In the November issue of my Insiders’ Cures newsletter, as well as in a recent Daily Dispatch, I told you how the flu vaccine has been overhyped by the government for years. Now it appears that the popular flu treatment Tamiflu also suffers from over-promotion and lack of real science.
According to the British Medical Journal, the drug manufacturer (Roche) has been hiding clinical data. (A frequent problem of drug-company research that I will tell you more about in a forthcoming Dispatch).
Apparently only two of 10 clinical trials conducted on Tamiflu® were ever published. And those two were funded by the drug manufacturer. And authored by Roche employees and paid consultants.
According to independent researchers, the effectiveness of the drug has been over-stated while potentially serious adverse effects have been under-stated. All the while, Tamiflu® has been added to the list of “essential” drugs—without any real science to back it up.
It’s best to avoid the flu by following the precautions I gave you in the November 2012 issue of Insider’s Cures. But if you do get the flu, be very careful about drug treatments. The old-standby advice to get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids is always a safe bet—and it won’t cost you anything. Or require you to take risky, unproven drugs.