information, at the very least. It could be a spamming or other marketing front. Worst case would be that they're trying to solicit credit card information somewhere down the line. I'm sure not going to fill out the app either, so we'll never know.
Anyway, think about those "brand name" clinics I mentioned. Tufts in Boston is always running clinical studies. So is Brigham's Women's Hospital. If you live in a different area I'm sure there are equivalent services.
I'm a GAD person myself. I happen to be having some luck with Buspar, but I understand that some people don't. It's the luck of the draw, as usual.
Hey - good luck and best wishes, dbc!
Reggie BoStar
Posted by yxibow on February 14, 2007, at 16:56:07
In reply to Re: What is this about? (social anxiety treatment? » dbc, posted by Reggie BoStar on February 13, 2007, at 22:05:03
> OK, I got a trace to the hosting domain, at least. It's an outfit called Bell Aliant in St John New Brunswick.
>
> This doesn't tell you anything about the actual client who runs the anxiety website. It's only the hosting service used by the client.
>
> However, odds are it's a place in the environs of New Brunswick.
>
> No complaints of any kind should be sent to Bell Aliant, as they are not the originators of the clinical study program advertised on that website. It just gives you an idea of where the outfit might be located.
>
> I don't know if this info is helpful to you, but I thought I'd take a chance and post it. I used a tracing program built into my firewall software.
>
> Dr. Bob, I hope this is a legit posting, given my disclaimer about not contacting Bell Aliant for information or other reasons.
>
> Take care,
> Reggie BoStarTheir IP originates in Pfizer's class C domain group if you query ARIN
Their domain name is cloaked by godaddy so there is no contact.
Strangely this may actually be legit but I wouldn't submit any information anyhow.
Posted by Reggie BoStar on February 14, 2007, at 17:57:23
In reply to Re: What is this about? (social anxiety treatment? » Reggie BoStar, posted by yxibow on February 14, 2007, at 16:56:07
Hi yxibow,
How'd you figure out to query ARIN? My tracer found the route back to the hosting IP, but I couldn't find the IP back to Pfizer's.
You may be right. If it traces back to Pfizer's, it could very well be legit. Why they use an ISP in New Brunswick is a good question.
Take care,
Reggie BoStar
Posted by Alone on February 15, 2007, at 0:11:54
In reply to What is this about? (social anxiety treatment?), posted by dbc on February 13, 2007, at 18:24:30
I just know that I wouldn't volunteer to be the guinea pig. I will only put meds into my body that have been properly tested and approved.
Kudos to all the people who have done this for the sake of all of us.
Clinical Trials just seem like a risky venture to me.
Posted by yxibow on February 15, 2007, at 2:36:42
In reply to Re: What is this about? (social anxiety treatment? » yxibow, posted by Reggie BoStar on February 14, 2007, at 17:57:23
> Hi yxibow,
>
> How'd you figure out to query ARIN? My tracer found the route back to the hosting IP, but I couldn't find the IP back to Pfizer's.
>
> You may be right. If it traces back to Pfizer's, it could very well be legit. Why they use an ISP in New Brunswick is a good question.
>
> Take care,
> Reggie BoStarCraftily, because it didnt work the same way that I did it this afternoon, I also got to St Johns, Newbrunswick. However if you use UNIX Dig, which does a more powerful reverse check, you end up with:
63.236.70.223
US Pharmateuticals Group (Pfizer) QWEST-EWR-PFIZER4 (NET-63-236-70-0-1)
63.236.70.0 - 63.236.70.255And someone at ARIN who can't spell pharmaceuticals.
Quite a crafty cloaking this setup is, its a virtual server using Canadian address space but is most likely connected to Pfizer.
But geekdom aside I wouldn't submit anything online, if I wanted more information I would press them on the 800 # and if there was roundabouts, I just wouldn't go there.There is a government website that lists drug trials that go on all the time, I forget the name but its not too hard to find.
-- tidings
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