From John Hamblin
I was surprised and a bit depressed by the comment of Steven Nissen in Philip Cohen’s article on the potential of high-density lipoprotein to reduce fat deposits in arteries. He claims that “no one is going to pay for a trial to test common HDL because there is no commercial potential” (15 November, p 8).
It seems to me that this is a classic case of market failure and should therefore be of considerable interest to governments, particularly in view of the rising health costs associated with increased levels of heart disease. Why is this option not vigorously pursued?
Subiaco, Western Australia
