[*QUOTE*]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Consumer Health Digest #15-04
January 25, 2015
Consumer Health Digest is a free weekly e-mail newsletter edited by Stephen Barrett, M.D., with help from William M. London, Ed.D. It summarizes scientific reports; legislative developments; enforcement actions; news reports; Web site evaluations; recommended and nonrecommended books; and other information relevant to consumer protection and consumer decision-making. If you enjoy this newsletter, please recommend it to your friends.
###
Court enables homeopathic class-action suit to proceedA California federal judge has denied Hyland's Inc's. motion for summary judgment in a class-action suit alleging that claims that severalof its homeopathic products fight colds and influenza quickly and effectively are false and violate California law. The class-action complaint
http://www.casewatch.org/civil/hylands/forcellati/consolidated_amended_complaint.pdfcontends that
(a) homeopathy is a pseudoscience,
(b) the product labels are false and misleading, and
(c) the company promotes unwarranted fear and distrust of standard over-the-counter medicines.
The judge rejected the company's argument that federal laws preempt the plaintiffs' claims. In April 2014, the court granted nationwide class status in the case
http://www.casewatch.org/civil/hylands/forcellati/class_action_order.pdf,which was filed in 2012 against Hyland's, Standard Homeopathic Co., and Standard Homeopathic Laboratories Inc. Lead plaintiffs Enzo Forcellati and Lisa Roemmich contend that the defendants misrepresented their children's cold and flu products as safe and effective even though they are "nothing more than sweetened, flavored water with . . . highly diluted concentrations of the products' so-called 'active ingredients.'" The judge said that the plaintiffs' claims raise a triable issue of fact and the suit could therefore proceed
http://www.casewatch.org/civil/hylands/forcellati/sjm_ruling_2015.pdf###
“Wellness Center" criticizedDr. Stephen Barrett has issued an investigative report about the Groton Wellness Center, a clinic in Groton, Massachusetts that was founded by two "holistic" dentists. The facilities include a dental clinic and a medical clinic and spa with a combined staff of 18 practitioners.
The dental staff advocates removal of root canals, removal of amalgam fillings
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/mercury.html,meridian tooth analysis
http://www.dentalwatch.org/questionable/toothcharts.html,and cavitation surgery
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/cavitation.htmland is opposed to all forms of fluoride administration. The medical clinic/spa offers intravenous nutrient therapy,
cranial-sacral therapy
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/cranial.html,oral chelation,
reiki
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/reiki.html,electrodermal screening
http://www./01QuackeryRelatedTopics/electro.html
,breast thermography
http://www.devicewatch.org/reg/thermography.shtml,a 10-day "supercleanse, quantum reflex analysis,
homeopathy
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/homeo.html,reflexology
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/reflex.html,and "chakra evaluation."
the clinic's Web site includes the "Groton Wellness Diagnostic Tool"
http://www.grotonwellness.com/gw-center/online-diagnostic-toolwhich consists of three pages of questions and a final page that makes the same 21 recommendations no matter how the questions are answered. The center's founders and another staff member have been disciplined by their state licensing boards.
[Barrett S. Some notes on the Groton Wellness Center
http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/Nonrecorg/groton/overview.htmlQuackwatch, Jan 23, 2015]
###
Burzynski treatment fails teen with brain cancerMcKenzie Lowe, whose family persuaded the FDA to permit her to be treated with antineoplastons provided by Stanislaw Burzynski, M.D., has died.
After McKenzie failed to respond to standard treatments for her aggressive cancer, her grandfather collected signatures and pleaded with legislators and government officials to allow her to receive antineoplaston treatment—a campaign that made national headlines.
In March 2014, the FDA granted a compassionate use exemption for McKenzie to receive the drug if a local physician would oversee its administration.
The physician who agreed to do this noted that the odds were against her.
McKenzie's grandfather reported she had crippling side-effects from the treatment and her tumor continued to grow.
[Guilmet A. Hudson teen loses cancer battle
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20141027/NEWHAMPSHIRE02/141029148.New Hampshire Union Leader, Oct 26, 2014]
Although Burzynski's treatment is highly questionable, the FDA has permitted him to administer it for many years in unusually structured clinical trials.
[Szabo L. Doctor accused of selling false hope to families
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/15/stanislaw-burzynski-cancer-controversy/2994561/.USA Today, July 14, 2014]
William London, Ed.D., M.P.H., has severely criticized the agency for doing this.
[London WM. Another brain cancer patient suffers and dies following Burzynski treatment
http://web.randi.org/swift/another-brain-cancer-patient-suffers-and-dies-following-burzynski-treatment.Oct 27, 2014]
David Gorski, M.D., has expressed additional concerns about the cost of McKenzie's treatment.
[Gorski D. R.I.P., McKenzie Lowe. Stanislaw Burzynski failed you
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2014/10/30/r-i-p-mckenzie-lowe-stanislaw-burzynski-failed-you/Respectful Insolence Blog, Oct 30, 2014]
In 2013, the Texas Medical Board filed charges that could lead to revocation of his medical license.
[Barrett S. Stanislaw Burzynski, M.D., facing serious disciplinary action
http://www.casewatch.org/board/med/burzynski/complaint_2013.shtml.Casewatch, July 14, 2014]
###
Continuing request for help from Dr. BarrettIn June 2010, Doctor's Data, Inc. sued Dr. Barrett because it didn't like what he wrote about them on Quackwatch and in this newsletter. The events leading up to the suit are described at
http://www.quackwatch.org/14Legal/dd_suit.htmlIn November, 2011, about half of the allegations were dismissed, but discovery was permitted for more than a year. The rest of the suit is ripe for dismissal (the court is now considering another motion to dismiss), but the proceedings have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even small donations, if sent by enough subscribers to this newsletter, will be very helpful. Contributions to reduce the cost can be made by mail or through
http://www.quackwatch.org/00AboutQuackwatch/donations.html###
Other issues of the Digest are accessible through
http://www.ncahf.org/digest14/index.htmlTo help prevent the newsletter from being filtered out as spam, please add
bounces-chd@lists.quackwatch.org
to your address book or other "whitelist." To unsubscribe, log into your chd account or send a blank message to
chd-unsubscribe@lists.quackwatch.org
This must be sent from the address you used to subscribe. To subscribe from a new address, send a blank message to
chd-subscribe@lists.quackwatch.org
=================================
Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Consumer Advocate
Chatham Crossing, Suite 107/208
11312 U.S. 15 501 North
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Telephone: (919) 533-6009
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[*/QUOTE*]
