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Recommended More Bad Pharma |
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Pharma Against Statins, PCSK9 Their Replacement Pharma
against statins -- what’s
going on –6/9/15 Suzy
Cohen, America’s most trusted pharmacist, Dear Pharmacist column in Coachella
valley Beacon April 2015, p. 11. www.suzychoen.com Syndicated appears on Dr. Oz TV show.
Sign that pharma is in the process of switching
to new
improved cholesterol drugs.
Mercola.com, Dr. Mercola on her site, along with Prevention. Big on natural
cures
Statins
safety is now questioned in the corporate media. In
the article below syndicated pharmacist Suzy Cohen names three products of the
mevalonate pathway that are partial blocked by statins and she mentions their
negative health consequences. She even provides
a link to a journal article where it has just been discovered that statins
“stimulate atherosclerosls and heart failure” and list the three partial block
bio-important products blocked (the abstract of the research article used by Cohen
is found after her article below) . Why hasn’t these issue raised by Suzy Cohen
been brought before the public and physicians in the over 20 years the
blockbuster statins has been on the market?
This is only the tip of a large and complex body of journal articles
exposing pharma’s second biggest heist. And
why has the article by Suzy Cohen been widely distributed while the chorus of
vocal critics has been essentially ignored by the corporate media?
This
sort of revelation by pharma is all about money and thus
marketing; and Suzy probably merely signed her name to an article ghost-written by
pharma. This is a pattern used over and over again by
pharma to switch prescribing of physicians from the older to newer drugs. Pharma
is now promoting their replacements
for the cholesterol lowering statins because most of them are now off
patent. The attack starts with pointing
out side effects. The article below is
of interest, but don’t lose sight of orchestrated music played by pharma. It
is the first chords of a symphony which we
will be hearing over.
Suzy
Cohen is an attractive pharmacist who has appeared
repeatedly on the Dr. Oz Show, and other programs. She writes a regular syndicated
column,
writes books, and has a website to promote her and her products at http://suzycohen.com/.
For
the new product watch Amgen’s video on how their new
PCSK9 receptor drug works—and remember that is marketing dressed as science. http://www.cholesterolneversleeps.com/what-is-pcsk9.html?WT.z_co=A&WT.z_in=DYS&WT.z_ch=DSP&WT.z_ag=AG705&WT.tsrc=DSP&WT.mc_id=A_DYS_DSP_AG705
Of course the new drugs are to be far more
expensive, much more than the statins that are still on patent, over
$14,000/year. For an article on it go to
second one on this page. http://suzycohen.com/articles/statins_cramps/ PDF http://suzycohen.com/articles/statins_cramps/
Taking Statins? Beware! by Suzy
Cohen pharmacist
on April 8, 2015 in Fatigue, Heart Disease, Heart Health, Medications, Medicine, Men's Health, Methylation, Thyroid, Women's Health · Comments { 151 } --- April
2015 If you’re one of the millions
of people diagnosed with high cholesterol, you will more than likely be given a
prescription “statin” pill. It’s easier to take a statin, truly I get it, it’s
hard to control diet and to exercise and to live a life of limitations after
all this time. For a satirical look at what you need to do before taking a
statin, read my quick
(and somewhat silly) scenario at the doctor’s office here. What do
they do? Statins affect many pathways in
the body. They are strong anti-inflammatories [not so. weak], so strong that they are being tested for their use in cancer
patients![1] As for
cholesterol reduction, they work by crushing a natural enzyme in your body that
would otherwise allow you to make your own cholesterol. Statins
do not suck out gooey cholesterol from your arteries, nor does it negate cheese
fries. No, these drugs merely suppress
new production of cholesterol. Here’s where blind faith (take this pill and you’ll feel better) collides
with scientific research. This year a study was published
(in the Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology),
entitled, The researchers concluded, “The
epidemic of heart failure and atherosclerosis that plagues the modern world may
paradoxically be aggravated by the pervasive use of statin drugs.” What an
irony! The problem is that many other studies have found similar disastrous
effects on the heart. It has to do with mitochondrial dysfunction, which means
that the little generators in your heart cells get sick. Your heart is a very high
energy muscle. It requires thriving, mitochondria in order to churn out ATP,
your energy molecule. Statins are toxic to mitochondria because they deplete coenzyme Q10 which is needed for healthy
mitochondria. Statins
also deplete a special protein called
“Heme A”
that totes oxygen and iron to your heart. The long-term
depletion interrupts ATP production and leads to cellular fatigue among other
major problems. You cannot survive long-term without adequate ATP production so
it needs to be restored. Fatigue, cramps, muscle weakness, memory loss,
depression, cancer … you must have ATP in your body or else! (Biting my
lip) Statins inhibit the
biosynthesis of vitamin K2 which we manufacture if we have healthy intestinal
gut flora. Today, we know statins block
very special, powerful selenium-containing proteins known as selenoproteins,
the most famous of those is called glutathione peroxidase, which protects
muscle tissue from free radical damage (oxidation). What’s the busiest muscle in
your body? It has to work 24/7. It’s your heart! (Smacks
forehead). Your heart muscle cells are
‘burned’ form all the oxidation (due to the impairment of selenoprotein
biosynthesis) and this is a factor in congestive heart failure. This reminds me
of Keshan’s disease which is heart failure due to low selenium. If you have to take statins,
please use the lowest dose possible. Be diligent about putting back the
nutrients that statins interfere with such as the coenzyme Q10, selenium, and
vitamin K2, along with other heart healthy nutrients. There are exceptions to
taking these nutrients so ask your doctor (yes, the same one that gave you the
statin.) This is a classic case of drug
mugging, and I hope you will consider replenishing some of the affected
nutrients, especially if you have uncomfortable or new symptoms. I wrote
about this in my book, Drug Muggers.
Remember to talk to your physician about dosages of these vitamins,
because it is highly individual; dosages vary from person to person based upon
age, sex, weight, kidney or liver function, even genetic SNPs and much more.
Also, keep in mind how important nutrients are in your body. Your body
runs on the essentials, it does not run because of medication. As an example, if
you have low levels of a natural B vitamin (folate) then you cannot properly
methylation. If your methylation pathways are hindered,
your toxins build up and your cholesterol ratios are adversely affected.
There are over 200 drugs that reduce folate, all discussed and listed in
my Drug Muggers book. For that matter, there
are many SNPs that cause illness, or personality quirks and traits, so read my
article on “Genes,
Methylation and Your Health” right now. Please be sure to
leave me your comments below, on my forum where we can discuss things together
and help one another. Everyone, chime in! Copyright © 2014 Suzy Cohen,
RPh & Dear Pharmacist, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photography by Melissa Shanley - Web Design by
Stephanie Vinson The material on this site may
not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except
with the prior written permission of Dear Pharmacist, Inc. Suzy Cohen is a
clinical consultant for Essential Formulas, Inc. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The article below is from the link
provided by Suzy
Cohen. This is an abstract of the
10-page
journal article; however, the full article is not available to the public,
scientists, or doctors without a payment of $89 for 24 hour access. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25655639
Expert
Rev Clin Pharmacol. 2015 Mar;8(2):189-99. doi:
10.1586/17512433.2015.1011125. Epub 2015 Feb 6. Statins
stimulate
atherosclerosis and heart failure: pharmacological mechanisms. [1] Like with dementia, pharma funds studies to “prove”,
and thus create confusion. However,
animal studies have shown that rather than prevent cancer, statins cause cancer. Given the broken reporting system pharma hides
side effect, thus animal studies must be relied upon. For details See Ignored
the Awkward! by Prof
Uffe Ravnskov MD, p 84-88—one of the two best book on cholesterol myth. Pharma has also funded studies to show that
statins prevent dementia, while the truth is statins cause dementia. [2] The
issues are complex, for example vitamin K mechanism should prevent
atherosclerosis. “The potential benefit of vitamin K in
reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is due to its function as a cofactor
in the post-translational modification of matrix gla protein (MGP) in vascular smooth
muscle cells (VSMC). Increased calcification of blood vessels is a risk factor
for CVD as it lends to the hardening of arteries and/or to the development of
hard atherosclerotic plaque. MGP may play a role in preventing ectopic
calcification in the arteries, Wiki. Other
relevant functions is that of
osteoporosis prevention because vitamin K is involved in bone remodeling. Where
lies the truth about this and other roles has been muddled by pharma producing
for financial reason studies to support their business goals—see for some examples. . |
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The Replacement
for Statins PCSK9 lowers LDL, drugs that mimic this enzyme are to replace
statins PCSK9 has medical significance because it acts
in cholesterol homeostasis. Drugs that block PCSK9 can lower low-density
lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C),
and are beginning Phase III clinical
trials to assess their safety
and efficacy in humans, and to determine if they
can improve outcomes in heart disease.[2][3] Variants of PCSK9 can reduce or increase circulating
cholesterol. LDL-C is removed
from the blood when it binds to an LDLR on the
surface of liver cells, and is taken inside the cells.
When PCSK9 binds to an LDLR, the receptor is destroyed along with the LDL
particle. But if PCSK9 does not bind, the receptor can return to the surface of
the cell and remove more cholesterol.[2] Other variants are
associated with a rare autosomal dominant familial
hypercholesterolemia(HCHOLA3).[5][6][7] The mutations increase
its protease activity, reducing LDLR
levels and preventing the uptake of cholesterol into the cells.[6] Drugs can inhibit PCSK9, leading to lowered circulating cholesterol.
Since LDL is considered a risk factor forcardiovascular
disease like heart
attacks, it is plausible that these drugs may also reduce
the risk
of such diseases. Clinical studies, including phase
III clinical trials, are now underway to
describe the effect of PCSK9 inhibition on cardiovascular disease, and the
safety and efficacy profile of the drugs.[8][9][10][11] Among those
inhibitors under development in December 2013 were the antibodies alirocumab, evolocumab, 1D05-IgG2 (Merck), RG-7652 and
LY3015014, as well as the RNAi therapeutic ALN-PCS02.[12]
Wiki .
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Institute for
Clinical and Economic Review Sept 2015
http://www.icer-review.org/pcsk9-draft-report-release/
Boston,
Mass., September 8, 2015 –
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has released a new draft
report, titled PCSK9 Inhibitor Therapies for High Cholesterol:
Effectiveness, Value, and Value-Based Price Benchmarks. The
report includes a comprehensive review of currently available evidence on the
newly approved PCSK9 inhibitors alirocumab (Praluent®, Regeneron/Sanofi) and
evolocumab (Repatha™, Amgen), and also provides analyses of cost-effectiveness
and potential budget impact under different utilization assumptions. Based on
these findings the report presents the draft ICER value-based price benchmark
for these drugs; prices that reflect the magnitude of estimated improvements in
long-term patient outcomes and a threshold for new drug costs that does not
exceed growth in the overall national economy.
It
has been estimated that as many as 3.5-15 million Americans with elevated
cholesterol may be eligible and considered for treatment with PCSK9 inhibitors.
But there is remaining uncertainty about interpretation of the existing
evidence on the clinical effectiveness of these drugs for different types of
patients. In addition, with a list price over $14,000 per
year there are serious
questions regarding the price at which these drugs would represent a sensible
value to patients and to the health care system.
“Patients,
clinicians, insurers – everyone needs good information in order to make the
best decisions about the use and pricing of new drugs,” Steven D. Pearson, MD,
MSc, the Founder and President of ICER noted. “Our goal is to meet that need
and in doing so not shy away from analyzing cost-effectiveness and potential
budget impact.”
ICER’s
draft report summarizes evidence demonstrating that PCSK9 inhibitors reduce
LDL-cholesterol by approximately 55-60% among patients who are already on
statins or who cannot take them. ICER concludes that this evidence provides
moderate certainty that PCSK9 inhibitor therapy improves patient outcomes given
remaining uncertainty about whether markedly lower
LDL-cholesterol levels will translate into lower rates of heart attack and
stroke. ICER’s report also concludes that the two PCSK9 drugs appear to
have equivalent overall effectiveness for most patient groups.
The
results of ICER’s analyses indicate that the price that best represents the
overall benefits these drugs may bring to patients would be between $3,615 and
$4,811, representing a 67% discount off the list price. But, as Pearson noted,
this price range excludes a critical consideration: potential budget impact.
“Even if these drugs
were used in just over 25% of eligible
patients, then employers, insurers, and patients would need to spend on average more than
$20 billion a year for these
drugs, a cost that would continue on into the future.”
The
report concludes that it would take a further price reduction to an annual drug
cost of $2,177 for the total costs of these new drugs to come down to a level
at which doctors and insurers would not have to try to limit patient use in some
way to keep overall health care cost growth within bounds. Pearson concluded,
“Our draft report therefore suggests that $2,177 is the price that should serve
as an alarm bell –if the cost is more than $2,177 a year, drug companies,
doctors, insurers, and other parties may need to work together to determine
ways to limit the use of these drugs, find savings in other parts of the health
care system, or adopt other measures to help make these drugs more affordable.”
The
report, as well as accompanying draft voting questions, will be open to public
comment until September
22nd at 5:00 PM EDT. Comments should be emailed to info@icer-review.org. ICER will review all
comments received and incorporate changes to the report as necessary. A revised
draft report and voting questions will be posted on October 6th. Guidelines for
submitting public comments, including formatting specifications, are posted on
the CEPAC website.
The
revised draft report will be the subject of deliberation and vote at the next
meeting of the New England Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council
(CEPAC) on October 27, 2015 in Boston, MA. During the meeting on October 27th,
CEPAC members will publicly deliberate on the evidence on comparative
effectiveness and value as presented in the report and discuss the findings
with a policy roundtable of experts to determine strategies to implement
evidence-based recommendations that support effective coverage and use of PCSK9
inhibitors. The meeting will be free and open to the public. There will be a
limited number of slots available for anyone wishing to make an oral comment on
the report during the in-person meeting. Requests to make an oral comment
should be submitted to info@icer-review.org by Tuesday, October 20th.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Relevant
Links The issues raised in the journal article and by Cohen are
just the tip of the iceberg. If
you care
to know more of the 2nd biggest heist by pharma, click
on these
links: Part 7 Videos
on YouTube on food, drugs, and health issues Cholesterol
Myth Cholesterol Myth, source History Infection in Artery Walls the Major Cause
of Atherosclerosis Statins
CVD Myths:
fats, sugars, cholesterol and statins Junk treatments Looking for a topic, use Google Internal Search Engine
INTERNAL SITE SEARCH ENGINE by Google
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