I'm sitting here reading my copy of Neurology Now. It's a lovely magazine, full of helpful ad's and medical advice. Plus it's got a big picture of Goldie Hawn on the cover.
The center-fold is a 2-page AVONEX ad. It's so awesome too. It sounds so good. It says: "80% of people taking AVONEX remain fully functional at 10 years" "with an EDSS score of 3.0 or better. But what are they really saying in this ad?
What are independent researchers saying?
Well we know from the 2010 Stanford research data that interferon based MS medications actually can make some peoples disability worse. Roughly 1 in 4 get worse.
Interferons May NOT Be Good for Some People with MS:http://ms.about.com/b/2010/03/30/interferons-not-good-for-some-people-with-ms.htm
Nature Video Channel - Stanford Neuro Larry Steinman:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54IUsHeoNKw
We also read this past week that AVONEX was listed in the UK "independent study" to offer no benefit. Other drugs tested were Betaseron, Rebif, and Copaxone. The study said: "Recent research results show that patients actually did worse on these drugs than if they were given a placebo."
UK scheme for MS drugs "a costly failure" - experts:http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE6520H520100603
In other words, you would have a greater reduction of MS symptoms, by simply drinking water! Even water from Lake Ontario is more beneficial than this $20,000 / year medication! The AVONEX average lifetime cost is $2.2 million US per patient.
But how could this be?
Back in 2001 they did so many studies. The AVONEX study was so awsome they actually stopped giving MS sufferers the placebo and switched them all to AVONEX.
Dr. Selhorst - Saint Louis University Paper:"A new study finds that one of the drugs used to control multiple sclerosis dramatically slows the rate at which people develop the disease, and in some cases, appears to halt it.
The School of Medicine was one of the 50 clinical centers participating in the study that included 383 patients. Results of the study were so positive that it was stopped early in order to offer the placebo-treated group the benefits of treatment."
Did you read that? They said that only after treating 383 patients they declared this to be a wonder drug, and allowed everyone in the study to take this new medication. The study was less than 2-years.
Well we have seen around 800 treated for CCSVI over the last 3 or more years. Dr. Simka has treated over 300. Dr. Sandy McDonald has "evaluated" 6-Liberated patients and they are doing so amazingly well.
I am seeing so many positive results from around the globe. No one in 2010 has gotten worse. In fact we are seeing improvements in MS symptoms that are simply unmatched by any other know therapy.
So this brings me back to the lovely AVONEX ad in my magazine. It does say 80% are doing so well after 10-years.
But in the fine print is says this: "Includes all patients at 10-years regardless of whether they were still on AVONEX."
So in other words, they mention impressive 80% figures, and at first glance this is so amazing. But when they say that the people they are looking at over this 10-year period may not even be taking this drug, their whole argument collapses.
This is completely ridiculous. It's nothing but pure disinformation.
Shame on everyone in the Big Pharma old-boys network.
Next time, I think I will pickup a different magazine.
WaYnE
BMJ Article:
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/340/jun03_1/c1672
Ashton Embry - New Studies Show the MS Drugs Don’t Slow Progression:
http://www.direct-ms.org/sites/default/files/Embry%20MS%20Drugs%20Don't%20Work%2007%2010.pdf
