Forest Laboratories study highlights fibromyalgia diagnosis issues

Forest Laboratories has sponsored a new study which serves to illustrate the impact that delays in fibromyalgia diagnosis can have among sufferers.

Conducted in association with Edelman StrategyOne and HealthyWomen.org, the survey of women in the US showed that a majority of patients experienced a delay of one year or longer before their condition was diagnosed.

This was suggested to be caused by a lack of awareness of symptoms among both patients and clinicians, while the disease was shown to have a serious impact on the sufferers' quality of life.

The data also revealed that 58 percent of respondents were subsequently able to improve their symptoms via prescription drug therapy.

Elizabeth Battaglino Cahill, executive director of HealthyWomen.org, said: "While increased awareness has dramatically improved care for patients with this condition, we still have a lot of work to do to ensure patients have the support they need to live their lives fully."

Earlier this month, Forest Laboratories announced that its president and chief operating officer Dr Lawrence Olanoff will retire at the end of 2010 in order to pursue academic and personal ambitions.