Sunshine Act one of the topics at the Drug Information Association meeting

Casting more light on doctors' financial ties may be delayed

A rule in the federal Affordable Care Act could shine light on the financial relationships that doctors share with drug companies and medical device makers. People from across the biopharmaceutical industry are converging on Philadelphia this month for a Drug Information Association meeting -- and plans for the Physician Payments Sunshine Act provision are on the agenda.

The law was designed to create a website to disclose any payment of $10 or more that drug and device makers give to doctors or research hospitals.

Psychiatrist Daniel Carlat says patients would benefit from a national database to look up doctors.
"They really want their doctors to practice medicine based on the evidence rather than based on a marketing visit from a drug rep or a pharmaceutical company," he said.

Carlat leads a group at the Pew Charitable Trusts working to reduce conflicts of interest that hurt health care. He said information from within the pharmaceutical industry shows that treatment decisions can be influenced.

"When pharmaceutical companies have doctors sit in on lectures with either pharmaceutical reps or other doctors, they keep track of how those interactions affect prescribing," Carlat said.

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Study on targeted medicines shows different front of cancer battle - from NPR & NewsWorks

Dr. Yael Mosse at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with patient Mya who is being treated for neuroblastoma, and is also one of the patients in the Children's Oncology Group trial. Mya is 2 ½ years old. (Photo courtesy of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)

Dr. Yael Mosse at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with patient Mya who is being treated for neuroblastoma, and is also one of the patients in the Children's Oncology Group trial. Mya is 2 ½ years old. (Photo courtesy of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)

Researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia are reporting success with a new targeted anti-cancer therapy. Experts say the small study shows the ways doctors are fighting cancer differently.

For some conditions, there are now anti-cancer drugs that zero in on DNA-level miscues that allow cells to grow uncontrollably. A targeted medicine from drug-maker Pfizer Inc.has been successful in fighting a particular kind of adult lung cancer. Researchers thought the drug, called crizotinib, might also work in children against aggressive and uncommon types of lymphoma and neuroblastoma.
The researchers weren't sure what dose of medicine might work best, so as a first step, Children's Hospital oncologist Yael Mosse and the team signed up children in urgent need of another option.
"These are patients that, by the time the physician talks to them about a Phase 1 trial, it means there's no known cure. It means they've had all the best available treatment that we know of in the year 2012," Mosse said.
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