Brian,

I agree completely that requip is not a breakthrough.  It is a rather small
step but an important one. They have made a drug that act on only one receptor
site,  like at least 2 others (one marketed in the US.).  I don't think that
professionals really believe the advertising anyway.  EVERY drug that comes on
the market is a MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH.

It likely  will postpone dyskinesias and that is clearly a positive.

Charlie


Brian Collins wrote:

> It seems to me that almost everyone is missing the point about this
> non-event. I will try again to convey the points which are really
> irritating me.
>
> 1/ SmithKline Beecham have made NO major breakthrough.
>
> 2  SmithKline Beecham have simply re-stated what we have all known for the
>    past 5 years: that the Dopamine Agonists from Permax on are capable of
>    acting like dopamine to the nervous system, without increasing the
>    risk of dyskinesia. (My tablet strategy has been based on this fact
>    for the last 5 years.
>
> 3/ I admit to a grudging respect at SKB's nerve at wrapping the package
>     so that it fools  (apparently) just about everyone at the conference.
>
> 4/ Alternatively (and very scary) - it may be that SKB really believed
>    the results of their 'research'.  Could this be true? . The bottom
>    line seems to be that SKB have fooled a convention-hall full of
>    specialists, or they have fooled a  convention-hall full of specialists
>    AND themselves.  (And if this sounds like the famous old question
>    'Have you stopped beating your wife?' - GOOD!)
> --
> Brian Collins  <[log in to unmask]>

--
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Charles T. Meyer,  M.D.
Middleton (Madison), Wisconsin
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