Cure for diabetes discovered?

[James Deuce]

(1) The approval process exists to stop the poor woman having a thalidimide kid when she pops down to the doctor for something to help her with her morning sickness. I.e. they didn't experiment enough on healthy people. They certainly didn't test it enough on any pregnant women prior to releasing it on a large scale for general use.
(2) Experimentation. At some stage all the theory must be tried out in practice. Some you win. Some you lose. Most probably do sweet FA. N years and millions in research down the tubes.
(3) Vivisection. Ah yes the moral high ground. No one can really defend this can they... Morally it's sorta like paedophilia*.
(4) Motivation for a pharmaceutical is like any company - Survivability and accountability to the owner (s).
(5) The motivation of the people indulging in research in pharmaceutical firms is probably the same as your sister in law. The desire to help our fellow human being's etc.
(6) The example you give of the development of 'Tramidol' would not have been possible without a thorough understanding of opiate chemistry and its pharmacological effects. Understanding gained through previous research. Research that no doubt involved plenty of points (2) and (3) above...
Surely this must make 'Tramidol' ethically unclean.




* unless of course you happen to be a Catholic priest. Then vivisection, like kiddy fiddling is Aok. Ugh just had a horrible image of a Priest in a vivisection lab, with bulgin' eyes and a raging hardon, looking 'round, going "Sweety?"

Ah yes. I forgot. One musn't express an opinion.

Sorry. My mistake.

[Brett]

I sincerely hope that this is correct and becomes available. I have diabetes in both sides of my family. My dad has had it for about 10 years now, and it looks as though it will inevitably find its way into me, even though i do all i can to eat well and stay active.
I wait to see the results in anticipation.

[Pathos]

I always thought diabetes would be relatively simple to fix once we understood it. Not this simple, but its definitely plausible.

[Paul in NZ]

I sincerely hope that this is correct and becomes available. I have diabetes in both sides of my family. My dad has had it for about 10 years now, and it looks as though it will inevitably find its way into me, even though i do all i can to eat well and stay active.
I wait to see the results in anticipation.

Make sure your GP knows as it is possible to test for 'pre diabetes'

[Winston001]

Ah yes. I forgot. One musn't express an opinion.

Sorry. My mistake.

Not at all Jim - the more opinions the better. I happen to enjoy challenging populist wisdom such as "George Bush is stupid" and "pharmaceutical companies are greedy unethical profiteers". People repeat these things without thinking.

For example, Pfizer, one of the largest drug companies in the world and producer of Viagra. Share price Dec 1996 - US$15 - 2001 US$46 - Dec 2006 US$26. Not exactly a startling performer, in fact a dog. If drug companies were really the rapacious price gougers of populist myth, then Pfizer would be US$100 today.

Developing medicines is a high risk business.

[Paul in NZ]

Developing medicines is a high risk business.

True - and taking them is not without risks either...

[Brett]

Make sure your GP knows as it is possible to test for 'pre diabetes'

I ahevn't been to the GP in about 5 years. I know i should really go, even my wife (intern doctor) has been harassing me to go now. I will get there...evetually.

Wouldn't mind going to the moto GP though

[Paul in NZ]

I ahevn't been to the GP in about 5 years. I know i should really go, even my wife (intern doctor) has been harassing me to go now. I will get there...evetually.

Wouldn't mind going to the moto GP though

You don't need to see the GP - ask if they have a Diabetes Nurse and ask to speak to her. Might need a blood test but even if you have to go to the GP ... DO IT.... Trust me - if you can avoid going down this street - do so...