SciAm article: BiDil and ethnic drugs

[diamondmeadows, BSN, RN]

Race in a Bottle

"Drugmakers are eager to develop medicines targeted at ethnic groups, but so far they have made poor choices based on unsound science."

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=B0FEC94D-E7F2-99DF-3CD8F25918B63A39&pageNumber=1&catID=2

I found this article to be a very interesting read. The author tracks the development of the drug BiDil and discusses how it came to be approved only for African-Americans. He makes it very clear that he is opposed to ethnic drugs in general and gives strong arguments to support this position.

I felt that one of the most compelling points was his suggestion that increased use of ethnic drugs may obscure the social and economic factors contributing to health issues among African-Americans behind a mask of genetic differences.

What do you all think? Are drugs like BiDil a step forward for the health of racial and ethnic minorities, or are they just another way to fatten the pockets of pharmaceutical companies?

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

Race in a Bottle

"Drugmakers are eager to develop medicines targeted at ethnic groups, but so far they have made poor choices based on unsound science."

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=B0FEC94D-E7F2-99DF-3CD8F25918B63A39&pageNumber=1&catID=2

I found this article to be a very interesting read. The author tracks the development of the drug BiDil and discusses how it came to be approved only for African-Americans. He makes it very clear that he is opposed to ethnic drugs in general and gives strong arguments to support this position.

I felt that one of the most compelling points was his suggestion that increased use of ethnic drugs may obscure the social and economic factors contributing to health issues among African-Americans behind a mask of genetic differences.

What do you all think? Are drugs like BiDil a step forward for the health of racial and ethnic minorities, or are they just another way to fatten the pockets of pharmaceutical companies?

The only thing that matters to pharmaceutical companies is what fattens their wallets. They care about nothing unless it increases their profits exponentially. The simple truth and nothing but the truth

[para82frame]

can't this be interpreted as racist in and of its self? they make a heart drug for african americans but don't develop a similar drug for asians or whites, is that not selective care based on race?

[RNDude]

The social concerns are valid. Regardless, it's realistic that genetic differences between people make them respond to drugs differently.

Racial categories have not proven to be very reliable containers for individual genetic traits, though. It's up to real research to determine how to best identify who will respond to a drug. When all the ink is dry, you'll probably see statistical trends along "racial" lines but nothing black and white, so to speak.