Guest guest Posted August 12, 2004 Report Share Posted August 12, 2004 (The NEW miracle drug V iagra is really just all old heart drug that was patented in the 1950's under a different name and that was deemed too dangerous and not effective. It was put on the shelf and was reborn in the 1990's under a new name. Many people have had stroke or heart attack while taking this drug, but that will not be recognized until way after the patent runs out. You know Big Pharma, guardian of health.) F. > " HSI - Jenny Thompson " > <HSIResearch > Over the Falls > Thu, 12 Aug 2004 08:21:31 -0400 > > Over the Falls > > Health Sciences Institute e-Alert > > August 12, 2004 > > ************************************************************ > > Dear Reader, > > You've probably been to one of those delis where > they punch your card > each time you order a sandwich, and when your card > is completely > punched, you get a free sandwich. > > Well... welcome to sandwich punch card marketing, > giant drug company > style. > > --------------------------- > > Breakfast of champions > --------------------------- > > > " We are the Champions " is the 70s pop song that > blares in the > background as middle-aged men jump for joy in the > streets. Have you > seen this TV ad? It's for a very popular > prescription drug that > addresses erectile dysfunction. The name of the drug > starts with a " V " > and rhymes with Niagara, but I'm going to avoid > using the drug's name > because many spam filters block e-mails that contain > the word anywhere > in the text. For today, then, let's just call it > Niagara. Like the > falls. Not to be confused with spray starch. > > (Fair warning: All puns, innuendos, and double > entendres are completely intended.) > > So, why are these middle-aged guys leaping about > with goofy grins on > their faces? Because they've just found out that > every time they fill > six prescriptions of Niagara, their seventh > prescription will be free. > Wheee! We are the champions! > > --------------------------- > > Something for everyone > --------------------------- > > > But something is missing from the " Champions " > commercial. There are no > teenagers jumping around alongside their dads. > > And why would there be teenagers? According to a > report this month in > the International Journal of Impotence Research > (IJIR), the fastest > growing segment of Niagara users is 18-45 year old > males. That's not > exactly the Bob Dole demographic that made Niagara > famous. > > And something else is missing from the ad: women. > Because the IJIR > research also shows that more and more women are > using Niagara. > (Apparently, Niagara enhances the sexual experience > for women; albeit > in a completely different way from men, obviously.) > > So it seems that just about everyone can enjoy the > wonders of Niagara! > But not so fast. All of this bouncing in the streets > over sexual > enhancement is a sore point for health insurance > companies that are > footing much of the bill for a medication that's > supposed to address a > medical condition. > > As you might imagine, some in the health care > community are asking: If > women and young people are using the drug to enhance > their sexual > pleasure, is it right that health insurers are > helping supply the fun? > I mean, come on, people! We've got a health care > crisis in this > country. We can't have everyone partying on someone > else's dime! > What's next? Insurance companies buying everyone a > couple of drinks? > > --------------------------- > > Happy ending > --------------------------- > > > While insurance companies are stewing over their > contribution to the > World Party, Pfizer executives have a more pressing > matter: their > company image. > > According to industry research, as much as 25 > percent of adult males > believe that Pfizer is responsible for sending the > daily junk e-mail > that appears in their e-mail inboxes with countless > come-ons to buy > " generic " Niagara. > > First of all, there IS no generic Niagara. Not yet > anyway. Not until > Pfizer's patent license runs out. And besides the > fact that these e- > mailers are taking revenue away from Pfizer (many of > the fly-by- night > Internet pharmacies sell bootleg Niagara), they're > giving Pfizer a bad > reputation. > > Maybe this is the thinking behind the > buy-six-get-one-free idea: Lure > customers away from the Internet outlets with some > freebies here and > there, and also make them feel good about their > local neighborhood > drug giant. > > After all, everyone likes party favors. > > --------------------------- > > No rest for the successful > --------------------------- > > > They say it's good to be king, but it's also lonely > at the top. > Everyone wants a piece of Pfizer's sweet action. > Spammers and Internet > pharmacies take their chunk, and then along come > Cialis and Levitra – > two new erectile dysfunction drugs that have started > carving out a > share of the Niagara market. > > And now Wrigley wants in. Last spring, the famous > Chicago gum > manufacturer was granted a patent for a gum that > will contain the > active ingredient of Niagara. Wrigley is really > looking far down the > road here, because the patent on Niagara won't run > out for another > seven years. At that time, the generic versions of > the drug are > expected to burst over the dam like... well, like a > giant waterfall. > And Wrigley hopes to be the first one over the falls > in a barrel. > > By then, all the fretting over Niagara's insurance > and health care > questions will be a thing of the long ago past (way > back in 2004). And > men, women, and teenagers will all crowd the > streets, jumping for joy! > > ************************************************************ > > ...and another thing > > For some women, keeping HDL cholesterol up just > became a more > important priority. > > The latest issue of the Journal of the National > Cancer Institute > carries a Norwegian study in which blood tests and > health records for > more than 38,000 women were screened for an average > of 17 years. > Researchers designed their study to assess the > relative risk of breast > cancer risk among women who have low HDL levels and > metabolic > syndrome; a set of symptoms that creates a high risk > of heart disease > and type 2 diabetes. > > Researchers found a dramatic association: When > overweight women were > divided into four groups according to their HDL > levels, the women with > the lowest HDL had three times the risk of > postmenopausal breast > cancer compared to the women with the highest HDL > levels. > > Further studies will be needed to confirm this > specific association. > Nevertheless, we already know that keeping HDL > elevated and managing > weight are both important for maintaining optimal > health. If you're a > woman who's carrying too much weight, talk to your > doctor about this > study, and ask for a blood test to assess your HDL > level. > > To Your Good Health, > > Jenny Thompson > Health Sciences Institute > > ************************************************************ > > Sources: > > " Patterns of Use of 'Niagara' Among Commercially > Insured Adults in the > United States: 1998-2002 " International Journal of > Impotence Research, > Vol. 16, No. 4, August 2004, nature.com > " Recreational Use of 'Niagara' on the Increase " > Kathleen Doheny, > HealthDayNews, 8/5/04, story.news. > " Pfizer Takes Big Stick to 'Niagara' Spammers " Lucy > Sherriff, The > Register, 8/5/04, therigester.com > " Can Wrigley 'Double Your Pleasure' with 'Niagara' > Chewing Gum? " > Briffa, March 2004, briffa.com > " Serum High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, > Metabolic Profile, and > Breast Cancer Risk " Journal of the National Cancer > Institute " Vol. 96, > No. 15, 8/4/04, jncicancerspectrum.oupjournals.org > " Low 'Good' Cholesterol May Flag Breast Cancer Risk " > Reuters Health, > 8/3/04, reutershealth.com > > Copyright ©1997-2004 by www.hsibaltimore.com, > L.L.C. The e-Alert may > not be posted on commercial sites without written > permission. > > ************************************************************ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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