text_1: Experimental Drug Raises Good Cholesterol Levels in Early Trial
text_2: Beginning with the lead and continuing throughout, the story reminded readers of the limitations of this trial and that questions about health benefits will have to wait for the next round of experimentation. However, although this story gives readers a balanced view of what researchers reported, it should have told them that the trial was sponsored by a drug company and that the lead researcher has financial ties to that company and others in the field. When a trial is designed to test safety, stories about the results should focus on that question without wandering off into speculation about health benefits that have yet to be put to the test. That’s what this story does. Over 20 million Americans currently take statin drugs. Anacetrapib works on cholesterol in a different way, by inhibiting a protein called CETP (cholesterol ester transfer protein). These drugs also offer hope to drug companies that are losing patent protection on the leading brands of statins. That marketing angle means journalists need to be vigilant about claims of benefits. The early tests of an earlier CETP inhibitor, torcetrapib, also indicated powerful effects on cholesterol, especially in raising levels of the “good” HDL form. However, as this story notes, larger trials then discovered dangerous side effects. It turned out that drug actually caused more heart problems than it prevented. In reality it takes a lot of subjects to even begin to get a picture of the risks and benefits of a new drug. While encouraging, the results of this study are far from conclusive.