FierceBiotechFierceBioResearcherFierceVaccinesFiercePharma   FierceHealthcare

Free Newsletter

Get the pharma industry's daily monitor, with a special focus on pharmaceutical company news and the market development of FDA approved products. Sign up for free today!

About | Sample | Privacy

Peto bristles at Vytorin-cancer questions

Tools

Sir Richard Peto takes umbrage at the idea that he might skew a statistical analysis to benefit a drugmaker. The eminent Oxford statistician, as you know, recently weighed in on a study that seemed to link the Merck/Schering-Plough cholesterol med Vytorin with an increase in cancer cases and deaths. Peto concluded that the apparent risk was a statistical anomaly, a freak of chance.

Now, Peto is defending that conclusion against the opinions of other experts and questions from the U.S. Congress. In a letter to Reps. John Dingell and Bart Stupak, who are investigating the Vytorin controversy, Peto asserted that "any competent trial statistician" would agree with his analysis. Suggestions that he might bias his work in favor of Merck and Schering-Plough are absolutely wrong: They don't pay his salary and had no impact on his analysis of the trial data.

Apparently, Peto takes a dim view of the competency of the New England Journal of Medicine and its experts. Two NEJM editorials recently critiqued Peto's analysis, saying that an increased risk of cancer death in Vytorin patients can't be ruled out. Peto hasn't specifically addressed their conclusions--yet.

- read the Forbes story
- check out the Wall Street Journal Health Blog post

Related Articles:
Vytorin debate heats up ESC
Merck, Schering-Plough stocks take a dive
FDA probes Vytorin cancer risk
Letter tries to quell Vytorin worries
Analyst gloomy on Merck trends

More stories about Vytorin   Richard Peto   Schering-Plough   Merck   SEAS study   drug safety   New England Journal of Medicine   Bart Stupak   John Dingell   Congress  

Comments

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

More information about formatting options

What is 65 + 34?
To combat spam, please solve the math question above.