Ethical Dimensions of Disparities in Depression Research and Treatment in the Pharmacogenomic Era

Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics

Volumn 40, Issue 4, 2012, Pages 886-903

  Parker, Lisa S ^a   Satkoske, Valerie B ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

AFRICAN AMERICAN; AGED; AGEISM; ARTICLE; CAUCASIAN; DEPRESSION; ETHICS; ETHNOLOGY; FEMALE; GENETICS; HEALTH CARE DISPARITY; HUMAN; MALE; PATIENT ATTITUDE; PATIENT SELECTION; PERSONALIZED MEDICINE; PHARMACOGENETICS; PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT; RACISM; SOCIOECONOMICS; TRUST; UNITED STATES;

AFRICAN AMERICANS; AGED; AGEISM; DEPRESSIVE DISORDER; EUROPEAN CONTINENTAL ANCESTRY GROUP; FEMALE; HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES; HUMANS; INDIVIDUALIZED MEDICINE; MALE; PATIENT ACCEPTANCE OF HEALTH CARE; PATIENT SELECTION; PHARMACOGENETICS; RACISM; SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS; TRUST; UNITED STATES;

EID: 84872157172     PISSN: 10731105     EISSN: 1748720X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-720X.2012.00718.x     Document Type: Article

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68. Such sentiments were expressed, for example, at the April 7, 2006 conference, Race, Pharmaceuticals, and Medical Technology, sponsored by the Center for the Study of Diversity in Science, Technology, and Medicine of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as reported by University of California Hastings College of Law professor, Osagie K. Obasogie, availablehttp://www.biopoliticaltimes.org/article.php?id=20182012
69. There are apparent incentives not to conduct such a study: BiDil is currently approved for marketing to African-American patients, and other patients may be prescribed BiDil on an off-label basis, thereby expanding its market. The generation of evidence that the combination is beneficial in other populations would actually undermine the rationale for FDA approval of BiDil, its patented status, and its marketing strategy. Ironically, showing that BiDil is suitable for the majority of genotypes - or that genotype is largely irrelevant to its effectiveness - would reduce its profitability.
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