Do you really need that prescription drug?

An excerpt from my new book Undoctored. This is a story about the games that the pharmaceutical industry plays. In this case, they are playing a shell game that costs you thousands of dollars. Take an agent already in the public domain and classified as a nutritional supplement, perform a clinical trial to treat some condition, and then declare that this new agent is a drug. This is how prescription fish oil, Lovaza (called Omacor in Europe), got its start, when the drug company Reliant spotted the opportunity. It’s been known for decades that supplements of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil reduce the level of triglycerides in the bloodstream, a risk for cardiovascular disease and other conditions. A clinical trial of the “drug” was performed, demonstrating its effectiveness for reducing triglyceride levels, just as over-the-counter fish oil does. The FDA approved Lovaza for treatment of hypertriglyceridemia, or high triglyceride blood levels. Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline purchased the rights from Reliant and has since built the Lovaza franchise into a $1 billion-per-year business. Marketing for Lovaza uses clever wording like, “Lovaza is the only FDA-approved medication made from omega-3 fish oil. It’s purified. It’s concentrated. And you can’t get it at a health food store.” The wording is meant to persuade doctors and the public that Lovaza is somehow different from its low-cost competitors: purer, more concentrated, so powerful you can’t get it ...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Omega-3 Undoctored Source Type: blogs