Lyme Disease: ‘Beating Back Death’

April 9, 2021

https://spindigit.com/2020/08/17/lyme-disease-beating-back-death/

Lyme Disease: Beating Back Death

Sara White

With multiple television and movie projects, 2019 was a busy year for southwest Georgia native Stacy Johnson.

That nearly wasn’t the case for the budding young actress because a chance encounter with a tick 14 years ago nearly ended her career — and life.

“When I saw her in 2017, she couldn’t hardly verbalize, couldn’t concentrate, had dizziness,” said Dr. Jeffrey Lawson, the rheumatologist and founder of Piedmont Arthritis Clinic in Greenville, S.C., who diagnosed and treated Johnson. “She had shooting pain in her extremities.”

Before seeing Lawson, the actress had been to a number of specialists who were unable to identify the cause of her symptoms. Johnson was performing in a sideshow at a circus when her crisis hit.

“Her family owns Barnum & Bailey Circus,” Lawson said. “She had a show in Chicago. She died in McDonald’s. Her heart stopped.”

Johnson was resuscitated and hospitalized, but she was no closer to learning the underlying issue.  (See link for article)

___________________ 

For more:  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12919858/?ref_=ttrel_rel_tt

Storyline

“Lyme Disease: Beating Back Death” is a tell-all documentary about a decade’s long battle against Lyme disease. Following the story of Stacy Johnson, a critically acclaimed actress, the documentary, in vivid, personal detail, chronicles the struggles of this horrific disease mentally, physically, and emotionally, and serves as a dire warning to the public.Written by Stacy Johnson

Looks like the release date was Feb, 2021.  Facebook page

Category:

Activism, Lyme

Comments Off on Lyme Disease: ‘Beating Back Death’

Lyme Disease Has the Potential to Emerge in a Wider Range of Habitats Than Previously Thought

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-03-lyme-disease-potential-emerge-wider

Lyme disease has the potential to emerge in a wider range of habitats than previously thought

by Ali Howard, University of Glasgow

March 21, 2021

scotland
Lyme disease has the potential to emerge in a wider range of habitats than previously thought, suggests University of Liverpool and University of Glasgow research.

A new study, published in Emerging Infectious Diseases found that open, treeless habitats can support similar densities of infected ticks as woodland in the UK, challenging established knowledge of which habitats present the most risk.

Lyme disease—an infection contracted from the bite of an infected – is growing in incidence in people in the UK and large parts of Europe and North America. It is usually associated with forested habitats but over the past decade has, somewhat surprisingly, emerged on treeless islands in the Western Isles of Scotland.

Researchers from the Universities of Liverpool and Glasgow, in collaboration with NHS Western Isles and NatureScot, examined the different human and environmental factors which could have contributed to the rise of Lyme disease in the Western Isles.

Co-lead researcher Dr. Caroline Millins, a research fellow at the University of Liverpool, said: “Superficially, the habitats and the climate of these islands look very similar, yet the incidence of Lyme disease on some islands is 40 times higher than the national average for Scotland, while other nearby islands are relatively less affected. This is really intriguing from an ecological and public health perspective so we wanted to try and understand what could be causing this difference.”

For the study, the researchers sampled ticks from different habitats on islands with high Lyme disease incidence and on islands with low incidence to determine tick numbers and infection rates. None of these islands had any forests. They also analyzed survey responses from 522 local adult residents to understand the social and behavioral factors that influence when and where people are exposed to tick bites.

The proportion of infected ticks was found to be around 6% on islands with high numbers of Lyme disease cases, compared to less than 1% on islands with low numbers of cases.

On islands with a high incidence of Lyme disease, the researchers found that open habitats, including grassland and domestic gardens, had similar tick density and prevalence of infected ticks as forested mainland sites in Scotland.

Co-lead researcher Dr. Roman Biek, from the University of Glasgow, said: “This is a striking finding and suggests that microclimatic conditions in these open habitats, possibly driven by the milder oceanic climate on the Western Isles, can be as conducive to tick survival as conditions in woodlands.

“Our study highlights the potential for Lyme disease to emerge in habitats with a suitable climate other than forests so we should be looking at non-forested habitats more broadly both in the UK and globally.”

The survey results found that residents on islands with a high incidence of Lyme disease were more likely to be bitten by ticks, with most people being bitten close to their home or in their gardens. Residents also reported increasing problems with ticks, with many suggesting increasing numbers of deer, and deer coming closer to people’s homes, as a potential driver.

“When we visited the and attended community meetings, there were significant concerns raised by residents about frequent tick bites in their gardens.”

Dr. Millins said: “Our surveys support residents’ concerns and show that spillover of infected ticks into people’s gardens is very common. These findings can suggest ways we might be able to reduce exposure risk, for example by managing garden environments to reduce tick numbers. We have also started to investigate how deer move across the landscape and how that might affect where ticks are found.”

NatureScot’s Outer Hebrides Operations Manager Johanne Ferguson said: “This important piece of research confirms what many in the Uist community have been reporting for some time—that infected ticks are being found much closer to home. The Lyme Disease Research project is carrying out ongoing research into this, which will inform NatureScot’s work with the Uist community, the Uist Deer Management Group and others to find ways to reduce the tick burden in and around villages.”

Isabell MacInnes, a public health nurse specialist with NHS Western Isles said: “We are aware of the increasing numbers of cases of Lyme disease being reported in people living in the Western Isles, and we welcome the evidence provided through this research, which we will use to guide future public health actions.”

Explore further:  Tick behavior and host choice explains geographical patterns of Lyme disease prevalence

More information: Caroline Millins et al. Emergence of Lyme Disease on Treeless Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, Emerging Infectious Diseases (2021). DOI: 10.3201/eid2702.203862
Journal information: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Provided by University of Glasgow

Category:

Lyme, research, Ticks

Comments Off on Lyme Disease Has the Potential to Emerge in a Wider Range of Habitats Than Previously Thought

Volleyball Player ‘The Phoenix’ Rises From the Ashes of Lyme Disease

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/03/26/after-years-battling-lyme-disease-this-volleyball-player-is-back-has-loudoun-county-undefeated/

After years battling Lyme disease, this volleyball player is back and has Loudoun County undefeated

By Ryan McFadden
March 26, 2021

For the past three years, Loudoun County’s volleyball team has had a tradition in which players assume call signs that represent their personality or story. Each player’s navy blue warmup shirt has that word scrawled on the back.

For senior Ella Solomon, Coach John Senchak chose the phoenix — a mythological bird known for ascending from its ashes. It is fitting, given Solomon’s journey from being bedridden with chronic Lyme disease to becoming a key contributor for the Captains.

“She’s our motivation to keep going because of what she’s been through,” senior teammate Alicia McCandless said.

Neither Solomon nor her parents recall a particular moment she started to feel sick or remember seeing a tick, which causes Lyme disease. But the symptoms certainly presented.

Solomon had nagging headaches daily for more than six years, prompting her parents to go to Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore for answers. When Solomon received Lyme tests from doctors, the results were negative.

“The tests aren’t super accurate,” said her mother, Regina. “It may not be in your bloodwork at the moment, but it is still in your body.” (See link for article)

_________________________

**Comment**

Keep fighting – there is hope!

Category:

Activism, Lyme

Comments Off on Volleyball Player ‘The Phoenix’ Rises From the Ashes of Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease & Biofilms: What You Need to Know

https://rawlsmd.com/health-articles/understanding-biofilm?

Lyme Disease + Biofilms: What You Need to Know

by Dr. Bill Rawls
Updated 3/30/21

If you’ve tried everything to get well to no avail, chances are you’re feeling frustrated, confused, and exhausted. After all, which stone could you possibly have left unturned? Many people blame their persistent symptoms of chronic Lyme disease on the slimy collections of microorganisms known as biofilms, as suggested in the recent review article in Frontiers in Neurology.

But are biofilms really what’s stopping you from getting better? Here, we’ll take a closer look at these micro-communities to understand what they are and how they contribute to certain chronic illnesses. Though biofilms are interesting, the role they actually play in chronic Lyme disease may be minor.

What Are Biofilms?

Biofilms are colonies of microbes. They chiefly contain bacteria, but biofilms can also include protozoa and fungi. Biofilms form anywhere there is moisture and a surface. In other words, everywhere — including many surfaces inside the human body. The ring inside your toilet bowl and plaque on your teeth are examples of biofilm.

Certain types of bacteria initiate biofilms that can attach to a moist surface with specialized adhesion structures called pili. Once adhered to the surface, bacteria stick together and produce a matrix of slime called extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). After the matrix has been established, other kinds of microbes can join, creating a structured community. To get a sense of how a biofilm operates, imagine a crowded dance floor with bodies squeezed together, forming a uniform mass, swaying to the rhythm of the music.

A polysaccharide shell on the biofilms’ surface protects the organisms inside from starvation, drying out, the immune system, and antibiotics. The surface can include minerals, such as calcium, and blood products, including fibrin. Safe inside the biofilm, microbes are free to mingle and exchange information. Communication between bacteria, called quorum sensing, is accomplished by signaling molecules. Once a community is formed, particular groups of microbes take on specialized roles of performing metabolic functions for the entire unit. For example, water channels develop within the biofilm for moving nutrients and signaling molecules. The biofilm grows by cell division and recruitment of new individuals.

Reasons Microbes Form Biofilms

  • Conserve nutrients and energy and avoid starvation
  • Bypass the host’s immune system
  • Avoid antibiotics
  • Join forces with other microbes and increase the chances of long-term survival

In essence, the biofilm becomes an organism unto itself. Biofilms are as ancient as any lifeform. They were likely the bridge between single-cell organisms and higher multi-cell organisms.

How Biofilms Work

Biofilms cause illness by damaging the surfaces to which they attach. Additionally, if a biofilm matures and becomes massive enough, it can cause obstructions in organs or impede the function of medical equipment such as stents or catheters. Once a biofilm reaches a certain size (maturation II stage), it disperses, allowing inhabitants to spread and colonize other surfaces. As a means of survival, bacteria in the body are always trying to form new biofilms, and the immune system is constantly working to break them down.

The following graphic illustrates the 5 stages of biofilm development:
circle map with arrows connecting five circles. 1. Initial attachment 2. Irreversible attachment 3. Maturation I 4. Maturation II 5. Dispersion

Common Biofilm Diseases

Typical biofilm diseases occur where there are surfaces and moisture present for the biofilm to form. Examples of biofilm diseases include:

  • Bacterial vaginosis: Associated with biofilm in the vaginal wall.
  • Chronic urinary tract infections: Biofilm on the bladder wall is a contributing factor.
  • Middle-ear infections: Biofilms are linked to chronic middle-ear infections.
  • Heart valve infections: Microbes may attach and form biofilms on heart valves or tissues surrounding the heart.
  • Chronic vertigo: Caused by calcium deposits in the inner ear and may be a form of biofilm.
  • Dental plaque and gingivitis: Classic examples of biofilm found in the mouth.
  • Chronic sinusitis and chronic bronchitis: Associated with biofilm in sinuses and bronchial tubes.
  • Arterial plaque buildup: Responsible for heart attacks and stroke, arterial plaques have many characteristics of biofilm and are often found to harbor bacteria.
  • Hospital infections: Indwelling devices such as catheters are associated with biofilms.

Biofilms readily occur in the intestinal tract. In fact, the formation of biofilms in the colon and appendix is quite normal and supported by the immune system.

Is There a Link Between Lyme Disease and Biofilms?

There has been a lot of talk on Lyme forums about Lyme disease being a biofilm disease. This idea stems primarily from a study done in a lab showing Borrelia, the bacteria associated with Lyme disease, could participate in forming a biofilm.

No doubt, Borrelia can form a biofilm inside a test tube. Forming and participating in biofilm is a natural trait for almost any bacteria. Indeed, if you can’t join in on a biofilm, you’re not much of a bacteria. But most of the symptoms associated with chronic Lyme disease aren’t consistent with biofilm diseases. Biofilms cause localized symptoms primarily by damaging the surface they adhere to. Symptoms of chronic Lyme disease are systemic.

White blood cells, red blood cells, and in blood stream, borrelia disrupting immune system communication.

The symptoms of chronic Lyme disease and persistence against antibiotics are best explained by the fact that Borrelia is an intracellular bacteria. When the Borrelia spirochetes enter the bloodstream, they hitch a ride inside white blood cells and travel to tissues throughout the body, including the brain. Once they arrive at targeted tissue sites — heart, brain, joints, muscles — they emerge and infect other cells. Inside the cell, they can lose their wall and become an l-form bacteria. This, and being shielded inside the cell, provide protection from antibiotics and immune system functions.

The bacteria cannibalize the cell to generate new microbes and then emerge to infect other cells.

Symptoms of chronic Lyme disease are caused not only by bacterial activity invading cells, but also by the immune system’s efforts to eliminate cells that have been infected with bacteria.

The concentrations of cells that have been infected with bacteria, compared to normal cells, is not great. Considering the bacteria are a hundred times smaller than our cells, even millions of bacteria spread out among the trillions of cells in the body isn’t a high concentration of bacteria — tissues are only lightly peppered with infected cells. To take out infected cells nestled among normal cells, the immune system targets the abnormal cells with antibodies, but in the process, there is collateral damage to normal cells. In other words, autoimmunity. Research suggests that the autoimmune phenomenon may be a significant driver of symptoms of chronic Lyme disease.

In addition, bacteria manipulating the immune system to generate cytokines and inflammation may be another contributing factor to Lyme disease symptoms. Inflammation breaks down tissues and allows the bacteria to access vital nutrients from our cells.

The fact that chronic Lyme symptoms are most consistent with Borrelia existing as an intracellular bacteria suggests that this is the primary reason as to why Borrelia is persistent in the body. Participation in biofilm and being able to form an antibiotic resistant cyst form likely also contribute to antibiotic resistance, but these may not be primary factors.

Biofilms may be most relevant to intestinal symptoms that usually accompany Lyme disease and skin diseases like Morgellons that’s sometimes associated with the tick-borne infection. Calcium deposits in the inner ear causing dizziness may also be related to biofilm.

Dealing with Biofilms

Though Lyme disease is not a standard biofilm disease per se, there’s nothing wrong with supporting the body’s ability to deal with biofilms during any illness. A healthy immune system is the best way to slow the formation of biofilm in the body. The immune system is always breaking down new biofilms that start to form — it’s part of the everyday struggle of life.

The following are my preferred herbs and supplements to supports the body’s efforts to break down biofilms:

zoomed in pineapple skin

1. Proteases

Proteases are enzymes that break down proteins. It is thought that proteases may be beneficial for breaking down the outer coating of a biofilm, especially in the gut. Common natural proteases that are available in supplement form include bromelain (from pineapple), nattokinase, and serrapeptidase. Proteases also break down immune complexes in the blood and reduce inflammation.

cell diagram of N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)

2. N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)

A potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, n-acetyl cysteine (NAC)is known to break up mucus and may also play a role in dissolving biofilms. It also protects nerve tissue and liver function.

three overlapping image circles. cats claw, japanese knotweed, and chinese skullcap

3. Antimicrobial Herbs

The best way to overcome chronic Lyme disease, including the possibility of biofilm formation, is persistent use of herbs with antimicrobial properties. The herbal advantage is that herbs suppress pathogens without disrupting normal flora and therefore can be used for prolonged periods of time (years) without adverse side effects. Herbs also protect cells from free radical damage and other stressors, modulate immune system functions, reduce inflammation, and erode away at biofilms. Common herbs with documented activity against Borrelia include Japanese knotweed, cat’s claw, and Chinese skullcap.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, the idea that patients must aggressively hammer away at biofilms with harsh drugs and treatments to see improvements in symptoms may not be a sustainable or beneficial approach for most people. Blasting biofilms with strong chemicals and potent antibiotics has the potential to backfire because it can disrupt the balance of normal flora in the body and inadvertently suppress immune system functions.

In contrast, by supporting a healthy immune system with herbal therapy and a few select supplements, you can etch away at biofilms that may be present, while addressing other more significant underlying causes of your symptomsuntil they’re gone without setting yourself back for days or weeks at a time.

Dr. Rawls is a physician who overcame Lyme disease through natural herbal therapy. You can learn more about Lyme disease in Dr. Rawls’ new best selling book, Unlocking Lyme.

You can also learn about Dr. Rawls’ personal journey in overcoming Lyme disease and fibromyalgia in his popular blog post, My Chronic Lyme Journey.

Learn About Dr. Rawls’ Herbal Protocol »
REFERENCES
1. Supi et al, Characterization of Biofilm Formation by Borrelia burgdorferi, In Vitro, PLOS-one, Oct 24, 2012
2. Karatan E, Watnick P, Signals, Regulatory Networks, and Materials That Build and Break Bacterial Biofilms, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, June 2009, Vol 73 (2), P. 310-347
3. Lennox J, Biofilm Development, Biofilms: The Hypertextbook, Web, May 2011
4. Costerton, Stewart, Greenburg, Bacterial Biofilms: A Common Cause of Persistent Infections, Science, May 1999, Vol 284 (5418) p. 1318-1322
5. Sapi, MacDonald, Biofilms of Borrelia burgdorferi in chronic cutaneous borreliosis, Am J Clin Pathol, 2008, 129, p. 988-989
6. Hoyle, Costerton, Bacterial resistance to antibiotics: the role of biofilms, Prog Drug Res, 1991, 37, p. 91-105
7. Kurti, Munderloh, Ashstrand, Colony formation and morphology in Borrelia burgdorferi, J Clin Microbiol, 1987, 25, p. 2054-2058
8. Figure copyright 2006 Keith Kasnot, MA, CMI, FAMI
9. Image source: http://nutritionreview.org/2014/08/gingivitis-gum-health/
10. Di Domenico EG, Cavallo I, Bordignon V, et al. The Emerging Role of Microbial Biofilm in Lyme Neuroborreliosis. Front Neurol. 2018;9:1048. Published 2018 Dec 3. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2018.01048
11. Datar A, Kaur N, Patel S, Luecke D, Sapi E. In Vitro Effectiveness of Samento and Banderol Herbal Extracts on the Different Morphological Forms of Borrelia Burgdorferi. Townsend Letter, the Examiner of Alternative Medicine. July 27, 2010.
12. Rudenko N, Golovchenko M, Kybicova K, Vancova M. Metamorphoses of Lyme disease spirochetes: phenomenon of Borrelia persisters. Parasit Vectors. 2019;12(1):237. Published 2019 May 16. doi: 10.1186/s13071-019-3495-7
13. Markova ND. L-form bacteria cohabitants in human blood: significance for health and diseases. Discov Med. 2017 May;23(128):305-313. PMID: 28715646.
14. Rivera OJ, Nookala V. Lyme Carditis. 2020 Oct 3. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan–. PMID: 31536195.
__________________________________
**Comment**
Patients often struggle with whether they should go after biofilms or not.  I had this same struggle myself and still do not have a definitive answer.  I know patients who didn’t notice a thing after treating biofilms and others who had great progress.  Herein lies the challenge: what works for one, doesn’t work for another.  We are a conundrum to treat for sure.
I’ve taken everything mentioned in Dr. Rawl’s article for various reasons throughout my journey.  The ones I’ve stuck with are NAC and proteases as both supplements do a myriad of things simultaneously.
I’ll never forget Master Herbalist Stephen Buhner’s advice in the need to find a sophisticated treatment that does many things simultaneously.  I believe he’s absolutely correct.  This saves time and money.
For more on NAC:

For more on Systemic Enzymes (proteases):

Category:

Biofilm, Herbs, Inflammation, Lyme, Treatment

Comments Off on Lyme Disease & Biofilms: What You Need to Know

Just How Powerful is Big Pharma?

April 8, 2021

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2021/04/06/big-pharma-lobbying

Just How Powerful Is Big Pharma?

Analysis by Dr. Joseph MercolaFact Checked
April 6, 2021
big pharma lobbying
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
  • Spending on pharmaceutical industry lobbying also reached a record amount in 2020, at more than $306 million, compared to $299 million in 2019
  • There were 1,502 pharmaceutical lobbyists in 2020, 63.58% of whom were former government employees
  • The top pharmaceutical lobbyist in 2020 was the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), which spent $25.9 million, making them the third top lobbying spender overall
  • The marketing of prescription drugs, health services, laboratory tests and disease awareness rose to $29.9 billion in 2016
  • The Wellcome Trust is a top funder of health research globally and has been a major player in the COVID-19 pandemic, even though it’s invested heavily in companies making COVID-19 treatments

While much of the world slowed to a halt during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, one thing remained steady — lobbying efforts. Spending on lobbying reached $3.48 billion in 2020, which is just under 2019’s record of $3.5 billion.1 The numbers were revealed by OpenSecrets.org, which tracks federal campaign contributions and lobbying data.

The health sector spent the most on lobbying in 2020 — a record $615 million. The efforts paid off, and, Open Secrets reported, “Congress delivered massive windfalls to hospitals and the federal government awarded lucrative contracts to pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers.”2

Spending on pharmaceutical industry lobbying also reached a record amount in 2020, at more than $306 million, compared to $299 million in 2019.3

PhRMA: Top Pharmaceutical Lobbyist for 2020

There were 1,502 pharmaceutical lobbyists in 2020, 63.58% of whom were former government employees.4 A revolving door, in which government employees and former members of Congress take jobs with lobbying firms, is common among lobbyists, and the reverse also occurs, in which people from the private sector end up in government positions.

The top pharmaceutical lobbyist in 2020 was the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), which spent $25.9 million,5 making them the third top lobbying spender overall, behind only the National Association of Realtors and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.6 PhRMA also runs the nonprofit PhRMA Foundation, which gives grants for research that can be funneled all the way to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA does not accept corporate money, but it does receive money funneled to them via nonprofit foundations, which may receive money from other nonprofits funded by private interests, including PhRMA. Take, for instance, the Reagan-Udall Foundation, a nonprofit foundation created by Congress in 2007 to support scientific research that is of interest to the FDA.

The Reagan-Udall Foundation said it would only accept grants from government, individual donors and other nonprofits, not industry, but in 2010 it received a $150,000 grant from the PhRMA Foundation which, being a nonprofit, technically fit the definition of an acceptable funding source, even though it’s founded and funded by drug companies.7

Other Top Big Pharma Lobbyists in 2020

After PhRMA, other top pharmaceutical lobbyists in 2020 included:8

Biotechnology Innovation Organization — $12.56 million Amgen — $11.15 million
Pfizer — $10.87 million Roche Holdings — $10.87 million
AbbVie — $7.07 million Gilead Sciences — $7.03 million
Merck — $6.98 million Pharmaceutical Care Management Association — $6.92 million
Bayer — $6.70 million Novartis — $6.15 million
Eli Lilly & Co. — $5.83 million Horizon Therapeutics — $5.76 million
Johnson & Johnson — $5.57 million Bristol-Myers Squibb — $5.39 million
Medtronic — $5 million

Lobbying was heavy during the first quarter, when industries were eager to influence the first COVID-19 stimulus package.9 Many of the lobbyists also had close ties to congressional leaders. According to Open Secrets:10

“Over 1,000 clients dispatched lobbyists with close ties to the White House or congressional leaders through the first half of 2020. About 40 percent of those clients reported lobbying on issues related to the pandemic.

Pharmaceutical companies that received massive windfalls from the federal government to swiftly develop COVID-19 vaccines deployed Washington insiders. So did firms tasked with producing ventilators, and businesses in hard-hit industries angling for government aid. Companies that had not lobbied during the … administration — or ever before — signed contracts with K Street firms.

The vast majority of these clients are businesses or trade associations, which make up nearly 90 percent of lobbying spending this year. The success of revolving door lobbyists indicates that powerful interests saw former aides to top officials as their best chance to influence high-level negotiations that mostly sidelined rank-and-file lawmakers.”

Big Pharma Lobbying on the Rise

Annual lobbying on pharmaceuticals and health products has been on the rise since 2013,11 and in 2019 the pharmaceutical industry was the top lobbying group in Washington, spending far more than any other industry. Among their top priorities that year was fiercely opposing a bill that would reduce drug costs.12

From 2018 to 2019, some major increases were noted, including for Akebia Therapeutics, which manufactures drugs for kidney disease. Their spending increased from $110,000 in 2018,13 to $1.8 million in 2019,14 and $1.6 million in 2020.15 AbbVie, which manufactures Humira, has also steadily increased spending, from $4.3 million in 2018 to $5.4 million in 2019,16 reaching over $7 million in 2020.17

“That spending,” Open Secrets noted, “comes on top of the industry’s many ad campaigns designed to influence lawmakers and the general public. The industry fights threatening legislation in creative ways, including funding prominent but unrelated associations to push pro-industry messages on the airwaves.”18

PhRMA, for instance, funds the Partnership for Safe Medicines, which is a nonprofit group that claims to be in place to protect Americans from the sale of dangerous counterfeit drugs. In reality, it’s another industry front group, which in 2019 used at least $900,000 in grants to pay for a series of television commercials aimed at stopping the importation of cheaper prescription drugs from other countries.

The ads featured sheriffs warning people of the “dangers” of importing drugs with “loose foreign safeguards,” and claimed to be paid for by the National Sheriffs’ Association. They falsely gave the impression that law enforcement was widely against the less expensive drug imports but, in reality, the Partnership for Safe Medicines, funded by PhRMA, had given the National Sheriffs’ Association the grants to fund the industry-backed commercials.19

$30 Billion Spent on Medical Marketing

The marketing of prescription drugs, health services, laboratory tests and even disease awareness is big business in the U.S., and spending has been on a steady uphill climb since 1997. That year, spending on medical marketing was $17.7 billion, which rose to $29.9 billion in 2016.20

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) spending increased the most rapidly, from 11.9% of total spending to 32%. DTC prescription drug ads accounted for $6 billion in spending alone in 2016, which amounted to 4.6 million ads, including 663,000 television commercials, mostly for high-cost biologics and cancer immunotherapies.

Disease awareness campaigns, meanwhile, are actually marketing campaigns run by pharmaceutical companies geared at diseases treated by their drugs. Such campaigns rose in numbers from 44 in 1997 to 401 in 2016, with spending increasing from $177 million to $430 million over the same period.

DTC marketing for health services also rose from $542 million to $2.9 billion, with spending increases particularly notable for hospitals, dental centers, cancer centers, mental health and addiction clinics and medical services, such as home health care.21

Aside from DTC advertising, Big Pharma is still marketing directly to health professionals — an area that accounted for the most professional spending, according to a JAMA study on medical marketing in the U.S.22

“Pharmaceutical marketing to health professionals accounted for most spending and remains high even with new policies to limit industry influence,” the researchers, from The Dartmouth Institute’s Center for Medicine in the Media, noted. “Despite the increase in marketing over 20 years, regulatory oversight remains limited.”23

Gates and Wellcome Trust Use WHO to Swindle the World

The Wellcome Trust is a top funder of health research globally and has been a major player in the COVID-19 pandemic, including co-leading a WHO program to develop new COVID-19 therapeutics.24However, the Wellcome Trust25 is part of the technocratic globalist network. Wellcome is the largest charity in the U.K. that funds “innovative biomedical research.” It was formed in 1936 after the death of Sir Henry Wellcome, a pharmaceutical pioneer and progressive industrialist.

Their board consists of present or former bankers, insurance executives and investment board members. Sir Henry Wellcome, while still alive, founded the company that went on to become GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), so the Wellcome Trust is essentially the “philanthropic arm” of GSK.

In a BMJ investigation, journalist Tim Schwab points out that the charity’s Big Pharma investments overlap with its research efforts, such that, “The major funder of health research stands to gain financially from the pandemic, raising questions about transparency and accountability.”26

While leading the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator project to deliver COVID-19 treatment options, Wellcome has invested heavily in the companies making the treatments. This includes $389 million in Novartis, which manufacturers dexamethasone, and $347 million in Roche, which is manufacturing monoclonal antibodies.

“Both Roche and Novartis report having had conversations with WHO’s ACT Accelerator about their therapeutic drugs,” BMJ reported, adding:27

“Wellcome’s financial interests have been published on the trust’s website and through financial regulatory filings but do not seem to have been disclosed as financial conflicts of interest in the context of Wellcome’s work on covid-19, even as they show that the trust is positioned to potentially gain from the pandemic financially.”

Profiting From the Pandemic Response

Wellcome’s director, Jeremy Farrar, also has a position on the U.K.’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, which advises the government on COVID-19, as well as a board seat with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which gave $1 billion to COVID-19 vaccine development.

While Farrar has spoken publicly on the benefits of specific COVID-19 drugs, Wellcome is heavily invested in companies manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, and reported gains of $4.5 billion from its investments in 2020, which the BMJ notes is “three times more money than the trust gave away in charity.”28

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is also in line to profit from its role in the pandemic response, as it has more than $250 million invested in COVID-19-related companies. Despite their financial interests in the “solutions” they’re touting, the Gates Foundation and Wellcome have been regarded favorably in the media for their role in pandemic response efforts.

The BMJ quoted Joel Lexchin, Professor Emeritus of York University’s school of health policy and management in Toronto, who stated:29

“What the pandemic is doing is buffing the reputation of organisations like Gates and Wellcome and the drug companies, when I don’t think they really deserve that buffing up.

I think they’re acting the way they always have, which is, from the drug companies’ point of view, looking after their own financial interests, and from the point of view of the foundations is pursuing their own privately developed objectives without being responsible to anybody but their own boards of directors.”

The fact remains that, via their extensive lobbying efforts and marketing, Big Pharma is continuing to grow ever more powerful, as are the foundations connected to them.

______________________

For more:

Category:

Activism, Treatment

Comments Off on Just How Powerful is Big Pharma?