CardioExchange Archive

May 21st, 2012

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: Week of May 21st

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

This week’s topics include warfarin vs. aspirin for stroke prevention in HF, CVD risks and azithromycin, coffee’s benefits, the old news that statins work, the question of HDL-C, abdominal aortic aneurysm, omega-3 fatty acid supplements, and Abbott’s methods for staying ahead with fenofibrate prescriptions.

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April 17th, 2012

What’s in a Name? Go for the Generic

Nicholas Downing, MD

A recent report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine highlights some “low-hanging fruit” for anyone trying to deliver more cost-effective healthcare. The authors (I am the first author and Harlan Krumholz, CardioExchange editor-in-chief, is the senior author) describe how branded formulations of fenofibrate — marketed by Abbott as Tricor and Trilipix — account for the vast majority […]

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May 19th, 2011

FDA Panel Delivers Mixed Verdict on Trilipix (Fenofibrate)

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA’s Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee delivered a mixed verdict on fenofibrate (Trilipix, Abbott). On the one hand, the panel agreed unanimously that the FDA should require Abbott to perform a large clinical trial in high-risk patients with elevated triglyceride levels and low HDL levels who nevertheless have achieved target LDL cholesterol levels […]

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May 17th, 2011

FDA Reviewers Scrutinize ACCORD and Trilipix

Larry Husten, PHD

The FDA has released the agenda, questions, roster, and briefing materials for Thursday’s meeting of the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee in which the ACCORD trial and the fate of Abbott’s Trilipix (fenofibric acid) will be discussed. The key questions on which the advisory committee members will be asked to vote are: Should the FDA require […]

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March 23rd, 2011

Fibrate Prescriptions: A Tale Of Two Countries

Larry Husten, PHD

During the past decade, fibrate use more than doubled in the U.S. but remained relatively stable in Canada, according to a study just published in JAMA. In January 2002, fibrate use was similar in the two countries: 336 prescriptions per 100,000 population in the U.S. versus 402 per 100,000 in Canada. By December 2009, the number […]

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