Don't be fooled by phony "breakthrough" drugs
It may be Big Pharma's favorite buzzword.
But every time I hear a drug company has a new "breakthrough" med, it's usually time to run -- fast and in the other direction.
When a new drug gets the FDA's breakthrough designation, it often means it's barely been tested -- and probably has risks we don't even know about.
In fact, a few years ago the FDA approved Sovaldi as a breakthrough hepatitis drug -- and we only learned later that it can cause a potentially deadly reaction when combined with heart meds.
But a frightening new study proves that mainstream docs are falling for this breakthrough swindle time and time again -- and that could be putting you or someone you love right in harm's way.
A new survey in JAMA gave doctors a choice between two drugs -- a real one, and a phony one that had supposedly been given breakthrough status by the FDA.
And in 9 out of 10 cases, the docs chose the phony breakthrough drug.
Even worse, more than half of these docs also thought that the FDA would require strong clinical evidence in order to designate a drug as a breakthrough (as in with randomized clinical trials).
But in the case of prescription drugs, most of these breakthrough drugs on the market today weren't even tested against existing drugs out there... only against placebos.
So while the new drug may be better than nothing, it may not be better than what you're already taking... or than a drug that's been on the market long enough for the medical community to figure out all of the risks associated with it.
The truth is, the pharmaceutical giants just want you to pay out of pocket for their new, high-priced drugs... for which there are no affordable generic alternatives (yet).
This study calls for Congress and the FDA both to reevaluate the use of the term "breakthrough," but it's probably just the first of many buzzwords that will be used to sway mainstream docs into pulling out their prescription pads for the new flavor of the month.
Meanwhile, scientists are making real breakthroughs in natural cures that not only outperform placebo, but some of which even outperform over-the-counter and prescription medications.
These natural alternatives just don't have the big marketing campaigns behind them... or manufacturers with dollar signs in their eyes.
Before you're convinced to take any new drug, do your homework. Ask your doc what his other patients' experiences have been on the drug. Read the label yourself -- especially the fine print -- and compare it to your other options.
I'll keep sharing the latest true breakthroughs with you... and uncovering the very real risks behind the fake breakthroughs.
Because mainstream docs may be fooled, but you don't have to be.