HARTFORD, Conn., May 2, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- An antitrust investigation
revealed serious flaws in the way Lyme disease guidelines were set, Connecticut
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said.
Blumenthal said the influential Infectious Diseases Society of America has
agreed to reassess its 2006 Lyme disease guidelines with the help of an outside
arbiter. The IDSA guidelines are often used by insurance companies in
restricting coverage for long-term antibiotic treatment or other medical care,
Blumenthal said Thursday.
"The IDSA's 2006 Lyme disease guideline panel undercut its credibility by
allowing individuals with financial interests -- in drug companies, Lyme disease
diagnostic tests, patents and consulting arrangements with insurance companies
-- to exclude divergent medical evidence and opinion," he said in a statement.
The IDSA's guidelines say Lyme disease can be treated in most cases with a
30-day course of oral antibiotics. Critics said Lyme disease is difficult to
diagnose, can persist for years and requires treatment with antibiotics for six
months or longer, the Hartford Courant said.
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