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Cardiac Disease |
MedPage Today
May 7
Comment
LAS VEGAS (MedPage Today) -- Cardiovascular disease is a systemic problem and nowhere is that idea more evident than in presentations slated for the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions meeting here.
NPR
May 7
Comment
Some experts recommend taking 10,000 steps a day for optimal health — a number that can be hard to get to on a busy day. Taking a work meeting to the sidewalk is one way to get more daily exercise. But how much walking do we really need?
The Analytic
May 7
Comment
BANGKOK, 7 May 2012 The Public Health Ministry has revealed that on average two Thai patients die of ischemic heart disease every hour; therefore, it is advising people to lead a healthy life.
Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri...
MedPage Today
May 4
Comment
DUBLIN (MedPage Today) -- Obesity, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, does not appear to be a significant risk factor for increased 30-day mortality following bypass surgery, researchers reported here.
Benzinga
May 4
Comment
Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISIS) announced the initiation of a Phase 2 study evaluating ISIS-APOCIIIRx in patients with hypertriglyceridemia. Hypertriglyceridemia, a condition characterized by high levels of triglycerides, is often...
MedPage Today
May 3
Comment
DUBLIN (MedPage Today) -- Ireland, a land of "happy wars and sad love songs," is also a nation that "learned the western way of death from the United States, learned to overeat from the United States," and is struggling to unlearn those lessons.
MedPage Today
May 3
Comment
(MedPage Today) -- A controversial class of anti-inflammatory drugs -- the COX-2 inhibitors -- increase the risk of cardiovascular disease by blocking a key protective substance, researchers reported.
MedPage Today
May 1
Comment
(MedPage Today) -- High body mass index is enough to cause ischemic heart disease, according to a study purporting to provide evidence for a direct causal link.
MedPage Today
May 1
Comment
DUBLIN (MedPage Today) -- Cardiovascular disease continues to be a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, which has caused a groundswell of support for primary and secondary prevention initiatives, according to Sidney Smith, MD,...
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WIKI ANALYSIS
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TOP CONTRIBUTORS
As the largest cause of death worldwide, cardiac disease has spawned the development of an entire industry dedicated to its treatment. There are a wide range of both drug treatments and surgical procedures that are used to either prevent or treat cardiac disease. Additionally, food and beverage manufacturers have responded to concerns about cholesterol intake by producing and marketing a wide range of low-cholesterol foods. In spite of this, people still maintain relatively poor diets and engage in activities that increase their risk of developing cardiac disease. This is likely due to the fact that heart problems develop years after exposure to risk factors, decreasing the urgency of taking preventive measures. As such, the demand for pharmaceutical and surgical treatments has remained strong and is unlikely to ebb in the near future.
Which companies are involved in the treatment of cardiac disease?
Pharmaceutical companies
- Pfizer (PFE) produces Lipitor, one of a class of drugs known as statins, which are used to lower cholesterol. Lipitor is currently the best-selling drug in the world, bringing in $12.2 billion in 2005. Pfizer also produces Norvasc, an antihypertensive drug, though its patent expired in 2007.
- AstraZeneca (AZN) makes Crestor, another statin aimed at lowering cholesterol levels and preventing cardiac disease.
- Merck (MRK) sells Zocor and Vytorin (which it co-produces with Schering-Plough (SGP)), two other leading brands of cholesterol-lowering statins. Vytorin is a combination of the main ingredients in Zocor and another drug called Zetia and works to prevent the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines. Merck's patent for Zocor expired in June of 2006, allowing Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (TEVA) and Ranbaxy Laboratories to produce generic versions. However, Merck has drastically cut prices on Zocor, minimizing its loss of sales volume to competitors. Merck also produces the antihypertensive Cozaar.
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY) and Sanofi-Aventis SA (SNY) produce and market the drug Plavix, which is used to prevent the aggregation of platelets, a potential source of arterial blockage. Plavix is often used in patients with a history of cardiovascular problems and can help prevent future strokes, heart attacks, etc.
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) makes Coreg, used to treat mild to moderate congestive heart failure.
Medical device manufacturers
- Boston Scientific (BSX) is a leading producer of both traditional coronary stents and newer, drug-eluting stents. These are used in angioplasty, a procedure to mechanically widen constricted blood vessels, decreasing the risk of heart attacks and other cardiac diseases. BSX also makes pacemakers, which help to regulate heartbeats.
- JOHNSON & JOHNSON (JNJ) and Medtronic (MDT) also offer stents and other devices used in the surgical treatment of vascular blockages or constriction, as well as pacemakers.
- Abbott Laboratories (ABT) also manufactures medical devices used in the treatment of cardiac disease. In recent clinical trials, its new Xience V drug-eluting stent was shown to be safer and more effective than competitors' products, which could benefit Abbott in terms of market share and revenue.
- Medtronic (MDT) and St. Jude Medical (STJ) are medical device companies with leading marketshares in ICDs, pacemakers, and other cardiac devices.
- Edwards Lifesciences (EW) is a device company that only sells devices to treat advanced cardiovascular disease, holding over forty percent of the 2007 replacement heart valve market.
Worldwide Market for Cardiovascular Drugs is Large
Cardiovascular drugs comprised the largest pharmaceutical drug category in 2006 worldwide.
Pharmaceuticals World Market of Top 5 Therapeutic Classes (2006) [1]
| Value ($bn)* | % of Total | Growth vs. 2005** | |
| Cardiovascular | 100.8 | 17% | 7% |
| Central nervous system | 99.9 | 16% | 8% |
| Alimentary tract and metabolic | 73.6 | 12% | 9% |
| Anti-infectives (bacterial,viral and fungal) excluding vaccines | 61.4 | 10% | 3% |
| Respiratory | 40.1 | 7% | 6% |
Note: *Based on an average 2006 £/$ exchange rate of 1.85 [2]
Note: **Based on £ figures from 2005; does not account for exchange rate difference between 2005 and 2006
Hey, that's the garetest! So with ll this brain power AWHFY?
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