Off Label Use was..... FDA panel rejects Merck drug for prostate cancer

[Guest guest]

One of the things that I have always found

amusing about the ‘off-label’ issue is that there is often no

acceptable, scientific, balanced study to support the ‘off-label’

use. I’m not against that. If any doctor, from his personal experience

can find another use for a drug, and it works, then that’s fine by me

(although with unknown side effects it might be a bit rough for the patients!).

BUT…..what I cannot understand is

what the difference is between this ’off label’ use and the use of

alternative medications which have no acceptable, scientific, balanced study to

support their use. Surely if thee are tried and found to work in individual patients,

a case can be made for their use as well??

All the best

Prostate men need enlightening, not

frightening

Terry Herbert - diagnosed in 1996 and

still going strong

Read A Strange Place for unbiased information at http://www.yananow.net/StrangePlace/index.html

From: ProstateCancerSupport [mailto:ProstateCancerSupport ] On Behalf Of xenophonami

Sent: Monday, 6 December 2010 1:22

AM

To: ProstateCancerSupport

Subject: Re: Fw:

FDA panel rejects Merck drug for prostate cancer

Off-label use is not illegal, unethical or uncommon.

In 20 years as a practicing PA, I did it often, especially for AIDS patients,

and had many a battle with Medicaid pharmacists because of it. Some drugs we

prescribed were chosen for what were considered their side-effects, such as

Megace and Marinol as appetite stimulants.

Subject: FDA panel rejects Merck drug for prostate

cancer

To: " hrpca group " <hrpca >,

" PCa Under Yahoo Group " <prostatecancerunder50 >,

" PPML List " , " Yahoo PCaGroup " <ProstateCancerSupport >

Date: Wednesday, December 1, 2010, 5:34 PM

This is for Proscar and it sounds like Avodart is next on the hit list.

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=111 & sid=2184761

Emerson