CATIE study - "Just a blip"

The CATIE study in schizophrenia has been reported previously here:
http://pharmagossip.blogspot.com/2005/09/catiepsych.html

here:
http://pharmagossip.blogspot.com/2005/09/catie-contd.html

There is more........just search the blog for CATIE.

Now comes the most amazing criticism of the study, from the studys' head himself:

"Ask any psychiatrist, and almost all will tell you that atypicals are better than conventional antipsychotics with fewer extrapyrimidal side effects [loss of control of muscle movement] and less sexual dysfunction. The entire literature up until now shows they are better.... CATIE is just a blip," said Professor Jeff Lieberman.

The $44 million dollar US government sponsored CATIE trial was flawed in design, and has been widely misinterpreted, according to Professor Lieberman.

So that was $44 million well spent, Jeff! To create a very expensive "blip".

To be serious for a moment; this is shocking. If Professor Lieberman is to be believed the US public, who paid for this study, via the NIMH, deserve an explanation as to why this fiasco has happened.

Heads should roll!

http://www.pharmatimes.com/news/221105c.aspx?src=PharmaTimes&fr=1