Re: Feedback to Pfizer on Inspra

[Guest guest]

It is about getting the word out, I believe personally that a lot of

people out there are miss diagnoised and it is because of stubborn

doctors. The Doctor here in this group beleaves this is true but so

many other doctors think it is so rare, My Surgeon at St. ph in

Atlanta told me he felt it was much more common than what the

medical community belieaves. Why not make 24 hour urine test

mandatory first step for HT?

>

> After hearing the rumor hear that Inspra may be pulled from the

market

> do to poor sales (HORROR!!!) I decided to start a one-man campaign

to

> keep it around - I searched their website for email addresses and

> found none, but I did find this:

>

> Pfizer Prescription Medicine

> 1-800-TRY-FIRST (1-800-879-3477)

> Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST

>

> So I called and told them what I had heard hear and asked if they

knew

> anything, just to see what would happen. After multiple levels of

> menus and talking to about 4 different people, I finally talked to

a

> product specialist who said they have heard nothing about that at

all

> (at first she wanted to know if I was an investor!), and so I also

> offered my feedback on how well it was working for me and to PLEASE

> PLEASE keep it around. She responded well and thanked me for the

> feedback.

>

> I know its a hassle to sit around on the phone like this waiting

for

> their menus and folks to answer and such, but if just a handful of

us

> who have positive experience with Inspra could do the same thing,

who

> knows, maybe we will show up as a blip on their call-in stats and a

> big honcho at Pfizer will notice?

>

> Thanks,

> Jim

[Guest guest]

I would say those doing well on Inspra are the ultimate investors. You bet your

life!

--

May your pressure be low!

CE Grim MD

Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine

Professor of Epidemiology

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Hypertension

[Guest guest]

PS: great job on getting through to Pfizer.

--

May your pressure be low!

CE Grim MD

Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine

Professor of Epidemiology

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Hypertension

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Actually, I think that checking for secondary

hypertension already is one of the standards when

diagnosing a new case of hypertension. . .or when

treating a refractory (hard to treat) hypertension

case. Sadly, I don't think doctors know how to read

the test results or which medicines to have the

patient avoid before the tests are conducted.

I probably had four tests before I was started on

Spironolactone by accident (due to heart failure) and

started yakking to all my doctors about how it brought

down my blood pressure. On previous tests, my aldo

had been a bit high, but so was my renin (probably due

to other medications I was taking or something like

that), so they never knew what my tests meant because

my ratio was not what they anticipated with PA.

One of my doctors (who knows the least about PA) swore

that I could not have PA, since I was unable to take

the test because after two weeks off Spironolactone,

my blood pressure bounced into stroke ranges and my

endo subsequently refused to let me take the test

under the proper conditions. Let's see. . . when I go

without the medication that blocks aldosterone, I go

into such high ranges of blood pressure that doctors

fear I will stroke out. . . so I can't possibly have

aldosteronism. Interesting reasoning.

So it has been my experience that doctors know the

tests should be done, but they don't know how to do

them or what to make of them. And since they don't

expect to find aldosteronism anyway, they are normally

content to let it go at that point.

Warmly,

Pam

--- hopelesslyob <hopelesslyob@...> wrote:

>

>

> It is about getting the word out, I believe

> personally that a lot of

> people out there are miss diagnoised and it is

> because of stubborn

> doctors. The Doctor here in this group beleaves this

> is true but so

> many other doctors think it is so rare, My Surgeon

> at St. ph in

> Atlanta told me he felt it was much more common than

> what the

> medical community belieaves. Why not make 24 hour

> urine test

> mandatory first step for HT?

>

>

>

>

> >

> > After hearing the rumor hear that Inspra may be

> pulled from the

> market

> > do to poor sales (HORROR!!!) I decided to start a

> one-man campaign

> to

> > keep it around - I searched their website for

> email addresses and

> > found none, but I did find this:

> >

> > Pfizer Prescription Medicine

> > 1-800-TRY-FIRST (1-800-879-3477)

> > Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

> EST

> >

> > So I called and told them what I had heard hear

> and asked if they

> knew

> > anything, just to see what would happen. After

> multiple levels of

> > menus and talking to about 4 different people, I

> finally talked to

> a

> > product specialist who said they have heard

> nothing about that at

> all

> > (at first she wanted to know if I was an

> investor!), and so I also

> > offered my feedback on how well it was working for

> me and to PLEASE

> > PLEASE keep it around. She responded well and

> thanked me for the

> > feedback.

> >

> > I know its a hassle to sit around on the phone

> like this waiting

> for

> > their menus and folks to answer and such, but if

> just a handful of

> us

> > who have positive experience with Inspra could do

> the same thing,

> who

> > knows, maybe we will show up as a blip on their

> call-in stats and a

> > big honcho at Pfizer will notice?

> >

> > Thanks,

> > Jim

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Well I am afraid they dont know when or why or which tests should be done or

they would do them.

It is a big continuing education problem.

>So it has been my experience that doctors know the

>tests should be done, but they don't know how to do

>them or what to make of them.  And since they don't

>expect to find aldosteronism anyway, they are normally

>content to let it go at that point.

>

>Warmly,

>

>Pam

>

>

>--- hopelesslyob <hopelesslyob@...> wrote:

>

>>

>>

>> It is about getting the word out, I believe

>> personally that a lot of

>> people out there are miss diagnoised and it is

>> because of stubborn

>> doctors. The Doctor here in this group beleaves this

>> is true but so

>> many other doctors think it is so rare,  My Surgeon

>> at St. ph in

>> Atlanta told me he felt it was much more common than

>> what the

>> medical community belieaves. Why not make 24 hour

>> urine test

>> mandatory first step for HT?

>>

>>

>>

>>

>> >

>> > After hearing the rumor hear that Inspra may be

>> pulled from the

>> market

>> > do to poor sales (HORROR!!!) I decided to start a

>> one-man campaign

>> to

>> > keep it around - I searched their website for

>> email addresses and

>> > found none, but I did find this:

>> >

>> >    Pfizer Prescription Medicine

>> >    1-800-TRY-FIRST (1-800-879-3477)

>> >    Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

>> EST

>> >

>> > So I called and told them what I had heard hear

>> and asked if they

>> knew

>> > anything, just to see what would happen.  After

>> multiple levels of

>> > menus and talking to about 4 different people, I

>> finally talked to

>> a

>> > product specialist who said they have heard

>> nothing about that at

>> all

>> > (at first she wanted to know if I was an

>> investor!), and so I also

>> > offered my feedback on how well it was working for

>> me and to PLEASE

>> > PLEASE keep it around.  She responded well and

>> thanked me for the

>> > feedback.

>> >

>> > I know its a hassle to sit around on the phone

>> like this waiting

>> for

>> > their menus and folks to answer and such, but if

>> just a handful of

>> us

>> > who have positive experience with Inspra could do

>> the same thing,

>> who

>> > knows, maybe we will show up as a blip on their

>> call-in stats and a

>> > big honcho at Pfizer will notice?

>> >

>> > Thanks,

>> > Jim

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

[Guest guest]

Roydon,

I'm sorry that I scared you. There is no impending crisis that

Inspra will be pulled off the market in the immediate future. The

annual report says as much, but it's the long-term that I'm worried

about. If sales continue to flop (and they will if they keep non-

marketing it like they are), then there may come a day when it's not

worth it to keep making it. At the moment, they have to justify the

billions spent on the acquisition of rival drug maker, Pharmacia,

but eventually, they may lose heart and just stop making it.

So, I think we're safe for 2 years or so... what I think we need to

do is a mass mailing (not email, but paper) campaign directed to the

executives at Pfizer. The executives themselves might not read the

letters, but their assistants will, and I've found that going

straight to the top often yields suprpsing results. I think in our

letter, we should talk aobut how this drug is not being marketed to

PA patients (small group) and low-renin hypertensives (who are a

large lot) and missing a chance to make a lot of money with inspra.

Right now, Inspra is completely under the radar. You can't even

find it in the list of products on Pfizer's site!!!!

I think we should write up a standardized letter, approved by Dr.

Grim, and have us all send it individually with our signature. If

we can get our doctors to send it as well, that would be great. If

anything, they will see how important a drug it is for current

patients. Of course, that might also mean a price hike, so we have

to weigh that risk. I would say that things arent urgent, yet, and

we may need to wait and see what happens int he next few quarters

before we panic yet.

Sorry, roydon... didn't mean to frighten you into a panic. I know

that I was panicking a bit, too. :-) I am concerned, definately...

but there is no impending crisis, yet. The crisis may come in a

couple of years. We should try and find a way to preempt that.

Thanks,

Mike

>

> After hearing the rumor hear that Inspra may be pulled from the

market

> do to poor sales (HORROR!!!) I decided to start a one-man campaign

to

> keep it around - I searched their website for email addresses and

> found none, but I did find this:

>

> Pfizer Prescription Medicine

> 1-800-TRY-FIRST (1-800-879-3477)

> Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST

>

> So I called and told them what I had heard hear and asked if they

knew

> anything, just to see what would happen. After multiple levels of

> menus and talking to about 4 different people, I finally talked to

a

> product specialist who said they have heard nothing about that at

all

> (at first she wanted to know if I was an investor!), and so I also

> offered my feedback on how well it was working for me and to PLEASE

> PLEASE keep it around. She responded well and thanked me for the

> feedback.

>

> I know its a hassle to sit around on the phone like this waiting

for

> their menus and folks to answer and such, but if just a handful of

us

> who have positive experience with Inspra could do the same thing,

who

> knows, maybe we will show up as a blip on their call-in stats and a

> big honcho at Pfizer will notice?

>

> Thanks,

> Jim

[Guest guest]

DO WE HAVE TO BE SO DAMN GRIM. no pun intended!!!

Re: Feedback to Pfizer on Inspra

I would say those doing well on Inspra are the ultimate investors. You bet your life!-- May your pressure be low!CE Grim MDClinical Professor of Internal MedicineProfessor of EpidemiologyBoard Certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Hypertension

[Guest guest]

Well, lets see. The 24 hr urine test costs lets say $100.

There are 60 million folks with HTN.

So this would cost only 6 billion-now we are talking about W type of $$! If the disease occurs in only 1 in 100 folks with HTN then it would cost 6 billion/600000 patients who would be positive or about 100,000 per case to diagnose every one. Everyone gets a serum K and this will pick up at least 50% of them and it is much cheaper.

Most could be controlled on Sprio to start so it would make better economics to put 60,000,000 people on spiro and if their BP normalized either continue them on this or proceed with further tests. Of course some would die from high K how did not have PA.

Lets say it costs $100 to give enough Sprio to do a good test then we are back at 6 billion again.

Good medicine is not easy or cheap.

Cheaper to suggest folks DASH if they would just do it. Most prefer a pill--except for our group of course.

In a message dated 1/10/05 16:43:52, hopelesslyob@... writes:

It is about getting the word out, I believe personally that a lot of

people out there are miss diagnoised and it is because of stubborn

doctors. The Doctor here in this group beleaves this is true but so

many other doctors think it is so rare,  My Surgeon at St. ph in

Atlanta told me he felt it was much more common than what the

medical community belieaves. Why not make 24 hour urine test

mandatory first step for HT?

>

> After hearing the rumor hear that Inspra may be pulled from the

market

> do to poor sales (HORROR!!!) I decided to start a one-man campaign

to

> keep it around - I searched their website for email addresses and

> found none, but I did find this:

>

>    Pfizer Prescription Medicine

>    1-800-TRY-FIRST (1-800-879-3477)

>    Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST

>

> So I called and told them what I had heard hear and asked if they

knew

> anything, just to see what would happen.  After multiple levels of

> menus and talking to about 4 different people, I finally talked to

a

> product specialist who said they have heard nothing about that at

all

> (at first she wanted to know if I was an investor!), and so I also

> offered my feedback on how well it was working for me and to PLEASE

> PLEASE keep it around.  She responded well and thanked me for the

> feedback.

>

> I know its a hassle to sit around on the phone like this waiting

for

> their menus and folks to answer and such, but if just a handful of

us

> who have positive experience with Inspra could do the same thing,

who

> knows, maybe we will show up as a blip on their call-in stats and a

> big honcho at Pfizer will notice?

>

> Thanks,

> Jim

[Guest guest]

What tests should be done?

Val

> Well I am afraid they dont know when or why or which tests should

be done or they would do them.

>

> It is a big continuing education problem.

on