Big Herba
One of the strawman arguments I constantly hear is that Big Pharma (the pejorative term used by woo-meisters to describe ethical pharmaceutical companies) block natural therapies because they will lose profits. My argument has always been that if these “therapies” actually worked, Big Pharma would find a way to patent them, bring them to market and make more profits. Well, at least that’s what I thought.
Then, Marilynn Marchione, an Associated Press medical writer (and quickly becoming a favorite of mine) recently coined the term Big Herba. You see, the supplement, potion and herbal pill industry is not made up of altruistic, non-profit little companies bringing their magic to you the consumer. Actually, far from the truth, apparently the supplement industry is $23 billion in the US alone. One of the largest woo-meister companies, NBTY Inc., formerly known as Nature’s Bounty. Doesn’t that name seem natural and healthy? It’s a $2 billion corporation, which doesn’t have to follow the same rules as Big Pharma, which is strictly regulated by the FDA. Big Pharma has to prove its claims through basic scientific research, multiple clinical trials, and post-marketing follow-up. Big Herba, on the other hand, is regulated like a food–there’s broad leeway for Big Herba to say whatever it wants, with little or no scientific support. Oh, just in case someone says “but they do science,” I mean large double-blind clinical trials published in peer-reviewed journals.
Henceforth, anyone brings up the Big Pharma strawman gets the Big Herba reply.
By Michael W Simpson
Then, Marilynn Marchione, an Associated Press medical writer (and quickly becoming a favorite of mine) recently coined the term Big Herba. You see, the supplement, potion and herbal pill industry is not made up of altruistic, non-profit little companies bringing their magic to you the consumer. Actually, far from the truth, apparently the supplement industry is $23 billion in the US alone. One of the largest woo-meister companies, NBTY Inc., formerly known as Nature’s Bounty. Doesn’t that name seem natural and healthy? It’s a $2 billion corporation, which doesn’t have to follow the same rules as Big Pharma, which is strictly regulated by the FDA. Big Pharma has to prove its claims through basic scientific research, multiple clinical trials, and post-marketing follow-up. Big Herba, on the other hand, is regulated like a food–there’s broad leeway for Big Herba to say whatever it wants, with little or no scientific support. Oh, just in case someone says “but they do science,” I mean large double-blind clinical trials published in peer-reviewed journals.
Henceforth, anyone brings up the Big Pharma strawman gets the Big Herba reply.
By Michael W Simpson