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Since you are updating Tysabri in particular, I wonder if you plan to be merging the Natalizumab and Tysabri data into one drug file? I understand that there may be several brand names for various drugs, sometimes made by different manufacturers, etc., but in the case of Tysabri/Natalizumab it is ONE drug, made by ONE manufacturer, so why not merge the data?
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it is merged...I was actually just being imprecise by saying "tysabri", when what I actually meant was "tysabri OR natalizumab"
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Do you work for the FDA, tba? If so, I have another question . . .
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short answer: no. Long answer: no. never. I work in biotechnology.
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There are several drugs on the market that have the potential to cause serious risks (like Tysabri, Compath, etc.). In the FDA database, there are several "reports" of patients who "apparently" may have had i.e. PML, yet many of those cases have never been reported in the media/confirmed publically. I have "assumed" this means there was confirmation that that was NOT the cause then . . .
So . . . are all of the reported cases of "potential" PML cases reported on this site ultimately autopsied/100% screened out for PML? Is that the reason that those cases reported to the FDA were ultimately not "confirmed"?
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you are correct in thinking they are "POTENTIAL" cases. Since anyone can file an AE report, the reports themselves span a wide range of 'quality of verification'. I believe the makers of Ty have explicitly stated that while AERS shows a # of suspected PML cases with Ty, there are only a small # that have been confirmed independently.
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Also, in the case of Tysabri, is there another formalized reporting method other than this site? I appreciate that this site takes "voluntary" reports, ie. it's up to the doctor/patient/family members to report (or not), but it's my understanding that the Tysabri Risk Plan established a seperate reporting method for adverse events . . . Or is this it?
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There may be a separate reporting system (in the U.S.) specifically designed for Ty...I think you are referring to the Touch(tm) risk minimization system. However, anything that goes into Touch should ultimately also makes its way into AERS as well.
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I have always been warned that Wiki is unreliable for obtaining "facts" about ANY subject, although I have not found this to be the case at all. I love Wiki, personally . . . mostly because it is normally written in layman's terms, but also because it is constantly being verified & updated by MANY sources.
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I think skepticism is a good rule for any bit of information...and your comfort level may vary depending on the specific source and the specific information.
So far, I am the only person who has added to the wiki and my information has come exclusively from government data...so it's a matter of trusting me...and the US government.
the way that I look at Wikis in general is that they should be a "jumping off point" for additional study. But they *can* be rather informative.
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I'm curious if this means that the FDA (US government agency) generally considers this a reliable source of information?
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I have no way to say whether the FDA or other agencies consider WIKIs reliable sources of information.
However, I should say that I began making the FDAble last month and someone asked me why I just didn't add information to Wikipedia's entry on Tysabri.
There are a number of reasons for making a different wiki.
0. the idea behind the FDAble WIKI is to aggregate pharma data that is distributed across governmental agencies (e.g. FDA, CDC, clinical trials, USPTO, etc.)
1. wikipedia's goal is to give a narrative about different topics and is generally suited for the layperson. The FDAble wiki is more "data-centric" (less narrative) and more specialized in the type of information dispensed.
2. wikipedia frowns on articles that use many links that lead "outside" of wikipedia (I've tried). FDAble wiki is trying to do the opposite (provide many links that lead outside of the wiki).
3. wikipedia makes it difficult (if not impossible) to add graphical data (e.g. timelines and dynamic maps). FDAble wiki is trying to graphically show the duration of clinical trials and other data.
4. I'll stop there, but there are a few more germane reasons.
Thank you for the feedback!
p.s. I read the other day about a woman with MS who is planning to climb Everest!
pretty impressive considering that you can't get me to climb a chair in my kitchen without a handful of tranquilizers.
Best,
-tba