Category: Clinical Trials
EMDR Is Still Dubious
A recent meta-analysis of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy concludes that the evidence “confirms” EMDR is effective in treating depression. It is a great example of the limitations of meta-analysis, and how easy it is to create essentially a false narrative using poor quality research. EMDR was “developed” by Dr. Francine Shapiro in 1987. It is the notion that bilateral...
Latest Acupuncture Pseudoscience
JAMA Internal Medicine just published an article titled: Acupuncture vs Sham Acupuncture for Chronic Sciatica From Herniated Disk, A Randomized Clinical Trial. In an accompanying editorial comment, Jerard Z. Kneifati-Hayek and Mitchell H. Katz write: “This was a methodologically rigorous study; there were multiple experienced acupuncturists, the comparison group used a well thought-out sham control, and patients were followed up for 1...
Donald Trump bragged that “right-to-try” has saved thousands of lives. It hasn’t.
Former President Donald Trump bragged in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention that "right-to-try" had saved "thousands of lives"? What's the real story? (Hint: Nowhere near that.)
FDA Advisory Committee Recommends approval of new Alzheimer’s drug Donanemab
If approved, donanemab would be the third FDA approved disease-modifying beta-amyloid treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
Generic Drugs: Are they different?
Standards in place for generic drugs should give consumers confidence that these products are just as effective as their brand-name equivalent.
We finally learn from TACT2 what we should have known two decades ago: Chelation therapy doesn’t work for heart disease
At SBM, we've long argued that chelation therapy for heart disease is quackery. An abstract presented recently finally confirmed that. Why did it take so long?
COVID-19 vaccine-caused “turbo cancer” nonsense just keeps getting more turbocharged
No matter how implausible it is or how weak the evidence for it is, the myth that COVID vaccines cause "turbo cancer" just won't die. Quite the contrary, alas. Antivaxxers are—dare I say?—turbocharging it with bad science.
Fenbendazole is fast becoming the laetrile of the 2020s
Antivaxxers who "repurposed" deworming drugs like ivermectin and fenbendazole are peddling cancer "miracle cure" testimonials that remind me of laetrile and Stanislaw Burzynski. Truly, everything old is new again.
Adios Aduhelm
The controversial and never-proven-effective drug to treat Alzheimer's disease, aducanumab (Aduhelm) has been discontinued.
Pegcetacoplan (Syfovre™) for macular degeneration: an update
SBM's guest contributor and ophthalmologist, Dr. David Weinberg, provides an update on the phase 3 trials of pegcetacoplan for macular degeneration. The results are still disappointing.