The State of Statins and Stents (at Seeking Alpha)

by: Mike Huckman posted on: July 27, 2008 | about stocks: Leerink Swann, which specializes in healthcare equities research, is out with a couple of noteworthy surveys--one on the collateral damage to Merck . Leerink has a medical expert unit called "MEDACorp" that it relies on for ears-to-the-ground, real-world research. In the wake of the study that broke last Monday showing a higher incidence of cancer among patients who took Vytorin, MEDACorp canvassed 100 general practitioners and cardiologists for their reactions to the news. The survey was started Tuesday afternoon, so the news had been out for about 24 hours by that time. 83% of the docs said they hadn't yet heard from patients or, if they did, the inquiries were few and far between. And of the patients who did call their doctor with concerns, Leerink says "the average... [read full story]