ALS and the market for false hope

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is probably one of the most devastating diagnoses that we should all hope to never hear. Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, or motor neuron disease, ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that are responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. As the disease advances, both upper and lower...

/ December 18, 2025
CDC campus

So Long 2025

This will be my last post of the year and as usual I like to look back at how SBM is doing. We have now completed 17 years as a blog, which I think is something in itself. As always I have to thank David Gorski and all of the regular contributors here for their tireless work without any compensation except fulfilling...

/ December 17, 2025

Terrain in Vain

Now I got a job, but it don’t payI need health insurance, I need somewhere to stayBut without all of these things I can doBut without vaccines, I won’t make it throughBut you don’t understand my point of viewI suppose there’s nothing I can do I have been on a bit of a Clash binge of late. Truly one of the great...

/ December 16, 2025

The FDA under MAHA control: Weakening the quack Miranda warning on supplements

The FDA sent a letter to the supplement industry assuring that it would make it easier for them to hide disclaimers (which we like to call "quack Miranda warnings") about unproven health claims for supplements. What does this tell us about MAHA?

/ December 15, 2025
A man in gladiator armor stands in an arena, holding a sword and shouting with arms outstretched. Large text reads, "ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?.

Dr. Marty Makary: Using Dead Children to Create a Spectacle of Accusations

Via podcasts, Fox News interviews, and "leaked" memos, our FDA leaders are teasing "profound revelations" about dead children and hidden data, complete with dastardly villains and brave heroes, namely themselves. Stay tuned for more!

/ December 12, 2025
A medical machine processes blood through tubes attached to a patient’s arm, which is resting on a table; the setup is in a clinical room with various medical devices.

Extracorporeal Blood Oxygenation and Ozonation

There is an entire industry catering to people who, as Webb once famously said on the hilarious Homeopathic A&E skit, have “more money than sense.” This is the so-called “wellness” industry, now supercharged by an online army of “wellness influencers”. At first approximation, this entire industry is basically a scam. That may sound unfair, but it is built into its very essence....

/ December 10, 2025
Trump is antivax.

“Best practices”: The buzzword that the Trump administration will use to eliminate as many vaccines as RFK Jr. can

The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met last week, eliminating the universal recommendation for the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine. There was, however, a more insidious threat to vaccines in a White House press release after the meeting cloaked under the buzzword "best practices."

/ December 8, 2025
A hairless animal with an elongated body lies on sandy ground. Its features are not easily identifiable, and one area on its side is covered by a red shape.

Dr. Marty Makary: Mad Scientists, Biowarfare, Nazi War Criminal Doctors, Half Rat-Deer Carcasses, and How COVID, AIDS, & Lyme Came from A Lab.

Dr. Makary desperately wants everyone to know he is a brave, free-thinker, able to see the world objectively and without bias, smarter than 99% of his peers. However, in reality his brain is cooked.

/ December 5, 2025
3D illustration of a coronavirus particle, highlighting its spike proteins and a cross-section revealing genetic material inside—often studied in gain of function research. Several similar particles float in the background.

“Gain of Function” Research Is Misunderstood – And That Is A Problem

Misplaced concerns or opposition could lead to overregulation or even banning

/ December 4, 2025
An assortment of fast food and snacks, including a cheeseburger, hot dog, pepperoni pizza slice, french fries, potato chips, chocolate bar, donuts, cookies, popcorn, onion rings, and a glass of soda with ice.

The War Over Ultraprocessed Foods

Recently the city of San Francisco sued several food giants (Kraft Heinz, Mondelez and Coca-Cola) for deceptively marketing “ultraprocessed foods” and then externalizing the resulting health care costs onto the public. They cite a recent Lancet review which concludes: “The totality of the evidence supports the thesis that displacement of long-established dietary patterns by ultra-processed foods is a key driver of the...

/ December 3, 2025