“Pill That Eliminates the Period Gets Decidedly Mixed Reviews,” April 20, 2007
This story considered the new birth control pill by Wyeth, Lybrel, that eliminates women’s monthly periods in addition to providing contraception. The story examined the cultural and emotional importance of menses for women and assessed the pros and cons of eliminating periods, as well as looking at the question of whether women would use Lybrel.
“Taking On Alzheimer’s,” June 10, 2007
The article examined another Wyeth effort: its research and development campaign to find a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Of all the pharmaceutical companies, Wyeth is placing the biggest bet on Alzeimer’s. The story explored scientific theories about the cause of Alzheimer’s as well as the potential for an Alzheimer’s treatment. It also looked at the human toll of Alzheimer’s disease through the story of a New Jersey family.
“Drug Safety Critic Hurls His Darts From the Inside,” July 22, 2007
This profile of Dr. Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic assessed his importance as a champion of drug safety. The article was pegged to the controversy he had triggered by raising questions about the safety profile of Avandia, a widely-used drug for Type 2 diabetes, in an article for the New England Journal of Medicine.
“The Coverage Gap: Avoiding Medicare’s Big Hole, ” with the sidebar “There Are Alternatives: Insuring to Bridge the Gap or Opting Out,” November 24, 2007
Mainly a public service piece that examined how Medicare beneficiaries could save money by using generic drugs, this article also examined the growing use of generic drugs and their importance as a way to keep prescription costs low. The story also revealed that, for some people, opting out of the Medicare program is a viable idea, even if they have no other coverage
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