Big Pharma's latest train wreck
There's a new wave of drugs that could be headed for the market, and I predict nothing but problems.
How do I know?
A little mouse told me.
For years now, Big Pharma has been working hard to develop a new class of drugs aimed at a gene that creates a protein called GSK-3. The drug companies think that inhibiting this gene and GSK-3 production will help in preventing diabetes, leukemia, pancreatic cancer and Alzheimer's disease. In other words, they think they're hot on the trail of the next billion-dollar wonder drug. They're pouring millions into this research, and we need to keep an eye on it.
That's exactly what I've been doing, and let me tell you something that Big Pharma never will – the early tests have been a total train wreck. A recent study bred mice to lack two forms of the GSK-3 gene. Many of them died before birth, and others developed heart and liver problems.
Of course, none of this will stop the research train from going forward. And the drug companies are releasing no details about the chemical compounds they're working on. Fortunately, there aren't any human trials scheduled yet – but that's a question of when, not if.
I'm going to be keeping close tabs on the development of these GSK-3 wonder drugs. I've been suspicious of them from the start – and apparently with good reason.
