Health Affairs

Posting date: October 11, 2005

This Article Reprint (PDF) HTML Version Submit a response to this article Comments: View responses Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Comments are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Personal Archive Download to Citation Manager Reprints & Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sankar, P. Articles by Kahn, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sankar, P. Articles by Kahn, J. Related Collections Ethical Issues Legal/Regulatory Issues Business Of Health Minority Health Pharmaceuticals Consumer Issues Demography Related Article

Health Affairs, 10.1377/hlthaff.w5.455
Copyright © 2005 by Project HOPE

Web Exclusives

BiDil: Race Medicine Or Race Marketing?

Pamela Sankar ^1* Jonathan Kahn ²

¹ Pamela Sankar is an assistant professor in the Department of Medical Ethics, University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.
² Jonathan Kahn is an assistant professor at the Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota.

^*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the first drug with a race-specific indication has fueled the controversy over the meaning of race and ethnicity and raised questions over whether this move should be seen as an advance or a setback in the struggle to address disparities in health status associated with race. The drug, BiDil, combines two generics long recognized as benefiting patients with heart failure, irrespective of race or ethnicity. The push to bring these drugs to market as a race-specific treatment was motivated by the peculiarities of U.S. patent law and a willingness to exploit race to gain commercial and regulatory advantage.

Key Words: Business Of Health, Consumer Issues, Demography, Ethical Issues, Legal/Regulatory Issues, Minority Health, Pharmaceuticals

                      What's this?

Related Article

• Rick J. Carlson
  The Case Of BiDil: A Policy Commentary On Race And Genetics
  Health Affairs Web Exclusive, October 11, 2005
  [Abstract] [PDF] [HTML Version]
   
  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. Bibbins-Domingo and A. Fernandez BiDil for Heart Failure in Black Patients: Implications of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approval Ann Intern Med, January 2, 2007; 146(1): 52 - 56. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Comments: