The Health Sciences Institute is intended to provide cutting-edge health information.
Nothing on this site should be interpreted as personal medical advice. Always consult with your doctor before changing anything related to your healthcare.

The 2014 'hall of shame'

Big Pharma’s ‘worst of the worst’ of 2014

It’s hard to believe that 2014 is down to the wire.

And it was a year of health care scandals and disgraces that may go down in history — starting with the first full year of that outrage called Obamacare.

It was pretty obvious that this “great” plan to bring health insurance to everyone wasn’t going to work from the start — beginning with a website that crashed and burned.

And even the name, the “Affordable Care Act,” was a joke (on us) from the beginning, as insurance companies are protected from all losses for another two years by a government safety net.

That’s right. We won’t know how high premiums will go until Obama is gone from the White House! Very convenient, don’t you think?

But Obamacare wasn’t the only disgrace I told you about this year.

There were other things taking place that deserve to be mentioned again, as well as receive special “honors” in the 2014 Hall of Shame.

A killer sales pitch

If you’ve watched TV for more than 10 minutes this year, you’ve certainly seen the commercials for the blood thinner Pradaxa. It’s new! It’s improved! Why you don’t need any blood testing with Pradaxa!

How easy is that?

The only problem with that sales message is that the people who know the most about Pradaxa didn’t believe one word of it. Secret documents and emails unsealed by a judge in Illinois revealed that Boehringer Ingelheim employees knew full well that many would still need regular blood testing. And that the bleeding danger increases with a patient’s age. And that for older patients it was much more dangerous than warfarin.

But the company’s marketing department said it would be harder to sell if that information got out. So it didn’t.

And Boehringer made over $2 billion in sales on the drug. And over a thousand people who took Pradaxa may well have died as a result.

The Lipitor lollypop?

Pfizer, still in a deep depression over the expiration of the patent on its risky stain drug Lipitor, hatched a new idea on how to keep bringing in the billions: make Lipitor as easy to buy as candy.

By getting it sold over the counter, it will allow everyone to get their hands on this dangerous med. One that should be considered too risky to take even if prescribed by your doctor!

Pfizer got all its ducks in a row this year to get this insane idea approved.

All it needs now to keep the Lipitor money rolling in is a wink and a nod from the FDA. And soon after that, you’ll find the drug on the shelf at every 7-11.

The 325 mg solution

After three years to “get ready,” Big Pharma finally had to lower the amount of acetaminophen in its prescription drugs to 325 mg this year.

The FDA had been protecting this sacred cow for decades. But it finally admitted that amounts higher than that “are no longer considered safe.” A bigger dose, it said, doesn’t give enough benefit to “outweigh” the risk of destroying your liver.

But wait…what about the zillions of OTC drugs out there — from cold meds to arthritis pills — that contain double that amount? Why isn’t the FDA limiting those doses?

Tylenol Arthritis Pain pills, for example, can be purchased almost anywhere. And if you take just one, you’ve downed 650 mg of acetaminophen!

But, as usual, the FDA doesn’t have an answer for that one. Its only words of advice are if you’re taking acetaminophen, “please be careful.”

The Big Sleep

Belsomra, a new sleeping pill the FDA approved this year, is so dangerous, even the agency is worried.

And even if you never take pill one, you still have to watch out.

That’s because Belsomra works in a “special” new way. It’s so new and so special that no one is exactly sure how those who take this drug will react to it.

But one thing we do know is that anyone who pops a Belsomra to get to seep may not be fit to drive the next day. And the kicker is, they’ll likely have no idea that driving is a really bad idea for them, either.

The FDA calls that “psychomotor impairment.”

And that’s just a fancy way to say there may be a zombie driving toward us on the highway…or sidewalk.

The most terrible secret of all

I first told you about this horror back in April. And of all the things I’ve discovered over the years, this has to be the most awful.

Certain vaccines contain cells and DNA derived from aborted fetuses.

These “ingredients” are in the shingles shot for adults, Varivax (chicken pox) for children, MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), and the polio and hepatitis vaccines.

And nothing your doctor or pharmacy gives you about these shots will tell you that. It’s not on any signs, information sheets, or even the release form you have to sign.

Aside from the shock of hearing what terrible ingredients these vaccines contain, a new study this year found a link between these fetal-cell vaccines and autism. It seems that autism rates jumped significantly each time another vaccine containing these immoral ingredients came out.

Now, while we can’t stop things like this from going on, we can let others know.

So let’s hope that in 2015, this, and all other deep, dark FDA and Big Pharma secrets won’t be able to stay secret for very long.

Get a free copy of 5 Household Items that Cause Cancer

By texting HSI to 844-539-1128, you are providing your electronic signature expressly consenting to be called and texted (including by prerecorded messages, using an autodialer, and/or automated means) with alerts, stories, reports, and marketing communications from Institute of Health Sciences, LLC. and its authorized representatives at the phone number you provide, including landlines and wireless numbers, even if the phone number is on a corporate, state or national Do Not Call list. You also consent and unconditionally agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including the arbitration provision and class action waiver contained therein. Msg&data rates may apply. 15 Msgs/Month. You are not required to agree to this as a condition of making a purchase.

Terms & Conditions

The following Terms and Conditions apply to your use of the website located at hsionline.com (the “website”) and any text messages that you send to or receive from the Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C. These Terms and Conditions constitute a binding agreement (“Agreement”) between you (“you”) Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C (“we”, “us”, etc.)  Please read these terms carefully. 

By providing your telephone number to us, texting us a short code listed on the website, or otherwise indicate your agreement to these Terms and Conditions, you are agreeing to the mandatory arbitration provision and class action waiver below. 

ARBITRATION IS MANDATORY AND THE EXCLUSIVE REMEDY FOR ANY AND ALL DISPUTES RELATED TO THIS WEBSITE, THIS AGREEMENT, AND ANY TELEPHONE CALLS, EMAILS, OR TEXT MESSAGES THAT YOU RECEIVE FROM OR ON BEHALF OF US, UNLESS SPECIFIED BELOW OR UNLESS YOU OPT-OUT.

Text Messaging and Telemarketing Terms and Conditions

When you provide your telephone number on this website or send a text message to us with or from a short-code, you agree to receive alerts and communications, and marketing messages including those sent via automated telephone dialing system, text messages, SMS, MMS, and picture messages from Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C at the phone number you provide on this website or the phone number from which you text the short code, including on landlines and wireless numbers, even if the phone number is on a corporate, state or national Do Not Call list. You also agree to the mandatory arbitration provision and class action waiver below. Your consent is not required to purchase goods or services. Message & data rates may apply.

You may opt-out at any time by texting the word STOP to the telephone number from which you receive the text messages.  Call 1-888-213-0764 to learn more.  By providing your telephone number, you agree to notify us of any changes to your telephone number and update your account us to reflect this change. Your carrier may charge you for text messages and telephone calls that you receive, or may prohibit or restrict certain mobile features, and certain mobile features may be incompatible with your carrier or mobile device. Contact your carrier with questions regarding these issues.

Dispute Resolution by Binding Arbitration and Class Action Waiver

Any dispute relating in any way to telephone calls, emails, or text messages that you receive from or on behalf of Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C this website, or this Agreement (collectively “Disputes”) shall be submitted to confidential arbitration and shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the State of Maryland, excluding its conflict of law provisions.  For the avoidance of doubt, all claims arising under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and state telemarketing laws shall be considered “Disputes” that are subject to resolution by binding individual, confidential arbitration.

If a Dispute arises under this Agreement, you agree to first contact us at 1-888-213-0764 or help@hsionline.com. Before formally submitting a Dispute to arbitration, you and we may choose to informally resolve the Dispute.  If any Dispute cannot be resolved informally, you agree that any and all Disputes, including the validity of this arbitration clause and class action waiver, shall be submitted to final and binding arbitration before a single arbitrator of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) in a location convenient to you or telephonically. Either you or we may commence the arbitration process by submitting a written demand for arbitration with the AAA, and providing a copy to the other party.  The arbitration will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the AAA’s Commercial Dispute Resolutions Procedures, Supplementary Procedures for Consumer-Related Disputes, in effect at the time of submission of the demand for arbitration.  Except as may be required by law as determined by the arbitrator, no party or arbitrator may disclose the existence, content or results of any arbitration hereunder without the prior written consent of both parties. Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C will pay all of the filing costs.  Without limiting the foregoing, YOU EXPRESSLY AGREE TO SUBMIT TO ARBITRATION ALL DISPUTES RELATING TO ANY TEXT MESSAGES OR TELEPHONE CALLS YOU RECEIVE FROM OR ON BEHALF OF US OR ANY ENTITY WITH WHOM WE MAY SHARE YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER.  Further, we both agree that all entities with whom we share your telephone numbers shall be third party beneficiaries of this Agreement to Arbitrate Disputes, and that those entities have the same rights as Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C to enforce this arbitration provision.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following shall not be subject to arbitration and may be adjudicated only in the state and federal courts of Maryland: (i) any dispute, controversy, or claim relating to or contesting the validity of our or one of our family company’s intellectual property rights and proprietary rights, including without limitation, patents, trademarks, service marks, copyrights, or trade secrets; (ii) an action by us for temporary or preliminary injunctive relief, whether prohibitive or mandatory, or other provisional relief; (iii) any legal action by us against a non-consumer; or (iv) interactions with governmental and regulatory authorities.  You expressly agree to refrain from bringing or joining any claims in any representative or class-wide capacity, including but not limited to bringing or joining any claims in any class action or any class-wide arbitration.

The arbitrator’s award shall be binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, no arbitration under this Agreement may be joined to an arbitration involving any other party subject to this Agreement, whether through a class action, private attorney general proceeding, class arbitration proceedings or otherwise.

YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WOULD HAVE HAD A RIGHT TO LITIGATE IN A COURT, TO HAVE A JUDGE OR JURY DECIDE YOUR CASE AND TO BE PARTY TO A CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION.  HOWEVER, YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO HAVE ANY CLAIMS DECIDED INDIVIDUALLY AND ONLY THROUGH ARBITRATION.  You shall have thirty (30) days from the earliest of the date that you visit the website, the date you submit information to us through the website, or the date that you send a text message to us, to opt out of this arbitration agreement, by contacting us by email at help@hsionline.com or by mail Health Sciences Institute, PO Box 913, Frederick, MD 21705-0913. If you do not opt out by the earliest of the date that you visit the website, the date you submit information to us through the website, or the date that you send a text message to us, then you are not eligible to opt out of this arbitration agreement.

Electronic Signatures

All information communicated on the website is considered an electronic communication.  When you communicate with us through or on the website, by text message or telephone, or via other forms of electronic media, such as e-mail, you are communicating with us electronically.  You agree that we may communicate electronically with you and that such communications, as well as notices, disclosures, agreements, and other communications that we provide to you electronically, are equivalent to communications in writing and shall have the same force and effect as if they were in writing and signed by the party sending the communication.

You further acknowledge and agree that by clicking on a button labeled “ORDER NOW”, “SUBMIT”, “I ACCEPT”, “I AGREE”, “YES”, by texting a short code to us in response to a request on this website, or by clicking or similar links or buttons, you are submitting a legally binding electronic signature and are entering into a legally binding contract.  You acknowledge that your electronic submissions constitute your agreement and intent to be bound by this Agreement.  Pursuant to any applicable statutes, regulations, rules, ordinances or other laws, including without limitation the United States Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, P.L. 106-229 (the “E-Sign Act”) or other similar statutes, YOU HEREBY AGREE TO THE USE OF ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES, CONTRACTS, ORDERS AND OTHER RECORDS AND TO ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF NOTICES, POLICIES AND RECORDS OF TRANSACTIONS INITIATED OR COMPLETED THROUGH THE WEBSITE.  Furthermore, you hereby waive any rights or requirements under any statutes, regulations, rules, ordinances or other laws in any jurisdiction which require an original signature, delivery or retention of non-electronic records, or to payments or the granting of credits by other than electronic means You may receive a physical paper copy of this contract by contacting us at help@hsionline.com.

Privacy Policy

Please read our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference.  In the event of any conflict between these Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy, these Terms shall control.

Contact Us

You may contact us by telephone at 1-888-213-0764 or by email at help@hsionline.com.