In 2001, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released the full results of the Pfizer and Pharmacia study which showed that they had withheld crucial data. By 2012, a federal judge unsealed "thousands of pages of internal documents and depositions" in a "long-running securities fraud case against Pfizer. "On 11 March 2009, Scott S. Reuben, former chief of acute pain at Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Massachusetts, revealed that the data for 21 studies he had authored for the efficacy of the drug (along with others such as Vioxx) had been fabricated. The analgesic effects of the drugs had been exaggerated. Reuben was also a former paid spokesperson for Pfizer. Although from 2002 to 2007 Pfizer underwrote much of Dr. Reubens research and "many of his trials found that Celebrex and Lyrica, Pfizer drugs, were effective against postoperative pain," Pfizer was not aware of the fraudulent data. None of the retracted studies were submitted to either the US Food and Drug Administration or the European Unions regulatory agencies prior to the drugs approval. Although Pfizer issued a public statement declaring, "It is very disappointing to learn about Dr. Scott Reubens alleged actions. When we decided to support Dr. Reubens research, he worked for a credible academic medical center and appeared to be a reputable investigator", the documents unsealed in 2012, revealed that by February 2000, Pharmacia employees had devised a strategy to present the findings.
Non-occlusive disease (NOD) or Non-occlusive mesenteric ischaemia (NOMI) is a life-threatening condition including all types of mesenteric ischemia without mesenteric obstruction. It affects mainly elderly patients above 50 years of age who suffer from cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure or aortic regurgitation), hepatic, chronic kidney disease or diabetes mellitus. It can be triggered also by a previous cardiac surgery with a consequent heart shock. It represents around 20% of cases of acute mesenteric ischaemia. Pathophysiology
Non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia occurs due to severe vasoconstriction of mesenteric vessels supplying the intestine. Acute abdominal pain is the only early acute symptom in those patients, which makes early diagnosis difficult. Diagnosis
CT angiography would be helpful in differentiating occlusive from non-occlusive causes of mesenteric ischaemia. Prognosis
Non-occlusive disease has a poor prognosis with survival rate between 40-50%. == References ==