Healthy Skepticism Library item: 1495

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Marcus A.
Superiority of New Schizophrenia Drug Challenged
HealthDayNews 2003 Nov 25

Full text:

Bucking previous reports, new research suggests that a state-of-the-art drug to treat schizophrenia doesn’t earn its significant premium when compared with an older and much cheaper medication.

Earlier research had found that the newer drug, olanzapine, was worth its almost $8 a day more per patient than the most frequently prescribed medication, haloperidol, because olanzapine reduces symptoms and prevents psychotic relapses better. And experts have argued that while olanzapine and its ilk cost more than older drugs, they save money over time by reducing hospitalizations and other health care expenses