Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Fallout of Vioxx Recall; Monster Burger Prompts Health Concerns

Aired November 19, 2004 - 14:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back from the CNN Center in Atlanta. This is LIVE FROM. I'm Miles O'Brien.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Carol Lin.

Here's what is all new this half hour. For example, the fallout from the recall of the popular painkiller Vioxx. What you need to know to protect yourself from other potentially harmful drugs. I'm going to be talking to a doctor about that.

O'BRIEN: And you want fries with this burger? Just call the undertaker right after that. Why some are saying this monster burger is downright scary if you want to be skinny, much less healthy.

First, here's what's happening "Now in the News."

Western diplomats say Iran is preparing large amounts of uranium for enrichment. It's a process that can be used to make nuclear weapons. The revelation coming only days after Tehran said it would suspend all such activity. Iran has disputed the claim, calling it a lie.

President Bush on his way to the Asia Pacific summit in Santiago, Chile, his first international trip since the big re-election. The war against terrorism and North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions expected to feature prominently on the agenda.

And National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice doing well after undergoing some surgery. Rice went into a hospital yesterday for the treatment of non-cancerous growths. She is expected to return home tomorrow.

LIN: The FDA says all prescription drugs on the market have risks. But it's depending -- or at least defending, excuse me, how it evaluated and approved the arthritis drug Vioxx. Critics are renewing their allegations today that the FDA mishandled approval for Vioxx and other drugs.

Our Chris Huntington has the latest now on the controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): FDA scientist David Graham testified that he estimates Vioxx caused more than 100,000 heart attacks, 30 to 40 percent of them fatal. But Graham told members of the Senate Finance Committee that his FDA superiors ridiculed him and insisted on changes.

DR. DAVID GRAHAM, ASST. DIR. FOR SCIENCE, FDA: I was pressured to change my conclusions and recommendations. One drug safety manager recommended that I should be barred from presenting the poster at the meeting and also noted that Merck needed to know our study results.

HUNTINGTON: Graham offered a blistering condemnation of the FDA's drug safety program, saying that the system is broken and often overlooks the dangers of drug side effects.

GRAHAM: The FDA, as currently configured, is incapable of protecting America against another Vioxx.

HUNTINGTON: A senior FDA official responsible for evaluating new drugs flatly dismissed Graham's assessment and rejected his contention that several drugs still on the market, including Bextra, a COX-2 inhibitor from Pfizer, are dangerous and should be recalled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you agree with Dr. Graham that five drugs he mentioned pose a significant safety risk to Americans?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I do not.

HUNTINGTON: Testifying via satellite, a former Merck consultant told lawmakers that the company refused his request for data on Vioxx related heart attacks. And another doctor disputed Merck's central point that heart attacks occurred only in those who took the drug for more than 18 months.

DR. BRUCE PSATY, UNIV. OF WASHINGTON: Merck lacked information to know when the risk occurred. And you cannot say with confidence given the available data.

HUNGTINGTON: Merck chairman and CEO Ray Gilmartin presented a well-honed defense of his company and Vioxx, insisting that the first time Merck saw clinical evidence of heart attacks linked to Vioxx was just a week before the drug was pulled from the market in late September.

DR. RAYMOND GILMARTIN, CHMN., PRES. & CEO, MERCK: Merck believed wholeheartedly in Vioxx. I believed wholeheartedly in Vioxx. In fact, my wife was taking Vioxx, using Vioxx, up until the day we withdrew it from the market.

HUNTINGTON (on camera): While there were heated disagreements in the hearing about the way that Merck and the FDA handled the Vioxx situation, there was consensus that in the future, all available information about a drug must be made public, particularly the negative findings.

Chris Huntington, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, the fallout over Vioxx is exposing potential shortcomings in how new medicines are actually marketed. After seeing all the ads, many patients bombard their doctors with requests to try them and there can be added pressure on physicians from pharmaceutical companies. CNN's Dr. Sandra Fryhofer is here to talk about that.

Sandy, first, let me get your reaction. When you hear an investigator for 20 years with the FDA say that the agency cannot protect you from potentially dangerous drugs and their side effects after they've been approved, what was your reaction?

DR. SANDRA FRYHOFER, INTERNIST: Well, Carol, this is very concerning. Any time a patient has an adverse reaction to a drug, that's concerning. And in this case it was unexpected. There was no warning. And so the system failed. Doctors depend on the FDA to make sure that medications are safe. And if they have these concerns, we want them to issue a warning so we can take the information and decide what is best for our patients.

LIN: All right. Well, deciding what's best for your patients, let's say your patients come to you and they say, oh my gosh, let's name off the five other drugs this investigator mentioned, Crestor, Bextra, the pain reliever, Meridia, the diet drug, Accutane, the acne drug, Serevent was another one that he mentioned. What do you tell your patients? I mean, what are the kinds of questions that patients need to ask their doctors when they are prescribed these medications?

FRYHOFER: Well, Carol, a lot of studies are done before a drug goes on the market. But all the drugs you mentioned have been on the market for quite a while. Some of them almost 25 years. And when some of these adverse studies come out, we expect the FDA to look at the evidence and tell us, is this a good study, is this a bad study, is this something we should listen to? And in this case, with the Vioxx, they did not do that. And now we've got these other drugs on the market and it's concerning.

LIN: All right. Concerning, but you are saying it's actually not unusual for drugs to hit the market with some risks, even when the risks are as serious as, for example, in the case of Accutane, you have to sign a umpteen disclosures, I mean, like a pile of papers this thick before you actually are given the prescription.

My question would be, well, how can such a risky drug be allowed to be sold to consumers? But you are saying that's kind of part of the marketplace right now.

FRYHOFER: Well, before a drug goes on the market, the FDA requires extensive testing. That's before it's FDA approved. After it becomes FDA approved, there's post surveillance testing and that's when these problems were identified. But as you mentioned, there are other drugs out there. There are other COX-2 inhibitors out there. There is Bextra, Celebrex, those are still available. And what am I telling my patients right now? Until this is all cleared up, I'm recommending that they choose a different anti-inflammatory for their pain.

LIN: But the fact of the matter is, any time you ingest a pill, a chemical, there is going to be a risk. Nothing comes pain-free. FRYHOFER: Right. But in this case, we did not know that the risk was there. Now you mentioned Accutane. But before a patient can be prescribed Accutane, there's extensive paperwork that has to be filled out. Patients know when they take Accutane that if they get pregnant, they will have birth defects.

And if you think a patient might be having sex, you probably should not use Accutane. Now there are lots of patients that have terrible acne. And that is what this medication is for, people with terrible acne that doesn't respond to other forms of therapy.

LIN: OK. Very quick, because we don't actually have much time left. I need to address what we were leading to you with, which was there was this commercial called "Wild Thing" for Viagra. It made it seem like, hey, you have got a problem or you want to have a great weekend? Let's get a prescription for Viagra, let's get a pill. Is that a problem for you as a doctor, with all this advertising and the consumerism of medications, that people think that the solution is in a pill, just pick up the phone and call the doctor?

FRYHOFER: Well, Carol, this direct-to-consumer advertising is here to stay. But there is -- some of it is education. Some of it is advertising. And there has got to be a delicate balance. And in this case, they just crossed the line. They could not support the claims that they were making with the evidence, so the FDA pulled it. Again, these consumer ads are not preapproved. There's post surveillance marketing, after they go on the market, after consumers see them, if they're not right, they can be pulled.

LIN: They are ads. Right? They're not prescriptions, they're advertising.

FRYHOFER: Well, the drug companies say that they provide education in a clear and concise way. Others disagree.

LIN: Well, in that case, definitely call the doctor. Thanks very much, Dr. Sandy Fryhofer.

Well, many of us hope a pill or a cream will actually magically make us look younger. But maybe you are looking at the wrong place. So we're going to give you a hint. Think smaller.

There is a new animated movie opening this weekend. Even the grown-ups are talking about it. We sure have been.

And one fashion guaranteed to never go out of style.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Searching for the elixir of youth. It's a search that is as old as time itself. Now a New York cosmetics surgeon thinks he may have found the answer, and it comes in bottles and all has to do with your DNA. Jason Bellini has been checking out the potions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His clients come to him hoping he can put the genie of age back in the bottle.

DR. VINCENT GIAMPAPA: Rub it up and down the inside of your cheek.

BELLINI: Dr. Vincent Giampapa helps them rub a swab the right way for his new treatment. Personal DNA analysis.

GIAMPAPA: Your genetic deck of cards are basically held right in here. In the next couple of weeks, next two weeks we'll have that report back.

BELLINI: The report purport to tell customers what vitamins and nutritional supplement will help at the cellular level to prevent aging. He then recommends an individualized vitamin cocktail.

GIAMPAPA: Everybody who takes this program can actually watch the damage rates go down, the free radical levels go down.

BELLINI: Does it work?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have complete faith.

BELLINI: Dr. Giampapa brought in his true followers.

Do you think that you've managed to stop the clock?

JUDY TORHE, SURACELL CLIENT: God controls the clock. I think what we've managed to do is perhaps slow down our physical aging process.

BELLINI: But critics disagree.

S. JAY OLSHANSKY, EPIDEMIOLOGY BIOSTATISTICS PROF.: If it was possible to do a personal DNA analysis and provide some sort of intervention, then everyone in the world would be doing this and we would all live much, much longer lives.

BELLINI: Barbara Roy says her husband did the accounting.

BARBARA ROYCE, SURACELL CLIENT: He says maybe it's like 12,000 a year. So I don't know if it is because I don't keep track of it, but he said -- I told him, I said I know I feel better. He said well, you are in a better mood.

BELLINI: The American Medical Association recommends all adults take supplements to help prevent chronic diseases, multivitamins designed for children, adults and seniors. Can expensive boutique vitamin formulas help you live any longer? Modern medical science doesn't have the answer. Jason Bellini, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: "ANDERSON COOPER 360" will have more on the search for eternal youth tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

The final lines between childhood and adolescents and adulthood are becoming increasingly blurred. Just sit next to Miles O'Brien. Join us for the complete story tonight on "ANDERSON COOPER 360."

O'BRIEN: I'm going to plead the fifth on that one. A big yellow animated sponge may be absorbing a lot of green this weekend. The movie "Spongebob Squarepants" opening wide and large in theaters. Brooke Anderson in L.A. with all of today's entertainment news, including that.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. Lots of entertainment news today. I think you're right that "Sponge Bob" will be absorbing a lot of green if it's any indicator by how popular the television show is. Nickelodeon airs the show basically every day and more than once a day. But yes, the "Spongebob Squarepants" movie is new in theaters today. Let's take a look at a clip.

ANDERSON: Looking very much like a kitchen sponge and living at the bottom of the sea this absorbent creature along with his sidekick Starfish Patrick venture into the great unknown to seek help and restore order to their underwater community. This family flick is splashing into theaters today. For the grown-ups out there, well, I think "Spongebob" is for the grown-ups, too, right?

Well, we've got Hugh Grant and Renee Zellweger heating things up with their new installment of "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason." The film is expanding this weekend, opening nationwide but are the actors fizzling out on their careers. Zellwegger is said to be ready for a year-long break. Hugh Grant may be calling it quits for good. The British actor told a magazine that film acting is a miserable experience.

Well, this movie wasn't a miserable experience. I saw it and laughed until I nearly cried. There you go.

Moving on, Mel Gibson isn't talking retirement, but he is taking a vow of abstinence of sorts when it comes to chasing an Academy Award for his epic drama "The Passion of the Christ." The Oscar winner directed, cowrote and put his own money behind the religious themed picture. But he's not planning on spending a dime on Oscar ad campaigns to promote his film in the race for an Academy Award.

There it is, that puffy shirt and the trouble a low talker can get you into. Jerry Seinfeld donated this infamous shirt to the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington yesterday. Seinfeld wore the ruffled shirt during one of the many hilarious episodes of the long-running comedy "Seinfeld." This shirt joins other pop culture mementos in the museum including Archie Bunker's chair, Dorothy's ruby slippers and Kermit the frog. Miles, we didn't hear from Jerry there, but he did say some really funny things during the presentation, including, he thinks this is the first joke ever inducted into the Smithsonian.

O'BRIEN: OK. OK. Hugh Grant, it kind of bugs me, that Hugh Grant story. When Hollywood actors whine about their job. We should send them out and try trash collection for a day and see what a real job is like and how miserable he can be. ANDERSON: He said it's pretty tough to get acting right. He says it takes a lot of time and a lot of tries. So must be pretty difficult for Hugh.

O'BRIEN: It's awful being an actor.

ANDERSON: He's made a lot of money, though.

O'BRIEN: Brook Anderson, thank you. "Spongebob," you are going to be seeing it, right?

LIN: No. We've had this debate amongst the LIVE From team and I am the sole anti-"Spongebob" person because I think the little yellow guy is rude. I think he talks back. And then somebody tells me that the executives are taking their kids to see "Spongebob." So where does that put me?

O'BRIEN: I'm afraid you are way out alone on this one. As far as I'm concerned, there's no finer place for kids and we'll be watching and enjoying.

LIN: Yes, you adults.

O'BRIEN: And I'll be taking notes as to what the problems are and then we can discuss it further.

All right.

LIN: Hungry?

O'BRIEN: Yes.

LIN: Hardee's new monster burger makes its debut this week. And it's even making news overseas. It is so American. We're going to show you.

O'BRIEN: Talk about some big sneakers to fill. The co-founder of one of America's biggest shoe companies is stepping aside and then the commercials.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Let's see if Rhonda Schaffler is going to be watching "Spongebob."

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I would go see it. I would. So, Carol again is the only one. She's the only one using those pillows.

O'BRIEN: She's taking a courageous position.

LIN: I am on the losing side here.

O'BRIEN: We've got to press on and talk about business. Let's talk about Nike.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

LIN: You jump on this burger it's so big. A monster new burger on Hardee's fast food menu is not likely to endear itself to the Weight Watchers crowd. While Americans are used to seeing things supersized. What do the British think? ITV's Robert Moore takes a bite and gives us his perspective.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT MOORE, ITV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's even being marketed as a monument to excess. The biggest, unhealthiest burger in the world now on sale at a fast food chain in America. Even by American standards, this is pretty daunting. 1,420 calories and 107 grams of fat. All around us, customers were eating the monster burger. And unlike me, they were feeling no guilt. 1,420 calories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's not bad. I can handle that.

MOORE: I'm only halfway through this and the truth it, I'm already struggling. And according to the experts to work this off I'm now going to have to go for a brisk 22-mile walk. Some do seem to recognize the risk, even as they joke about it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can feel my arteries clogging already. But I've got the secret as well. You top it off with a diet coke and that cancels everything out.

MOORE: Well, that's as much as I can get through. I'm beginning to understand why some experts are dismayed at this latest example of supersizing.

MICHAEL JACOBSEN, PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERT: This is a heart attack in a bun. These thick burgers are quintessential food porn just oozing with artery clogging fat.

MOORE: A company spokesman says it's about giving people a choice and the new monster burgers are selling extremely well in the food chain's 2,000 restaurants.

But it is not going to do much for America's waistline or for the real health crisis of obesity. Robert Moore, ITV News, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired November 19, 2004 - 14:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back from the CNN Center in Atlanta. This is LIVE FROM. I'm Miles O'Brien.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Carol Lin.

Here's what is all new this half hour. For example, the fallout from the recall of the popular painkiller Vioxx. What you need to know to protect yourself from other potentially harmful drugs. I'm going to be talking to a doctor about that.

O'BRIEN: And you want fries with this burger? Just call the undertaker right after that. Why some are saying this monster burger is downright scary if you want to be skinny, much less healthy.

First, here's what's happening "Now in the News."

Western diplomats say Iran is preparing large amounts of uranium for enrichment. It's a process that can be used to make nuclear weapons. The revelation coming only days after Tehran said it would suspend all such activity. Iran has disputed the claim, calling it a lie.

President Bush on his way to the Asia Pacific summit in Santiago, Chile, his first international trip since the big re-election. The war against terrorism and North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions expected to feature prominently on the agenda.

And National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice doing well after undergoing some surgery. Rice went into a hospital yesterday for the treatment of non-cancerous growths. She is expected to return home tomorrow.

LIN: The FDA says all prescription drugs on the market have risks. But it's depending -- or at least defending, excuse me, how it evaluated and approved the arthritis drug Vioxx. Critics are renewing their allegations today that the FDA mishandled approval for Vioxx and other drugs.

Our Chris Huntington has the latest now on the controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): FDA scientist David Graham testified that he estimates Vioxx caused more than 100,000 heart attacks, 30 to 40 percent of them fatal. But Graham told members of the Senate Finance Committee that his FDA superiors ridiculed him and insisted on changes.

DR. DAVID GRAHAM, ASST. DIR. FOR SCIENCE, FDA: I was pressured to change my conclusions and recommendations. One drug safety manager recommended that I should be barred from presenting the poster at the meeting and also noted that Merck needed to know our study results.

HUNTINGTON: Graham offered a blistering condemnation of the FDA's drug safety program, saying that the system is broken and often overlooks the dangers of drug side effects.

GRAHAM: The FDA, as currently configured, is incapable of protecting America against another Vioxx.

HUNTINGTON: A senior FDA official responsible for evaluating new drugs flatly dismissed Graham's assessment and rejected his contention that several drugs still on the market, including Bextra, a COX-2 inhibitor from Pfizer, are dangerous and should be recalled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you agree with Dr. Graham that five drugs he mentioned pose a significant safety risk to Americans?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I do not.

HUNTINGTON: Testifying via satellite, a former Merck consultant told lawmakers that the company refused his request for data on Vioxx related heart attacks. And another doctor disputed Merck's central point that heart attacks occurred only in those who took the drug for more than 18 months.

DR. BRUCE PSATY, UNIV. OF WASHINGTON: Merck lacked information to know when the risk occurred. And you cannot say with confidence given the available data.

HUNGTINGTON: Merck chairman and CEO Ray Gilmartin presented a well-honed defense of his company and Vioxx, insisting that the first time Merck saw clinical evidence of heart attacks linked to Vioxx was just a week before the drug was pulled from the market in late September.

DR. RAYMOND GILMARTIN, CHMN., PRES. & CEO, MERCK: Merck believed wholeheartedly in Vioxx. I believed wholeheartedly in Vioxx. In fact, my wife was taking Vioxx, using Vioxx, up until the day we withdrew it from the market.

HUNTINGTON (on camera): While there were heated disagreements in the hearing about the way that Merck and the FDA handled the Vioxx situation, there was consensus that in the future, all available information about a drug must be made public, particularly the negative findings.

Chris Huntington, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, the fallout over Vioxx is exposing potential shortcomings in how new medicines are actually marketed. After seeing all the ads, many patients bombard their doctors with requests to try them and there can be added pressure on physicians from pharmaceutical companies. CNN's Dr. Sandra Fryhofer is here to talk about that.

Sandy, first, let me get your reaction. When you hear an investigator for 20 years with the FDA say that the agency cannot protect you from potentially dangerous drugs and their side effects after they've been approved, what was your reaction?

DR. SANDRA FRYHOFER, INTERNIST: Well, Carol, this is very concerning. Any time a patient has an adverse reaction to a drug, that's concerning. And in this case it was unexpected. There was no warning. And so the system failed. Doctors depend on the FDA to make sure that medications are safe. And if they have these concerns, we want them to issue a warning so we can take the information and decide what is best for our patients.

LIN: All right. Well, deciding what's best for your patients, let's say your patients come to you and they say, oh my gosh, let's name off the five other drugs this investigator mentioned, Crestor, Bextra, the pain reliever, Meridia, the diet drug, Accutane, the acne drug, Serevent was another one that he mentioned. What do you tell your patients? I mean, what are the kinds of questions that patients need to ask their doctors when they are prescribed these medications?

FRYHOFER: Well, Carol, a lot of studies are done before a drug goes on the market. But all the drugs you mentioned have been on the market for quite a while. Some of them almost 25 years. And when some of these adverse studies come out, we expect the FDA to look at the evidence and tell us, is this a good study, is this a bad study, is this something we should listen to? And in this case, with the Vioxx, they did not do that. And now we've got these other drugs on the market and it's concerning.

LIN: All right. Concerning, but you are saying it's actually not unusual for drugs to hit the market with some risks, even when the risks are as serious as, for example, in the case of Accutane, you have to sign a umpteen disclosures, I mean, like a pile of papers this thick before you actually are given the prescription.

My question would be, well, how can such a risky drug be allowed to be sold to consumers? But you are saying that's kind of part of the marketplace right now.

FRYHOFER: Well, before a drug goes on the market, the FDA requires extensive testing. That's before it's FDA approved. After it becomes FDA approved, there's post surveillance testing and that's when these problems were identified. But as you mentioned, there are other drugs out there. There are other COX-2 inhibitors out there. There is Bextra, Celebrex, those are still available. And what am I telling my patients right now? Until this is all cleared up, I'm recommending that they choose a different anti-inflammatory for their pain.

LIN: But the fact of the matter is, any time you ingest a pill, a chemical, there is going to be a risk. Nothing comes pain-free. FRYHOFER: Right. But in this case, we did not know that the risk was there. Now you mentioned Accutane. But before a patient can be prescribed Accutane, there's extensive paperwork that has to be filled out. Patients know when they take Accutane that if they get pregnant, they will have birth defects.

And if you think a patient might be having sex, you probably should not use Accutane. Now there are lots of patients that have terrible acne. And that is what this medication is for, people with terrible acne that doesn't respond to other forms of therapy.

LIN: OK. Very quick, because we don't actually have much time left. I need to address what we were leading to you with, which was there was this commercial called "Wild Thing" for Viagra. It made it seem like, hey, you have got a problem or you want to have a great weekend? Let's get a prescription for Viagra, let's get a pill. Is that a problem for you as a doctor, with all this advertising and the consumerism of medications, that people think that the solution is in a pill, just pick up the phone and call the doctor?

FRYHOFER: Well, Carol, this direct-to-consumer advertising is here to stay. But there is -- some of it is education. Some of it is advertising. And there has got to be a delicate balance. And in this case, they just crossed the line. They could not support the claims that they were making with the evidence, so the FDA pulled it. Again, these consumer ads are not preapproved. There's post surveillance marketing, after they go on the market, after consumers see them, if they're not right, they can be pulled.

LIN: They are ads. Right? They're not prescriptions, they're advertising.

FRYHOFER: Well, the drug companies say that they provide education in a clear and concise way. Others disagree.

LIN: Well, in that case, definitely call the doctor. Thanks very much, Dr. Sandy Fryhofer.

Well, many of us hope a pill or a cream will actually magically make us look younger. But maybe you are looking at the wrong place. So we're going to give you a hint. Think smaller.

There is a new animated movie opening this weekend. Even the grown-ups are talking about it. We sure have been.

And one fashion guaranteed to never go out of style.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Searching for the elixir of youth. It's a search that is as old as time itself. Now a New York cosmetics surgeon thinks he may have found the answer, and it comes in bottles and all has to do with your DNA. Jason Bellini has been checking out the potions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His clients come to him hoping he can put the genie of age back in the bottle.

DR. VINCENT GIAMPAPA: Rub it up and down the inside of your cheek.

BELLINI: Dr. Vincent Giampapa helps them rub a swab the right way for his new treatment. Personal DNA analysis.

GIAMPAPA: Your genetic deck of cards are basically held right in here. In the next couple of weeks, next two weeks we'll have that report back.

BELLINI: The report purport to tell customers what vitamins and nutritional supplement will help at the cellular level to prevent aging. He then recommends an individualized vitamin cocktail.

GIAMPAPA: Everybody who takes this program can actually watch the damage rates go down, the free radical levels go down.

BELLINI: Does it work?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have complete faith.

BELLINI: Dr. Giampapa brought in his true followers.

Do you think that you've managed to stop the clock?

JUDY TORHE, SURACELL CLIENT: God controls the clock. I think what we've managed to do is perhaps slow down our physical aging process.

BELLINI: But critics disagree.

S. JAY OLSHANSKY, EPIDEMIOLOGY BIOSTATISTICS PROF.: If it was possible to do a personal DNA analysis and provide some sort of intervention, then everyone in the world would be doing this and we would all live much, much longer lives.

BELLINI: Barbara Roy says her husband did the accounting.

BARBARA ROYCE, SURACELL CLIENT: He says maybe it's like 12,000 a year. So I don't know if it is because I don't keep track of it, but he said -- I told him, I said I know I feel better. He said well, you are in a better mood.

BELLINI: The American Medical Association recommends all adults take supplements to help prevent chronic diseases, multivitamins designed for children, adults and seniors. Can expensive boutique vitamin formulas help you live any longer? Modern medical science doesn't have the answer. Jason Bellini, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: "ANDERSON COOPER 360" will have more on the search for eternal youth tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

The final lines between childhood and adolescents and adulthood are becoming increasingly blurred. Just sit next to Miles O'Brien. Join us for the complete story tonight on "ANDERSON COOPER 360."

O'BRIEN: I'm going to plead the fifth on that one. A big yellow animated sponge may be absorbing a lot of green this weekend. The movie "Spongebob Squarepants" opening wide and large in theaters. Brooke Anderson in L.A. with all of today's entertainment news, including that.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. Lots of entertainment news today. I think you're right that "Sponge Bob" will be absorbing a lot of green if it's any indicator by how popular the television show is. Nickelodeon airs the show basically every day and more than once a day. But yes, the "Spongebob Squarepants" movie is new in theaters today. Let's take a look at a clip.

ANDERSON: Looking very much like a kitchen sponge and living at the bottom of the sea this absorbent creature along with his sidekick Starfish Patrick venture into the great unknown to seek help and restore order to their underwater community. This family flick is splashing into theaters today. For the grown-ups out there, well, I think "Spongebob" is for the grown-ups, too, right?

Well, we've got Hugh Grant and Renee Zellweger heating things up with their new installment of "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason." The film is expanding this weekend, opening nationwide but are the actors fizzling out on their careers. Zellwegger is said to be ready for a year-long break. Hugh Grant may be calling it quits for good. The British actor told a magazine that film acting is a miserable experience.

Well, this movie wasn't a miserable experience. I saw it and laughed until I nearly cried. There you go.

Moving on, Mel Gibson isn't talking retirement, but he is taking a vow of abstinence of sorts when it comes to chasing an Academy Award for his epic drama "The Passion of the Christ." The Oscar winner directed, cowrote and put his own money behind the religious themed picture. But he's not planning on spending a dime on Oscar ad campaigns to promote his film in the race for an Academy Award.

There it is, that puffy shirt and the trouble a low talker can get you into. Jerry Seinfeld donated this infamous shirt to the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington yesterday. Seinfeld wore the ruffled shirt during one of the many hilarious episodes of the long-running comedy "Seinfeld." This shirt joins other pop culture mementos in the museum including Archie Bunker's chair, Dorothy's ruby slippers and Kermit the frog. Miles, we didn't hear from Jerry there, but he did say some really funny things during the presentation, including, he thinks this is the first joke ever inducted into the Smithsonian.

O'BRIEN: OK. OK. Hugh Grant, it kind of bugs me, that Hugh Grant story. When Hollywood actors whine about their job. We should send them out and try trash collection for a day and see what a real job is like and how miserable he can be. ANDERSON: He said it's pretty tough to get acting right. He says it takes a lot of time and a lot of tries. So must be pretty difficult for Hugh.

O'BRIEN: It's awful being an actor.

ANDERSON: He's made a lot of money, though.

O'BRIEN: Brook Anderson, thank you. "Spongebob," you are going to be seeing it, right?

LIN: No. We've had this debate amongst the LIVE From team and I am the sole anti-"Spongebob" person because I think the little yellow guy is rude. I think he talks back. And then somebody tells me that the executives are taking their kids to see "Spongebob." So where does that put me?

O'BRIEN: I'm afraid you are way out alone on this one. As far as I'm concerned, there's no finer place for kids and we'll be watching and enjoying.

LIN: Yes, you adults.

O'BRIEN: And I'll be taking notes as to what the problems are and then we can discuss it further.

All right.

LIN: Hungry?

O'BRIEN: Yes.

LIN: Hardee's new monster burger makes its debut this week. And it's even making news overseas. It is so American. We're going to show you.

O'BRIEN: Talk about some big sneakers to fill. The co-founder of one of America's biggest shoe companies is stepping aside and then the commercials.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Let's see if Rhonda Schaffler is going to be watching "Spongebob."

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I would go see it. I would. So, Carol again is the only one. She's the only one using those pillows.

O'BRIEN: She's taking a courageous position.

LIN: I am on the losing side here.

O'BRIEN: We've got to press on and talk about business. Let's talk about Nike.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

LIN: You jump on this burger it's so big. A monster new burger on Hardee's fast food menu is not likely to endear itself to the Weight Watchers crowd. While Americans are used to seeing things supersized. What do the British think? ITV's Robert Moore takes a bite and gives us his perspective.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT MOORE, ITV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's even being marketed as a monument to excess. The biggest, unhealthiest burger in the world now on sale at a fast food chain in America. Even by American standards, this is pretty daunting. 1,420 calories and 107 grams of fat. All around us, customers were eating the monster burger. And unlike me, they were feeling no guilt. 1,420 calories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's not bad. I can handle that.

MOORE: I'm only halfway through this and the truth it, I'm already struggling. And according to the experts to work this off I'm now going to have to go for a brisk 22-mile walk. Some do seem to recognize the risk, even as they joke about it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can feel my arteries clogging already. But I've got the secret as well. You top it off with a diet coke and that cancels everything out.

MOORE: Well, that's as much as I can get through. I'm beginning to understand why some experts are dismayed at this latest example of supersizing.

MICHAEL JACOBSEN, PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERT: This is a heart attack in a bun. These thick burgers are quintessential food porn just oozing with artery clogging fat.

MOORE: A company spokesman says it's about giving people a choice and the new monster burgers are selling extremely well in the food chain's 2,000 restaurants.

But it is not going to do much for America's waistline or for the real health crisis of obesity. Robert Moore, ITV News, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com