Controversy over heart drug for blacks only
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.They are calling it the "black pill", a new heart failure medicine named BiDil developed in the United States solely for African-Americans.
They are calling it the "black pill", a new heart failure medicine named BiDil developed in the United States solely for African-Americans.
That American blacks suffer disproportionately from progressive heart failure is widely accepted. Some of the rea- sons may be socio-economic, but there seem to be genetic causes as well. Details of a study that shows the effectiveness of the drug for black patients will be published in The New England Journal of Medicine tomorrow.
The drug has divided the medical community. Dr Augustus Grant, past president of the Association of Black Cardiologists, said:"It's a delight to see a trial that clearly shows a benefit of therapy in a particular racial group."
Other professionals point out, however, that the study, conducted by NitroMed, the drug's makers, was restricted to African-Americans. Indeed, it was the first such study limited to one racial segment of society. It did not attempt simultaneously to study the effects of BiDil in other whites or Hispanics, making it impossible to know whether it may help them equally.
The pill seems to compensate for the lower levels of nitric oxide often seen in black patients. Nitric oxide in the blood can help combat the deterioration of heart tissues.
Critics contend that NitroMed may have had overriding commercial reasons to limit the study to African Americans in the hope that a "black-only" niche pill would prove to be highly profitable.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments