Chicago Lakeshore Hospital's Dr. Kevin Osten wrote a letter to the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes after it aired a segment on the controversial drug treatment protocol Prometa on Sun., Dec. 9. The letter is printed with Osten's permission.
Dear 60 Minutes,
Thank you for airing your piece on the Prometa Protocol on Sun., Dec. 9. There are a number of concerned providers, researchers and community members in the state of Illinois. We have joined together, and have been active in promoting awareness to the public about being an informed consumer of mental health/addiction services. As an addictions treatment provider, nothing would please me more than to have some improved pharmacological interventions to utilize for stimulant addiction. However, until Prometa has been tested in double-blind studies with sufficient numbers of subjects and longitudinal data, I will not recommend Prometa to any of my patients or colleagues.
I believe there was a missed opportunity with your coverage to provide the prospective of someone who tried and failed on the protocol. It would have been enlightening to gather his or her thoughts on what alternatives were available for overcoming the addiction, and why he or she believed the alternative worked while Prometa did not. I further believe that the coverage gave the impression that Prometa was one of the only pharmacological treatments for alcohol, cocaine or methamphetamine addiction. There have been advances in addition medication. For instance, there has been good success with the FDA-approved medication Campral in alleviating cravings for those suffering from alcoholism.
Finally, Mr. [ Hythiam, Inc. CEO Terren ] Peizer's tearful display had an unsettling effect on me. I wish to believe in his sincerity. However, I cannot seem to find answers to a couple of questions. For instance, if this protocol really 'saves lives' as 'people are dying', why the $15,000 price tag for generic medications? What steps has Hythiam taken to deliver this critical treatment protocol to poor and rural areas blighted by methamphetamine? It is the actions ( or lack thereof ) of Hythiam that speak more volume to me than a tearful assertion by a CEO of his company's dedication to a cause.
All my best,
Dr. Kevin A. Osten
Chicago Lakeshore Hospital