Heart ‘Wonder Drug’ Needs a Closer Look

Studies See New Way to Reduce Heart Risk,” Jan. 6: Well, it seems we have a new wonder drug -- the statins. According to the Jan. 6 story, “Studies See New Way to Reduce Heart Risk,” two recent medical journal articles found that statins are a “perfect marriage” between a drug and a disease. We are on the verge of a major breakthrough in heart disease. Lives will be saved as the use of these already prevalent drugs skyrocket. I sincerely hope the authors of these articles are correct.

But perhaps The Times might have pointed out that the lead authors of both articles are consultants for and receive support from Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb, major manufacturers of statins. Pfizer funded one of the studies; Bristol-Myers Squibb provided partial support for the other.

Three of the co-authors of one article were actually Pfizer employees. Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb make billions of dollars each year selling statins. They, and other statins manufacturers, provide research support, honorariums and consulting fees to the very authors of the articles cited in The Times. That doesn’t mean the results are inaccurate. Or that the authors are anything but completely, 100% objective. Does it?

Russell Kussman MD, JD

Los Angeles