Ask a Pharmaceutical Researcher anything

58 Questions

Last Answer on October 29, 2020

Hello what do you think about that drug that was discovered in Australia that’s an anti-parasitic that could possibly cure the coronavirus or COVID-19 among other similar illness is. Thank you very much

Asked by Catherine over 4 years ago

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I hadn't seen this. I'm very familiar with this drug, ivermectin, IVM. It was discovered and developed in the U.S. in the 70's. Its primary use is in animal medicine for the treatment of worms in the GI tract. The Australian discovery is very exciting. They showed that IVM blocks COVID-19 in vitro (petri dish) and clinical trials are underway to test its effectiveness in humans with the disease. From what little I've read, the levels of IVM used in vitro will be difficult to achieve in the blood of patients when dosed orally, the only route of administration currently approved. Nevertheless, it may work at low levels. A successful IV safety study might be worth trying. Time will tell.

307 Votes

Medical marijuana what is the best usage? Is it effective? Is it safe?

Asked by Sean about 4 years ago

I have the same questions. The answers are not very clear. The FDA has approved its use for certain rare seizure disorders and is useful in reducing nausea and vomiting in cancer chemotherapy patients. Other common claims, not formerly established indications, are chronic pain, inflammation, anxiety, appetite and several mental health conditions. Best usage - replace opiates for chronic pain. Judging effectiveness clinically has got to be difficult since therapeutic success is subjective. I imagine it's hard to identify a patient's true need versus desire for it. As far as safety goes, there are the dangers associated with intoxication and smoking probably carries risks similar to tobacco.

307 Votes

Have you seen a lot of suspicious deaths in your line of work?

Asked by Jessie about 4 years ago

No I haven't. I never worked with patients nor am I aware of any one dying from an adverse event while on a drug that I was involved in developing.

301 Votes

I was accepted into a 6 year straight Pharm.D. program right out of high school, and I am hoping that I can use this degree to become a research scientist. Will a Pharm.D. satisfy my career goal?

Asked by Nitin over 8 years ago

Sorry for the late response. I hope you're doing well and enjoying the program. I think that your training would prepare you well for your goal. I have seen Pharm. D.s working at all levels, but I must say that research leadership tends to be composed mainly of PhDs and MDs. Still, your success will depend entirely on your skills and ambition. Good luck!

291 Votes

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Why do some doctors prescribe meds knowing it’s dangerous

Asked by Jim about 4 years ago

Every drug carries risks of side-effects which are sometimes dangerous. Doctors are responsible for determining whether the curative value of a prescription outweighs these risks. A competent physician does this with full knowledge of the drug profile and an intimate knowledge of the patient’s condition. A drug manufacturer applies to the FDA for permission to market a drug for a particular indication by submitting clinical evidence proving safety and efficacy. A drug may have more than one indication in its ‘label.’ Doctors are free, however, to prescribe drugs ‘off-label’ for a condition not specifically approved by the FDA. There may be published reports to support this or the doctor may have had good results with similar agents. They do this at their peril, though. They may be liable for injury. Doctors are human and may be subject to pressure from patients, drug companies, politicians, or criminals to prescribe in a way that is not in the best interest of their patient or worse, to support the dangerous and illegal trafficking of narcotics. So to answer your question, doctors may succumb to various pressures to use their power to prescribe in ways that may cause harm, thus violating their oath.

291 Votes

What do you think of herbal medicine?

Asked by Carlene over 4 years ago

Millions of people around the world rely on plant-based remedies for treating their ailments and I would never say that they are making a mistake. There's often thousands of years of experience behind this practice. It's well known that a vast number of pharmacological agents originated from biology. I myself prefer only to use the specific compounds derived from these materials for two reasons. First, it avoids the complications that might exist from other components in the material. For example, I wouldn't eat a fungus for the penicillin. And second, I'm confident that the pure drug has been demonstrated to be safe, is appropriate for my condition and is dosed properly for effectiveness. I believe that herbal medicines currently marketed in the US are generally safe, but like other non-FDA approved supplements for weight-loss, BPH, memory, etc. their health claims are dubious. Nevertheless, if it works for you, go ahead and use it.

290 Votes

What do you think of the blood plasma for COVID-19?

Asked by Jane over 4 years ago

Administering convalescent plasma, or for that matter monoclonal anti-covid antibody, is referred to as passive immunity. It will no doubt be useful for patients in whom virus is circulating in the blood stream. This may well be life-saving in these patients, but it would not be expected to prevent infection which is initiated outside of the blood stream. There's more to immunity than antibodies. There's a cellular component which serves to combat invading pathogens by surveillance and direct destruction. It's not clear how important this is for disease protection or whether vaccines will generate this cellular immunity. It's possible that true immunity may only be gained by actual infection and, unfortunately, may not be permanent.

288 Votes