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When I saw SKB's announcement it did seem to have more PR spin than any medical content. I'm not speaking from any specialist knowledge, just the observation that it was packaging as "new" a drug that had been around for a while. What's worrying is it got so much front page publicity (certainly here in the UK) from an apparently gullible press. Either SKB's Public Relations is absolutely spectacular or there's no way the press can be relied upon to inform PWP's about this stuff. There are probably thousands of PWP's out there who think that SKB has "cured" Parkinson's and all they have to do is rush to their Doctor and everything will be OK. <rant> Unfortunately I haven't seen anything from the established Parkinson's organisations to put SKB's announcement in context. In fact, a quick look over their sites shows *nothing* about the announcement at all. These are the people who are supposed to be acting in *our* interests. The only people getting any airtime from the press are the Drug Companies. For example, on the BBC web site they linked to only 4 sites, one of which was http://www.parkinsonsinfo.com/ which is from Somerset Pharmaceuticals. Its only on the Parkinson's lists have I seen *anything* about SKB's announcement, and how it fits into the overall picture. This means everyone who isn't plugged into this list and others is at the mercy of Pharmaceutical companies' PR machines. </rant> That *really* worries me. How about you? Simon >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]> --------- My opinions are my own, NIP's opinions are theirs ---------- Simon J. Coles Email: [log in to unmask] New Information Paradigms Work Phone: +44 1344 753703 http://www.nipltd.com/ Work Fax: +44 1344 772510 =============== Life is too precious to take seriously ===============