Big Pharma’s Latest Con: A Drug Stronger Than Statins!

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One of our regular readers e-mailed a joke to The Daily Health, which brilliantly illustrates how dependant many of us have become on prescription medicine.

It also proves the point that we’re breeding a sick society, which is in constant need of prescription drugs for every imaginable ailment… drugs that often don’t work and in many cases do much more harm than good.

Jack and Jill

Jack, aged 92, and Jill, aged 89, are all excited about their decision to get married.

They go for a stroll to discuss the wedding, and on the way, they pass a pharmacy and Jack suggests they go in.

Jack addresses the pharmacist behind the counter: "We're about to get married and I have a few questions to ask you. Do you sell heart medication?"

Pharmacist: "Of course we do."

Jack: "How about medicine for circulation?"

Pharmacist: "All kinds"

Jack: "Medicine for rheumatism?"

Pharmacist: "Definitely."

Jack: "Drugs for memory problems, arthritis, and Alzheimer's?"

Pharmacist: "Yes, a large variety…”

Jack: "What about sleeping pills and medicines for Parkinson's disease?"

Pharmacist: "Absolutely Sir. What ever you want.”

Jack: "Anything for heartburn and indigestion?"

Pharmacist: "We sure do..."

Jack: "How about incontinence?"

Pharmacist: "Certainly, Sir."

Jack: "Then we'd like to register this pharmacy for our wedding present-list.”

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Not so funny

Sadly, many people find themselves in a position like the one above, either because of poor lifestyle choices or because they have been caught in Big Pharma’s trap... believing (or being told by their doctors and the mainstream) that they need all kinds of pharmaceutical drugs to keep them healthy and alive.

What concerns me most, is that in many cases the effectiveness of these so-called cure-all Pharma Cocktails are not proven and their harmful effects are seldom disclosed until years after they have flooded the market... causing misery for countless people!

A case in point is the class of drugs called cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitors. According to the latest headlines, CETP inhibitors will help raise "good" HDL cholesterol and stabilise blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

If you believe what the mainstream is saying, then according to them, early trials of CETP inhibitors have shown that when given in conjunction with a statin drug to lower levels of bad cholesterol, levels of good cholesterol rose by 67 per cent!

That sounds like just the result they were looking for!

However, our regular readers and followers of The Cholesterol Truth will know that we’ve written about CETP inhibitors in the past. In fact, Pfizer (the makers of torcetrapib – a CETP inhibitor) abandoned the development of torcetrapib in 2006, because of a high death rate during a clinical trial... That must’ve been a pretty high death rate for a drug company to abandon its trial!

Mutton dressed as lamb

Now, however, researchers say that these ‘negative effects’ were the result of torcetrapib alone, and not the entire class of CETP inhibitor drugs. Typically in Big Pharma style, two new drugs from the same class, called dalcetrapib and anacetrapib, are being developed... and guess what, Joe Public is being told that these drugs will be even stronger and more effective than statins!

More effective in what, I wonder? Causing more severe side effects? More deaths?

Truth be told, Merck (the manufacturer of anacetrapib) sponsored the first initial trial of their own drug and only conducted it over a measly six-month period... not exactly comforting if you think that heart patients will have to take this drug indefinitely, as is the case with statins.

Apart from that, several researchers involved in the trial were closely affiliated with Merck through employment, by benefiting from stock options, as Merck board members, etc... do we need to say more?

So how does all of this add up? Can we really trust that anacetrapib is safe? My guess is a definite NO! Perhaps a long-term study will reveal the true safety risks?

Until then, it’s best to stay clear of CETP inhibitors... and anything the mainstream tells us about them.

Big Pharma’s underhand tactics to make us all believe that their snake oil concoctions are safe and effective, doesn’t end with statins and CETP inhibitors. In his latest post on The Cholesterol Truth, Dr. John Briffa writes about another drug, Natrecor, which is used to treat heart failure, the true effects of which are far removed from the current hype surrounding it.

For more details on Natrecor, click here:

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Sources:

‘Statins: combined pill for diabetes and heart disease in pipeline’ published online, 25.07.11, telegraph.co.uk

‘Pharma Giants are Upping the Stakes for ‘Best’ Cholesterol-Busting Drug’ published online, 22.11.10, thecholesetroltruth.com

‘Anacetrapib: Don’t be Fooled by Big Pharma’s Latest ‘Wonder Drug’ published online, 27.01.11, thecholesetroltruth.com