Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Herceptin - I say! Steady on!

After the "simply stunning" hype in the NEJM:
http://pharmagossip.blogspot.com/2005/10/herceptin-simply-stunning.html

Now comes a little more reflection in The Lancet

In its editorial, it said: "The best that can be said about Herceptin's efficacy and safety for the treatment of early breast cancer is that the available evidence is insufficient to make reliable judgments."

It is profoundly misleading to suggest, even rhetorically, that the published data may be indicative of a cure for breast cancer. Drug regulatory agencies and bodies such as NICE play an important part in translating research evidence into clinical guidance. It is vital that their decisions are made carefully after considering the totality of available evidence.
They must be free from political, special interest, or media influence, no matter how well meaning.

Hear hear says Insider. Now all we need is for Roche to pull their finger out and actually apply for the extended licence!

http://www.thelancet.com/

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