Better living through chemistry

Recently a new drug perampanel (AKA Fycompa) became available for epilepsy patients.

Every drug has a LONG list of side effects (Annie calls it "the scandal sheet"), but this one's is more interesting than most:

"Serious or life-threatening psychiatric and behavioral adverse reactions, including aggression, hostility, irritability, anger, homicidal ideation and threats, have been reported in patients taking FYCOMPA"

HOLY CRAP! Did I just read that correctly? Hmmm....

Let's look at the FDA's own information, as given in the manufacturer's filed paperwork:

"... has summarized the narratives of 23 physical assaults, suicidal ideations, homicidal ideations, and damage to property in the Epilepsy and Nonepilepsy studies. Preferred terms included homicidal ideation, belligerence, aggression, affective disorder/psychotic disorder, personality change, irritability, aggression/impulse control disorder, anger, adjustment disorder, agitation, abnormal behavior, and personality disorder."

Now, with that said, I want to remind you that if you look at the side effects of ANY drug, you'll find scary shit on all of them. I'm sure I'll put patients on Fycompa, and most will likely do fine.

But still, I really like this line from the FDA forms:

"The Sponsor has reported that no homicides were committed by a subject while taking perampanel."

Wouldn't you just LOVE to be able to stand up in front of a government panel and say that with a straight face? "Yeah, I mean, there were a few people who became violent on our drug, but it's not like they killed anyone or something."


So with that backdrop, it falls to the marketing wizards to make this drug look good. Their job is to promote strengths and minimize weaknesses. So what image should they use to distract people from the side effect of violent behavior. Hmmm... Flowers? Butterflies? Or maybe...

A boxing glove! Yes, they really picked a boxing glove. I swear, I am not making this up.



And, since the glove is green, perhaps they should consider this spokesman:

 

 "HULK TAKE FYCOMPA! MAKE HULK MAD!"*

*Hulk is copyrighted by Marvel Comics, along with the Avengers, Spider Man, Dr. Strange, the Fantastic Four, and a bunch of others I don't want to mess with. Or prescribe Fycompa to. **

**Thank you, SMOD, for the Hulk idea.