Ho hum

That'll be me testing my blood glucose levels 3 times a day then :-(

At least the type 2 diabetes[1] explains why I have been feeling like
death warmed up for the last 3 months.

Phil.

[1] Last 3 blood glucose levels 15, 22 and 18. Normal range is 4.7 to
8..

 

Arse. Is that the type that can be helped by changes in diet?

 

Oh bugger, sorry to hear this.

Are there any long-term illnesses you haven't contracted yet? Only I
think our marketing boys should be warned...

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
`

 

Helped, yes, but not completely avoided, much less cured.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
`

 

if Phil were a dog, he'd have been put down years ago.

BTW, you don't get staff discount on Beta-Interferon, do you?

 

This for you or Angie?

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
`

 

my sister. I think she's sorted anyway now, mind.

Why is it so eye-wateringly expensive? It's been around for a while -
are they still recouping the development costs?

 

When The Doctor[1] worked at St George's Hospital in Tooting, they
referred to it there as: "A wonder drug. We wonder what the **** to use
it for."

[1] Oops, sorry, darsy, I meant "My SO" ;-)

 

No idea, sorry. Don't even know if we actually make any. The only
interferon I'm familiar with is a drug called Pegasys, which is
"Pegalated interferon alfa", used (very successfully) as a complete
cure for Hepatitis B & C.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
`

 

Np.

My sister (who shall remain nameless), would like interferon-beta-1a/b
as there's a chance that it will stop her MS from getting any worse.

In the UK, NICE don't want to give it out on prescription because a) it
doesn't work for everyone & b) it's expensive (about 10K/year/patient).

However, after a bit of petitioning, it appears she may be able to be
part of a long term clinical trial of the drug (which I guess is paid
for out of a different budget to prescription drugs).

 

Yup. And taking tablets.

Phil

 

Leprosy, insanity[1], avian flu, obscene wealth..

As I commented to Cheryl - "yet another reason not to breed"

Phil

[1] Debatable I know.

 

People put me down all the time..

I remember all the hoo-ha about that when it came out. The elusive
cureall for all the ills of the body!

Phil.

 

Further investigation shows that we don't. Not that I'd be able to get
any anyway, cheap or otherwise. As for the cost, it's mostly down to
the manufacturing in this case. Like many recent innovations, it's a
biologically-produced agent, so can't just be made by bunging a few
chemicals together and cooking them.

Some of the more complex of our biological drugs have entire factories
built for just the one drug, with annual output just one Kg or so. So,
there's 20 million spent on the factory and contents, plus running
costs of several million a year, and perhaps (with, say a 100
milligram dose) 100,000 doses coming out of the end. [1]

The drugs are normally provided by the maker, so effectively they're
free to the user.


[1] All numbers made up, but in roughly the right order of magnitude.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
`

 

Have you considered selling up and buying an entire street in the old
country?

 

fucking. tell. me. about. it.

 

Phil Launchbury emerged from their own little world to say

That order you just got from Laithwaites[1]: you won't be needing it now.

[1] googles, 15 Spanish reds

 

a) my house move related issues have been selling rather than
buying-related (buyers pulled out 3 days after having the survey done,
so it's back on the market after 2 months off)

b) you're obviously not aware that house prices in N.Ireland have gone
mental. Even worse than in the SE of England, because although house
prices are less (though not as much less as they should be) expensive
in NI, salaries are much lower.

On the other hand, Scots-land is still cheap in places. For what the
(now defunct) offer was on my house, I could probably buy all of Port
Glasgow.