Guest guest Posted April 18, 2003 Report Share Posted April 18, 2003 Thu, 17 Apr 2003 16:10:00 -0500 HSI - Jenny Thompson Follow The Money FOLLOW THE MONEY Health Sciences Institute e-Alert April 17, 2003 ************************************************************** Dear Member, It's Enbrel time again! Remember Enbrel? Last January I told you about two large clinical trials designed to determine if Enbrel (a very expensive rheumatoid arthritis drug) would prove to be effective in treating congestive heart failure (CHF). Those two studies were abruptly shut down when it became clear that Enbrel use was causing CHF symptoms to worsen. Oops! Never mind. That sort of bad news would be a crippling disaster for some businesses - but not for Amgen Inc. (the maker of Enbrel), reputed to be the largest biotechnology company in the world. Because just 3 months later Amgen announced the results of a " pivotal-stage " trial, concluding that Enbrel is now an effective treatment for mild-to-severe psoriasis. But if you're one of the more than 4 million Americans who suffer from psoriasis, don't put Enbrel on your shopping list just yet. But don't despair either. Because I have some promising information about a psoriasis treatment that's far less expensive, more effective, and worlds safer for you than Enbrel. ----------------------------- Ka CHING! ----------------------------- Enbrel (the brand name for etenercept) was approved by the FDA in 1998 to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Taken by injection (self-administered by the patient), the drug's label warns that " allergic reactions to Enbrel are not uncommon. " So just remove the double-negative and that easily translates to " allergic reactions to Enbrel are common. " And the list of known reactions is formidable: swelling in the deep layers of the skin, hives, septic shock, and a host of nervous system disorders, including: nerve damage, seizures, inflammation of the nerves in the eyes, and even multiple sclerosis. So given that Enbrel comes loaded with potential side effects, is difficult to administer, and costs more for one month's worth of injections than I paid for my first car ($1,400!), why would Amgen take this arthritis drug and try to prove it can also treat psoriasis? Two reasons. First: because they can. As I've mentioned in previous e-Alerts ( " The Whistle Blower " 6/6/03), a drug that is FDA approved to treat, for instance, Disease X, might also be effective in treating the symptoms of Diseases A and B and C. So in addition to funding clinical trials (that will hopefully lead to an FDA stamp of approval to treat A, B and C), it's very common for drug companies to encourage doctors to prescribe their drug to treat symptoms for which it's not approved. And while the methods of drug salespeople may be suspect, this practice among doctors is perfectly legal. And of course you know the second reason already: Money. Lots of money. Enough to run a small nation. According to CNN Money, some industry gurus estimate that an effective psoriasis drug could open up a market worth $5 billion per year. In comparison, Enbrel grossed a paltry $907 million in 2001 - an increase of almost 18 percent over the previous year, but nowhere near $5 billion. ----------------------------- Skin deep ----------------------------- Psoriasis is a condition in which skin cells multiply too rapidly, resulting in unsightly, itchy rashes. Severe cases can be extremely painful and debilitating. Complicating matters is the fact that psoriasis is still poorly understood, has no certain cause, and is considered by conventional medicine to be " incurable. " For years, the only mainstream treatment for psoriasis was methotrexate, an immunosuppressant drug that can damage the heart and liver with long-term use. In a Members Alert we sent you in December 1999, we told you about a treatment that has had great success with thousands of psoriasis patients - an extract of mahonia aquifolium (also known as the Oregon grape). In 1995, researchers in 89 dermatology practices throughout Germany put mahonia aquifolium to the test, using 433 patients who suffered from chronic psoriasis. Over the course of 12 weeks, the dermatologists reported that symptoms improved or completely disappeared in 81 percent of the patients. Further biochemical research has isolated several active alkaloids from the bark of the Oregon grape that appear to be responsible for the beneficial functions that help fight psoriasis, including: inhibition of abnormal proliferation of skin cells, reduction of inflammation and histamine release, and strong antibacterial and antifungal properties. ----------------------------- The alternative ----------------------------- There are a number of products based on mahonia aquifolium, marketed under the brand name of M-Folia. Most useful for psoriasis suffers are the cream and ointment preparations. Both contain the same strength of mahonia aquifolium (10 percent extract). Other M-Folia products include shampoo, sunscreen, and bath oil, which can provide relief from eczema as well as psoriasis. For more information, see the article titled " Incurable No Longer " in the December 1999 Members Alert. http://www.hsibaltimore.com/misc/hsi_9912_b.shtml If someone you care about has psoriasis, I hope you'll forward this e-Alert to them. Let them know that there is a proven, natural alternative to absurdly high priced pharmaceutical treatments of questionable safety. ************************************************************** ....and another thing Perhaps you've heard by now about the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) breakthrough announced just yesterday. Researchers have identified the previously suspected corona virus as the cause of SARS. This is a very promising and important turning point in this international health crisis because scientists can now focus on much more specific possibilities for diagnosis and treatment of the disease. But with almost 3,500 people known to be infected, and with close to 150 deaths so far, the seriousness of this threat is far from over. Earlier this week I read a report about the sudden popularity of turnips in Beijing, China, based on a rumor that turnip is the active ingredient in a potion touted to protect against SARS. Turnip prices in Beijing have suddenly jumped and are still on the rise. Turnips are a good source of vitamin C, as well as calcium, potassium and iron, but I can't confirm that turnip consumption will offer any specific protection from SARS. An HSI member named Bob, however, had a question about a somewhat controversial alternative therapy that he thinks may help in the SARS campaign: " Inasmuch as colloidal silver has been documented effective against so many viruses similar to the coronavirus (pre- 1938), what conceivable reason could the CDC, etc., have for not even TRYING it as a treatment for SARS? Obviously, they would rather see us all die than approve a non-patentable, non-pharmaceutical drug/vaccine for general use. " But even among those who believe in the merits of colloidal silver (CS), there's some question about its effectiveness against a virus (such as SARS) as opposed to bacteria. I asked HSI panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., if he thought CS would be a useful tool in fighting SARS, and he agrees with Dr. Jonathan V. Wright who believes that CS is a proven bacteria fighter. Here's what Dr. Spreen had to say: " My take on the effectiveness of colloidal silver is that it disrupts an enzyme system specific only to bacteria, hence it would not affect human health (other than killing bacteria), and presumably it wouldn't work against viruses. HOWEVER...nobody really knows why/how CS really works anyway. The conventional people like to say it doesn't work at all, but there's just too much evidence to refute that, not to mention that most reputable carbon water filter manufacturers impregnate their filters against the bacteria that form within stagnant water (it's impossible to really dry the insides of one of those filters) by using...silver. " So is CS still worth a try against SARS? Many supporters of colloidal silver are convinced that it's also a virus fighter, so I'm sure they would answer, " yes, " to that question. But I would be strongly inclined to side with Dr. Spreen and Dr. Wright on this one, especially because there are other natural and effective anti-viral agents available. In an e-Alert I sent you last fall ( " Be Afraid...Be Very Afraid – Part II " 10/17/03), Dr. Spreen told us about olive leaf extract and grapefruit seed extract – both of which fight virus as well as bacteria. Dr. Spreen calls olive leaf extract an " amazing substance... (that) has been officially tested as an antimicrobial agent, with sufficient power to achieve a published status in peer- review journals. " And he calls grapefruit seed extract a " natural antibiotic, " and sites extensive research that has demonstrated its antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiparasitic properties. A quick check on the Internet shows that Bob is by no means the first person to think of colloidal silver in the fight against SARS. It will be interesting to see if the Chinese, who are generally more open to complementary medicine, will take this opportunity to treat any of the SARS cases with an alternative therapy like olive leaf extract, grapefruit seed extract, or colloidal silver. On a more personal note, I've told you before that we've worked closely with Dr. Robert Atkins in the past. His work - - and his willingness to stand up against the tide -- are truly legendary in complementary medicine circles. His death brings us great personal and professional sadness. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, family and loved ones. To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson Health Sciences Institute ************************************************************** Sources: " Amgen's Enbrel Helps Psoriasis " CNN Money, 3/21/03, money.cnn.com " Enbrel " DrugIntel, drugintel.com " Scientists Identify SARS Virus " Lisa Schlein, Voice Of America, voanews.com " Turnips Touted as SARS Cure in Beijing " Reuters, 4/15/03 Copyright ©1997-2003 by www.hsibaltimore.com, L.L.C. The e-Alert may not be posted on commercial sites without written permission. ************************************************************** Before you hit reply to send us a question or request, please click here http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealert/questions.html ************************************************************** ************************************************************** If you'd like to participate in the HSI Forum, search past e-Alerts and products or you're an HSI member and would like to search past articles, visit http://www.hsibaltimore.com ************************************************************** To learn more about HSI, call (203) 699-4416 or visit http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/HSI/WHSIC313/home.cfm. ************************************************************** Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc. To , e-mail to: Gettingwell- Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell The New Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. 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