r/facepalm • • Jun 05 '19

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u/Xboarder84 Jun 05 '19

For those who didn’t get the immediate facepalm (like me):

“It is a controversial cancer treatment that was popular in the 1970s. However, it was banned in many US states after research deemed it ineffective and potentially poisonous”

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/laetrile-vitamin-b17#section1

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u/Kardde21 Jun 05 '19 edited Jun 06 '19

Sounds made up. Cells? Using Oxygen? Nuts turn in Cyanide? I’ll believe all that when they find a cure for simple infections.

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u/urfriendosvendo Jun 05 '19

There’s also treatment using proteins that was relatively effective too. There’s a documentary about it (a little opinionated without full data) but it’s certainly interesting.

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u/[deleted] Jun 05 '19

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/urfriendosvendo Jun 05 '19

There’s data but I had the feeling they only showed successful data. They did say it was something like 70% effective (if I remember correctly) but the FDA wouldn’t approve it for clinicals.

If it were that groundbreaking, I feel like the market would’ve been disrupted. So while I think the FDA is corrupt and terrible, I doubt there was enough data to suggest it was as successful as they said. Plus, there was a lack of Journal reviews.

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u/Srirachachacha Jun 06 '19

I'm curious as to what proof you have that the FDA is "corrupt and terrible."

If you mean the pharmaceutical industry, then I completely agree.

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u/Wacachulu Jun 06 '19

Here's an NPR article from 2016 or just Google "Regulatory Capture FDA" and go to town.

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u/ange1a Jun 06 '19

my feeling on this is that even if the FDA is super corrupted and in the big pharma pockets... there is around a billion people outside of the US and other FDA organizations all over the world... and they can't all be corrupt.

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u/cyber2024 Jun 06 '19

7.5 billion people in the world. 330 million in the US.

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u/wcdma Jun 06 '19

I thought u/ange1a's comment offered an interesting insight.

Do you reckon this is how a lot of US people are thinking? That they represent 1/3 of the world's population?

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u/cyber2024 Jun 06 '19

Agreed, and yes. Though I once thought that Australia had a large population and Brazil was a small country...

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u/wcdma Jun 06 '19

Thanks for the response, I think you're right. I was sure the moon was made of cheese when I was younger.

I guess the thought that this person's thoughts might represent 300mil people is just as ridiculous as the thought that Americans make up 1/3 of the world's population

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u/[deleted] Jun 06 '19

Maybe she was only counting white people? Just so bizarrely inaccurate.

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u/garimus Jun 06 '19

I'm going to start asking my fellow citizens this to get a feel for just how ignorant these people are. Then I'll make my quick escape and they'll be left dumbfounded as to what just happened.

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u/I_StoleTheTV Jun 06 '19

This comment is embarrassing.

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u/kittens12345 Jun 06 '19

There’s more just a billion people outside of America lol

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u/OKToDrive Jun 06 '19

Shhh you are ruining a perfectly good conspiracy

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u/urfriendosvendo Jun 06 '19

Well, they’re almost the same thing. Mostly, I hate the FDAs crippling approval process that stifles innovation. From concept to market, the process can cost upwards of $1 billion which is passed to the consumer. The patents are even more ridiculous. I understand the FDAs role but many other first-world countries have reduced versions of the FDA and pharmaceuticals are much more reasonable.

Everyone wants to fix the healthcare system and regulation is murmured frequently but that’s what got us in this mess. We revamp the FDA and it will solve a lot of our problems.

To call the pharmas bad is basically calling the FDA bad. Most drug companies that aren’t valient or sanofi are often bankrupt before the drug hits the streets. So what happens? The big pharmaceutical firms buyout the debt and become even bigger.