On September 7th,a man named Henry Gonzalez filed a class action lawsuit in California against Boiron, Inc., the worldwide homeopathic pharmacy. The suit alleges that Boiron’s flu remedy, Oscillococcinum, “is nothing more than a sugar pill.” Gonzalez claims he didn’t get the results promised in the advertisement. Of course, he could simply have returned the remedy for a refund. Instead, he wants us to believe, he decided to spend thousands of dollars to file a legal action for all the people in California who bought the remedy. It doesn’t take much imagination to see the hand of Pharma in all this, since the remedy Oscillococcinum competes in the market with Pharma’s lucrative antiviral drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza ( sales reached 1 billion/ year). The flu season is just beginning in the U.S., so the timing is right.
Oscillococcinum has had three double-blind, randomized clinical trials, showing that it shortens the severity and duration of flu-like symptoms. When taken within 24 hours of symptom onset, 62.9% showed “clear improvement” or “complete resolution” within 48 hours (versus 48.5% for the placebo). One of the studies received the highest rating by the Cochrane Review. This is a safe, inexpensive remedy, that can knock five days off of a seven day flu.
On the other hand, the drug Tamiflu only claims to take one day off of a seven day flu. It costs ten times more and carries some serious side effects.In 2008 the FDA acknowledged Tamiflu had caused delirium and abnormal behavior, which in some cases resulted in death.
For any thinking person, choosing between the homeopathic remedy and the drug, is really no contest. No wonder Pharma is getting nervous and might be looking for ways to eliminate the competition. In a moral wasteland, where profit is the only consideration … it’s just business.
In This Issue:
Our hot seat interview is with Claudia De Rosa,founder and Principal of the Vis Vitalis Education International School in Italy, Director of Provings and Research at IHRC and author of five books.
Hepatitis C expert Dr. Cindee Gardner has a chat with our editor and answers important questions about treating that disease.
Dr. James Tyler Kent offers his remedy secrets for ministering to patients during the last moments of life.
Homeopath Elaine Lewis gives us the low down on treating the causes of illness.
Dr. Julia C. Loos explains how we can always find symptoms to prescribe on, even in the most urgent cases.
We have a cured psoriasis case from Dr. S. A. Manicam. Dr. William Payne shares four cured cataract cases. Sohani Gonzalez presents a cured case of facial tics. Dr.James B. Bell presents three surgical cases.
We have veterinary cases from Dr. Jacques Millemann and Sharon Soltes and an article on the homeopathic treatment of wildlife that have been poisoned, from experts Shirley and Allan Casey.
Homeopath Cor van der Meij discusses disease classification and Iman Navab presents anecdotes from the history of homeopathy. Our editor also chats with Joerg Wichman, developer of a new provings website.
There is much, much more, including Elaine’s wonderful quiz, The Plant Doctor (send your questions! ),Tips and Secrets and a new Crossword Puzzle and Cartoon. So pull up a comfortable chair and your favorite snack and enjoy. Send your questions, comments, cases and articles to [email protected]
yes, we just, with you, recognize “Big Pharma”!..
I fully agree with Alan Schmuckler but I would include in the article the hastily confectioned vaccine against the Mexican flu type including dangerous coadjuvants as immune boosters. The French population in majority has opted against the irresponsible game with health that triggered huge amounts of public expenditure being diverted towards an unproven even dangerous product and chose in its large majority oscillococcinum or more traditionally a four months long treatment with polyinfluenzinum both efficient in either preventing or treating a first sign of what could be a flu attack.
I find it reassuring that common sense has prevailed over public panick and pharmaceutical profit maximisation. Strangely enough despite this massive plebiscite there are still allopaths that using old and used arguments continue their aggressive battle against homeopathy in the country that once gave refuge to Samuel Hahnemann after life and work had become intolerable in his home country Germany.
Dear Ruediger,
I remember when the Hepatitis B vaccine was banned in France. That was a real vitory for the people. In the U.S. that vaccine is stil given to infants within days of birth. Since Hep B is spread by promiscuous sex or drug use (sharing needles), there is no reason to give it to babies, except greed. These are crimes against humanity.
My best
Alan
Alan, I had no idea of the existence of this lawsuit against Boiron, thanks for bringing it to our attention. I didn’t know there were clinical trials regarding Oscillococcinum either, but, surely, this will make the lawsuit against Boiron impossible to win! And really, does Aspirin cure EVERY headache? Can I sue the Bayer company if I take aspirin for my headache and it doesn’t work? Yeah, I’d very much like to know who this Gonzalez guy is (and which drug company he works for)! I hope Boiron counter-sues!
I love your editorial Alan.
It is so ironic that this lawsuit is being threatened at a time when anti swine flu vaccines used in Europe are being considered at least partially responsible for narcolepsy in children/young adults. There has been a nine fold increase in narcolepsy among those who were given Pandemrix, the GSK vaccine.
Curiously, Boiron was also mentioned in recent Skeptic material, implying that they were creaming millions off gullible people…
Blessings,
Rhóda Uí Chonaire, Dublin Ireland
Greetings Rhoda,
It is ironic, but it shows that Pharma is relentless in pursuing its agena. In the U.S. seniors and children line up for Flu vaccines that still contain mercury. Pharma has corrupted the government regulators which should have stopped that. Here is my Sept cartoon, a reference to Madame Defarge fron Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” :
https://hpathy.com/medical-cartoons/the-enemies-list/
Warm regards
Alan
I agree with the article but I have an even more interesting report. Here in Sweden the Pig influencer vaccine was available for everyone and it has been released that it was not tested correctly before it was used.
To day many cases of sleep narcolepcy have been related to the vaccine ,they are talking about -the medication some of the young people receive at such a young age etc,etc
This is bad enough but the follow i cannot prov but my wife’s Uncle 78years a very healthy man who took the injection and the day after fell sick I cannot give full details as i do not know—but when I can into the picture while visiting at the Hospital.I had treated him previously so I knew him to be a Sulphur so I gave him D12 due to the other medication he was on (Vaccination after)he of course obtain a much better state of health and was moved to a rehab clinic and I lost touch with him –but after 10days he went down hill again–I was not involved. Within one week he died of no apparent reason. I would mention again this was a very healthy man before he had the injection he was eating no medication and used to exercise every week. I have heard of others case of a simliare nature.
It does make one wonder about ethics etc of the medical manufactures!!
Greetings Dick,
I shall have to revise my view of the Swedish government as elightened,progressive and humanistic. It seems the hand of Pharma has reached there too. Inthe U.S. they are still giving mercury laden Flu vaccines to seniors and children. These vaccine manufactures have the disease of greed, for which there is no vaccine.
Warmly
Alan
Dear Editor,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. But honestly, I don’t feel very sorry for Boiron in this case. The cobbler should stick to his last and should not meddle with things he doesn’t understand. This for that prescribing in homeopathy is a doubtful thing to do. Those who risk to do it have to accept the result. “Oscillococcinum has had three double-blind, randomized clinical trials, showing that it shortens the severity and duration of flu-like symptoms. When taken within 24 hours of symptom onset, 62.9% showed “clear improvement” or “complete resolution” within 48 hours (versus 48.5% for the placebo). Two of the studies received the highest rating by the Cochrane Review. This is a safe, inexpensive remedy, that can knock five days off of a seven day flu.”
What does this tell us? Does it tell us that such trials are reliable and free from unwanted influence towards a wanted result? How badly does the homeopathic community curse against such trials in conventional medicine. There is good reason for doing so. But why not in this case?
Maybe I have a wrong perception of the situation. But then I’m glad to learn better.
Well-meaning,
Siegfried Letzel
Thank You, Alan, for bringing the Oscillococcinum situation to our attention. Indeed Pharma has deep pockets and is massively interested in keeping them so.
How sad for suffering humanity.
Dear Sir,
Though clinical trials give more than 60% of improvement, it is better to educate the Public to know the keen homeopathic symptoms of the drug’Oscillococcinum’as drug for ‘flu’.It is better to print as’SUGAR PILLS with dynamic potency power’.
I hope, this will avoid legal action.
ganesan.m
Is there a drug proving of Oscillococcinum (duck liver) in Q potency? Does consumption of duck liver cause flu like symptoms? Or do we have only Boirons word on this?
Over the years the pharmaceutical cartel has been caught selling drugs it knew were ineffective or not safe. They made millions of dollars in profits on these drugs.
Boiron is a family business which has been dedicated to producing safe and effective remedies since 1932. During all that time there has never been a scandal about their remedies. They make a quality product with great care. Why you you doubt them? On what basis other than a suspicious nature? Millions of people have used Oscillococcinum, myself and my family included, with brilliant results. That’s the proof, and the study is incidental.
My question is whether there are drug provings of this medicine in Q potency ( duck liver) as per the spirit of homeopathic principles? Do eminent Homeopaths such as Dr. Vithoulkas accept these remedies and use them in their practice? I have seen concerns expressed by many Homeopaths in various forums that it is ineffective compared to individualized remedies.Thanks.
It would be very interesting to find if there is an actual connection with big pharm, I guess we shall see. This is slanderous to a fine product, all my patients use this prophelatically with great sucess. Please post the citations for the noted research so we can all submit letters to the editor in our areas.
There’s always going to be somebody that expects miracles and are the first to yell ‘foul!’ when they don’t get the results they expect(or in his case, however much currency comes with bogus lawsuits these days). I’ve used the Boiron formula for well over 10 years at the first sign of a snuffle, no side effects except I’ve not had the flu or pneumonia.
I find it interesting, he’s going to “file a legal action for all the people in California who bought the remedy.” That’s an awful lot of people he’s speaking for that likely have no clue who he is. It smells more an attempt to blackmail a company into paying him in a state where frivolous lawsuits are the norm, not the exception.
Though modern thinking is that getting flu is “bad”, traditionally, according to classical homeopathy observations by masters–have shown that people who do not get flu have very weak vital force. In fact people who do not easily catch flu will surely have underlying chronic conditions/ miasms. Suppressing flu, either allopathically or homeopathically, was (and still by some practitioners) considered to be dangerous. It was also a common practise, though sadly lost nowadays, to give an acute remedy only at the END OF AN ACUTE episode. The body has to ride out the acute disease in order to “cleanse” itself periodically.
Dear Jithu,
The homeopathic remedy mentioned is not generally used prophylactically, although it probably can be. There was a time when people held chicken pox or measles parties, so the children would all get those ailments over with. However, when they did get sick, homeopathy was used to help them. It eased the discomfort and prevented sometimes dangerous sequelae. Giving a chronic remedy at the end of an acute is the usual procedure.
Yes, obviously this appears to be another venture if big pharma to slander Homeopathy,
through an innocuous person like Henery Gonzales
Yes, obviously this appears to be another attempt by the envious big pharma to defame
and slander Homeopathy through an innocuous person like Henry Gonzalez. Homeopathic dugs including nosodes are subjective remedies curability of which depends on the symptoms produced by the disease. If the symptoms don’t agree Homeopathic pills are no better the plain sweet pills. In the U.S and Canada no drug can be marketed unless it is approved by F.D.A. Occillococcinum is an approved drug the efficacy of which has been verified and recognized by the F.D.A.
There must be numerous cases in which the famous Phrma Brand Tylenol might have
not acted or even reacted, but no hue and cry is ever raised. Here this stray case of failing Occillococcin has been given derogatory publicity just to set the public mind against
Homeopathy. Big Pharma has immense resources to carry on their nefarious activities, while we depend on our patients only who have benefited and got cured permanently.
Let’s not bother too much about what they do and keep our reserve as our Grand
Master Hahnemanne did in face of grim opposition by the Old School. This is their old game and we should simply ignore it till the matter actually goes to the court.
I only started using Oscillococcinum recently but it has been amazing. Stopped the course of flu for the three people, as if they had never had any symptoms – just one dose for one of them, two for the other two.
I too would like the citations for the research. This is a great site.
Thank you,
JennyH
…..qué dilema……………..salud vs dinero
that`s the question