Ridecamp: RE: [RC] Ulcer Research/USA Druggies?

Angie,

You make really good points on an alternate possibility for who might be
behind it, especially with all of the recent events you mention.

The flipside is, where money is concerned - really big money...drug company
money - we might have a more direct connection.  Omeprazole (the compound in
Gastrogard) has been around as a human ulcer med for many years.  I'd guess
that the manufactured cost of the 28 day supply, which retails for $900, is
about $50.  With packaging and distribution, it might jump to $80.  With a
70% margin for drugs, they are generating about $600 per treatment pack.

It is certainly in their interest to promote the "fact" that "90%" of
performance horses have ulcers, and to prove it with free endoscopes.  They
are bound to be doing this at reining and barrel racing and roping and show
events as well.  Just snaring 1,000 horses (out of 8 million? in the US) at
these events generates an extra half million dollars in cold hard profit
cash.  The research has been paid for a LONG time ago.  If we said that
there's 100,000 "performance" horses in the US, and 90% have ulcers, and
they eventually got half of those, we're talking 45,000 horses or a cool $27
million dollars.  They'll like the sound of those numbers (I would <vbg>).

Mike Sofen

-----Original Message-----
From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Rides 2 Far
Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 7:25 PM
To: msofen@xxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [RC] Ulcer Research/USA Druggies?


> I would guess the distributors or makers of Gastrogard are paying for
> it -

Well...the makers of the electrolytes who were doing research charged us
for bloodwork...Haven't seen Adequan paying anyone to give us free flex
tests.

I've been pretty perturbed that the two times drug abuse has been
mentioned in  Endurance World the only country implicated was the USA.
First, there was a letter to the editor from someone over there saying
something along the lines of, "I've heard that in the USA riders are
using medications meant for high blood pressure to speed recoveries" The
editor didn't flinch, simply replied that yes, they had heard that too,
but then went on to explain why those medications would actually harm
performance....

Then, this month there's an article on blood doping.  It states that it
had been done with horses in the USA (I think they mentioned harness
races) and then went on to explain how complicated it is and in the long
run harmful, etc.  I'm thinking, "Wait a minute! Which stables on our
side of the ocean have built veterinary facilities specifically for their
training barns? Who has vets on staff? Who are the only competitors who
could afford it?  Are they insinuating that somebody like Becky Hart who
used her horse trailer for a tackroom was capable of something like that?
Don't recall Kanaveys having anything more than the average barn... no
medical facilities.  Just where do they get off naming us first in every
drugging accusation?   So...now we complain about FEI allowing ulcer
drugs.  Next thing you know we're getting them for free.  I can just see
the article saying "Look the USA complains, but everybody at this ride
couldn't wait to get their hands on them.

P.S.  Any chance that a scope would be different before the ride than
after?

Angie

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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=