Bayer Aspirin Cholesterol Drug: Baycol linked to 52 deaths
Cholesterol Lowering Drugs Pose Health Risks
CHOLESTEROL DRUGS - - A DEATH SENTENCE?
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Baycol linked to 52 deathsAugust 13, 2001
Posted: 1011 GMT
LONDON (CNN) -- Germany's Bayer said on Monday 52 people are thought to have died after taking the anti-cholesterol product Baycol, its fastest-growing drug. Bayer said it was reviewing the future of it drugs arm but would not ditch its strategy of producing both chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and denied it was "a company in need of rescue." The company, one of Germany's big two chemicals and drug makers, said two big drugmakers had shown interest in buying its pharmaceuticals arm. A sale was a possibility, but not the company's preferred option, said Chief Executive Manfred Schneider. The company pulled the drug, also sold as Lipobay, last Wednesday after it emerged it was linked to deaths of about 40 people. Bayer shares plunged 18 percent on the day.
The axeing of the drug came after increasing evidence that the drug caused deterioration in muscle tissue, a condition called rhabdomyolysis, which is known to cause severe pain and potential kidney failure. However, the company stressed "that there is currently no proof that" the drug is the cause of the deaths. "Even this extraordinarily unfortunate series of problems -- whether home-made or caused by external factors -- poses no threat to Bayer's existence," Chief Executive Manfred Schneider said. "Our sales this year will increase even though Baycol will now be absent," Schneider added. But he warned shareholders that the company would have to cut its dividend for this year. "We now see the strength of our 'four-pillar' strategy, even if only two of those pillars -- namely agriculture and chemicals -- currently show a stable earnings trend overall." The company has come under intense pressure to create separate businesses for its chemicals and healthcare operations, or take on a partner for its drug business, to enable it to compete with the world's giants, suchhttp://www.chelationtherapyonline.com/articles/p226.htm as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) of the UK and Pfizer (PFE: Research, Estimates) of the U.S. As well as thses two arms, Bayer has separate units producing polymers and agricultural chemicals. While Schneider said it was not yet clear if anti-cholesterol drug Baycol would be relaunched in future, the company's head of pharmaceuticals, David Ebsworth, described a relaunch as unlikely.
"Since the economy is unlikely to improve before the end of the year, our operating income will be further impaired by the economic situation," Schneider said. Bayer, which makes products ranging from
Aspirin to chemicals for industry and fragrances for perfume,
said it has initiated a programme to reduce costs by
The company said it has other drugs in the pipeline. They include a rival for Viagra, called Vardenafil, which is due on the market by 2002, along with a new antibiotic and two cancer drugs. "But they cannot compensate for the loss of Baycol," Schneider said. Bayer, which was forced to halt shipments of its haemophilia drug Kogenate in January after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found bacteria present in some of the manufacturing stages of Kogenate, said it health care business would no longer meet its target of improving profit margins by 20 percent. The company said it is still negotiating with Franco-German drugmaker Aventis to buy Aventis CropScience. The acquisition "will boost the earnings situation in the Group as a whole in the short tern," said Schneider. "This is a step of exceptional strategic importance, so there is no reason to question it because of the problems in pharmaceuticals." |
Schneider
reiterated earlier downbeat earning assessments. The drug was
expected to generate sales of
1
billion ($900 million) this year, up from
Cholesterol Lowering Drugs Pose Health Risks
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CHOLESTEROL DRUGS - - A DEATH SENTENCE?
In 1987, Merck made headlines when it came out with Mevacor (lovastatin), the first cholesterol-lowering statin drug. Statins block enzyme pathways involved in the production of cholesterol, thereby lowering cholesterol levels. But that's not all these drugs do. The same enzymes that are involved in the production of cholesterol are also required for the production of an essential compound called coenzyme Q10; not surprisingly, lower cholesterol levels in statin users are accompanied by reduced levels of CoQ10.
Coenzyme Q10 -- also called ubiquinone, which means "occurring everywhere" -- plays an important role in the manufacture of ATP, the fuel that runs cellular processes. Though it is present in every cell in your body, it is especially concentrated in the very active cells of your heart. Depriving the heart of CoQ10 is like removing a spark plug from your engine -- it just won't work. Low levels of CoQ10 are implicated in virtually all cardiovascular diseases, including angina, hypertension, cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure.
WHAT IS MERCK WAITING FOR???
Merck knew that statins deplete CoQ10, and knew that this could contribute to heart disease. In 1990, this drug manufacturer sought and received a patent for Mevacor and other statin drugs formulated with up to 1,000 mg of coenzyme Q10 to prevent or alleviate cardiomyopathy, a serious condition that can cause congestive heart failure. However, Merck has not brought these combination products to market, nor has this drug company educated physicians on the important of supplementing CoQ10 to offset the dangers of these drugs to the heart. Because they hold the patent, other drug companies are prevented from coming out with a statin/CoQ10 product.
If you're taking a statin drug (Zocor, Provacol, etc.), don't wait for your doctor to warn you of the substantial risks. Consider this fact: in the last 15 years (roughly the time that statins have been on the market), the incidence of congestive heart failure has tripled. If you want to avoid becoming a statistic, it is imperative that you take 200 mg of coenzyme Q10 daily. You should also try to lower your cholesterol levels with a low-fat diet, targeted nutritional supplements and exercise.
A CHEAP ALTERNATIVE
Statin drugs cost a bundle and are dangerous. An inexpensive alternative works better for most people. The cost is almost nothing.
The "Niacin Flush" at:
on our web pages is working wonders for many. This may reduce or eliminate your reliance on cholesterol-lowering medication. I dumped Zocor a year ago. My cholesterol is 185 and, better yet, the HDL/LDL ratio is better than when on Zocor.
Please read the article before beginning.
Linus Pauling Therapy
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