African-Americans, Hispanics influenced more by new media than whites

African-Americans, Hispanics influenced more by new media than whites

A higher percentage of African-Americans and Hispanics than whites are influenced in their purchasing decisions for medicines via new media, such as picture phones, instant messaging, and blogging, says Joe Pilotta, PhD, vice president of research for BIGresearch which conducted the study. "The new mobile lifestyle is much more a part of the Hispanic and African-American lifestyle than it is for whites," he tells ePharmaceuticals. Talking to others as an ongoing, everyday experience for social confirmation is more prevalent among Hispanics and African-Americans, he says. BIGresearch's "2005 Simultaneous Media Survey" also shows that word-of-mouth and reading an article have equal amounts of influence over all the three groups, and Pilotta says that those two methods are still more effective and better overall for medicine promotion and advertising.

FDA okays genetic test for more personalized medicine

FDA okays genetic test for more personalized medicine

Personalized medicine has taken another step forward with the FDA's marketing approval of a genetic test that helps determine the correct dosage of certain drugs for individual patients, according to the FDA. The test, from Wisconsin-based Third Wave Technologies, detects variations in the gene UGT1A1, which affects how certain drugs are processed in the body and shows that people with different gene variations should receive different doses of the same drug. For example, the test was studied on a group of 66 patients receiving the drug irinotecan for colon cancer treatment. The study showed that people with one type of gene variation have a five times greater risk of irinotecan toxicity than other patients, says the FDA. The test, Invader UGT1A1 Molecular Assay, joins several other personalized medicine tools, including the Roche AmpliChip and the TRUGENE HIV-1 Genotyping Kit.

 

African American health Web site gets 2.5 million hits monthly

African American health Web site gets 2.5 million hits monthly

NetWellness.org has expanded its online African American health center to include original articles written by experts, an Ask an Expert section on health topics relevant to African Americans, and links to other relevant Web sites. The site, which receives 2.5 million hits each month, is aimed at providing consumer-focused content on African American health that may improve health outcomes for individuals, reaching those traditionally underserved through computers and Internet service at most public libraries. The University of Cincinnati, Ohio State University, and Case Western Reserve University sponsor the site. The Ohio State University Medical Center, due to its advanced information technology tools, was recently named one of the country's "most wired" hospitals (ePharm5, 7/14/05).