Zyprexa

The investigators found that blood sugar levels were normal in 70 percent subjects, elevated in 25 percent and very elevated in a little more than 5 percent.

No significant differences in race, ethnicity, age, body mass index or psychiatric diagnosis were observed between those with normal and patients with abnormal blood sugar results.

When the authors analyzed the antipsychotic medications prescribed, they found that significantly more patients receiving Clozaril were in the elevated blood sugar group than in the normal blood sugar group.

No significant differences were observed for any of the other medications.

The authors say the finding that nearly one in three patients receiving atypical antipsychotics who are thought to have normal blood sugar levels actually have "demonstrable and clinically significant abnormalities" of glucose metabolism argues for periodic screening in even large outpatient populations." SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry December 2005.

© Reuters 2005.

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Dr.

Garber points to Erbitux, a new colorectal cancer drug, which came to market priced at about $38,000 for a four-month treatment, or $114,000 annually, when in early clinical trials it extended the average patient survival by only a few weeks or months.

In contrast, Gleevec, a drug for a different cancer, has been shown to extend patients' lives for years, and is priced at $37,000 annually at the recommended dose.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., which co-markets Erbitux, declined to comment.

Drug-industry executives are wary.

Mr.

Taurel, Lilly's chief executive, says he hasn't had a bad experience with NICE, but he fears "in the hands of people who control the drug budget, it could be used to deny access to innovation." Reduce cost of developing drugs The FDA has been holding meetings with scientists from universities and drug companies to lay the groundwork for making clinical trials shorter, cheaper and more effective.

Fred Hassan, chief executive of Schering-Plough Corp., says "improving the science of drug development and drug regulatory review" is vital.

"In many industries, the cost of production goes down every year," he notes, but in drug development it keeps getting more expensive.

Despite enormous advances in understanding biology, it takes roughly the same amount of time today as it did 20 years ago to br...