Is fibromyalgia a disease?

Is fibromyalgia a disease?
Feb 2009

Is fibromyalgia a disease? Despite being recognized as a
disease by the FDA and insurers, the pain that marks the
condition tends to be long-standing and vague. The cause is
unknown, and there’s no lab test to guide diagnosis.

Nevertheless, Pfizer and Eli Lilly, both of which now have drugs
approved to treat fibromyalgia, are spending heavily on
marketing to raise awareness of the disorder. Pfizer and Lilly
donated more than $6 million in the first three quarters of last
year to nonprofits for medical conferences and educational
campaigns around fibromyalgia. [1]

Whatever the motive, the push has paid off. Between the first
quarter of 2007 and the fourth quarter of 2008, sales rose
from $395 million to $702 million for Pfizer's Lyrica, and $442
million to $721 million for Lilly's Cymbalta. [2]

[1]Pfizer and Lilly Plow Marketing Money Into Fibromyalgia, The
Wallstreet Journal, February 9, 2009, 9:18 am [2] AP IMPACT:
Drugmakers' push boosts 'murky' ailment The Associated Press
February 8, 2009