Is Big Pharma a Conspiracy or Not?

[Miercoles]

I am quite concerned that pharmaceutical companies are so caught up in making money that they often encourage us to ignore simpler, more natural remedies. Many drugs have so many side effects that patients need additional drugs to deal with the side effects. We end up in a vicious circle. Despite this we must acknowledge the benefits that have been derived from improved drugs. It is not all bad.

[liya999]

I also heard that a big farm has its positive side.

[aolayide]

Even though Big Pharma patent drugs, it is still a business. No one wants to set up a business and see it fail. Do you have any idea how long it takes for a drug to go from natural extract to the Panadol tablet you see on the Pharmacist's shelf? 15+ years of trial and error research plus over $144 million in the drain minus the hassle it takes to get FDA approval.

Apologies to those who give arm and leg to keep a stock of their required medications but forgive me for saying this, if there is a conspiracy going on, I guess I could say they have a right to ...

[Cleis]

I don't know that I would call Big Pharma a conspiracy but I do think that the privatization/capitalization of medical care means that people aren't given access to treatments that could work for them due to their profiteering. The way that Big Pharma makes decisions is like a business - it doesn't matter that those decisions determine life and death. They're looking for a healthy profit margin, and I think in that way Beljanski's statements about the pharmaceutical industry are spot on.

I don't want to downplay the severity of the Big Pharma profiteering - it's really extreme - but the prices of the Beljanski products concern me too. I was looking through The Beljanski Foundation's website as well as that of Natural Source International (a company S. Beljanski founded to sell the products) I noticed that some of the prices for the products seemed expensive ($85 for a bottle of 10 e-coli vitamins - is $8.50 a pill reasonable?) Not everything there seemed totally kosher to me. For instance, they're selling "Oncotea" at about $1.00 per tea bag, but it seems like something I could get at my grocery store. Maybe taking everything into consideration the prices aren't terrible, but to me (an outsider) they seem steep. If someone knows better and thinks I'm totally off here, let me know!

[briellejee]

Despite this we must acknowledge the benefits that have been derived from improved drugs. It is not all bad.

I agree with this. Improved drugs like penicillin and even vaccines have helped us a lot. well, there will always be pros and cons in regards to everything.

[dhomespot]

Big Pharma is a disease that has spread out of control. It is a sad case when people have to decide between eating, having electricity or getting life saving medicine because the cost of those medicines went up 400%.

[Sh3rlockian]

I'm not sure I would go as far as to say they are a conspiracy, but I wouldn't say they are looking out for our good. Especially where profit margins are concerned. People's health shouldn't have a price tag and definitely not beyond reasonable drug production costs.

[JuliaKay]

It is certainly something that I have considered. Of course, alternative medicines that are more readily available and affordable would remove money from the pockets of the big-pharma's, but it is terrible to think that people would have to suffer for this reason.

[timd]

It is unfortunate that our excessive profit dominated society will produce companies that will only be interested in the amount of money that they can make. Such companies will probably not be interested in natural alternatives that will not help them in this regard. On the other hand, there are a lot of companies selling so-called natural alternatives and making a lot of money from this. I have read several books and many articles on the subject and qualified doctors all urge to be careful of relying on alternative products and that the claimed benefits have not been properly tested and verified in clinical trials. It is virtually impossible for a layman to make an informed decision about this, but I do believe that there is a conspiracy to hide the truth behind certain alternatives, but one should still consider help from traditional medicine. I have found references to actual examples where alternative treatments have been suppressed. In South Africa traditional native healers enjoy a recognised status which is not the case in the United States, I believe.

[Joe Hadithi]

I absolutely agree with those calling Big Pharma a capitalist scam. It is.

[Cjgarland89]

I agree with most of the replies on this topic as well. Big Pharma is first and foremost a business, a very very profitable business. These companies don’t by chance shut down natural and less expensive treatments, they do it purposely so ensure that they can continue to increase profits year after year. It’s disheartening, but it is how the western world has become, its greed above all.

[Ttarantelli]

I also think pharmaceutical companies are only in it for the money. We should have more choices on treatments and alternative medicines.

[mamilla93]

Well, I wouldn't say conspiracy, but, Big Pharma is a corporate business and the example of greed and capitalism at its worst.

[Ashiyya Tariq]

I think Big Pharma is a BIG reality. As we see the cancer is being spread in the world, especially in third world countries, in a "planned way" provides sufficient proof of the monopoly of Big Pharma in the world. These companies with many other world Mafias create such environment and food items that are injecting cancer in small children and adults. They become cancer prone and receive the disease of cancer easily. And then the work of Big pharmaceutical companies starts as they sell cancer medicine and earn billion. So they would never ever like to abolish this disease. Rather, they are working to promote it.

[Ashiyya Tariq]

I am sorry about the side effects. How are you now though? I am also aware that most, if not all, of these doctors and companies have a greed and blame it on the cancer rather than on chemo. My grandmother, a surgical nurse, had cancer and she told my mom not to put her on chemo because itswno use and she wants to die peacefully. No use in extending her life anymore if it would be attached to drugs. But she's old, so i guess she felt it's time to go. I dont know how it would be to young people who still want to see what life is in store for them.

My diagnosis was 10 years ago. I wouldn't call them side effects. They are permanent, life-altering effects. Yes, it is a more complicated decision for a young person. I would not choose it at any age and am glad people are beginning to write about their experiences with these practices.

You are right, the time has come to introduce people with alternative healing methods to cure cancer. As not every one can afford the traditional expensive healing methods (chemotherapy or radiotherapy)of cancer. Alternative methods are more safe, less costly, and less painful. And the way this disease is spreading day by day has increased the value of alternative healing techniques for cancer.