A screengrab from Pfizer’s new campaign, Before It Was a Medicine
1. Pfizer launched a new campaign about the science behind its medicines. The ads are intended to connect viewers with the people who develop their drugs. (Business Insider)
2. The Center for American Progress called out the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute saying it doesn’t do enough comparative effectiveness research in pharmaceuticals. The Institute has only spent half of more than $1.4 billion in available federal money on comparative effectiveness research for prescription drugs. (USA Today)
3. Some U.S. drugmakers are hiring their own auditors to review mandates from government settlements for civil violations. Critics say this practice creates a conflict of interest, as the Department of Health and Human Services does not bar companies from hiring firms with which drugmakers have business ties. (Reuters)
4. Doctors from three professional groups said patients with osteoporosis need to be treated more aggressively. But patients are worried about serious, but rare, side effects from some osteoporosis treatments. (NYT)
5. Roche received FDA approval for a companion diagnostic used with its cancer drug Tarceva. The test identifies a gene mutation associated with non-small-cell lung cancer. It is the first FDA-approved genetic test that can detect epidermal growth factor receptor gene mutations. (The Financial Express)
