Jerry Avorn, MD

So that made sense back in the 80s and the 90s. The problem is that has grown into a loophole big enough to drive a Brinks truck through. And what I mean by that is that the FDA has gotten way too comfortable with the idea of saying, well, nobody really showed this drug helps patients, but it makes a lab test look better. So let's just let everyone have it.

So that made sense back in the 80s and the 90s. The problem is that has grown into a loophole big enough to drive a Brinks truck through. And what I mean by that is that the FDA has gotten way too comfortable with the idea of saying, well, nobody really showed this drug helps patients, but it makes a lab test look better. So let's just let everyone have it.

and then we'll ask the company to do better studies later and that's where that alzheimer's drug aduhelm came from the fda said no evidence that this clearly helps patients with alzheimer's disease to have any better memory but it makes your brain amyloid levels seem a little lower so let's approve it

and then we'll ask the company to do better studies later and that's where that alzheimer's drug aduhelm came from the fda said no evidence that this clearly helps patients with alzheimer's disease to have any better memory but it makes your brain amyloid levels seem a little lower so let's approve it

and then we'll ask the company to do better studies later and that's where that alzheimer's drug aduhelm came from the fda said no evidence that this clearly helps patients with alzheimer's disease to have any better memory but it makes your brain amyloid levels seem a little lower so let's approve it

and then they did not get around to making the company do follow-up studies and as a result we have this drug that the initial list price was 56 000 a year it can cause brain swelling and hemorrhage and stroke um so you know no drug is going to be without side effects but you're willing to accept them if somebody has shown that the drug really works.

and then they did not get around to making the company do follow-up studies and as a result we have this drug that the initial list price was 56 000 a year it can cause brain swelling and hemorrhage and stroke um so you know no drug is going to be without side effects but you're willing to accept them if somebody has shown that the drug really works.

and then they did not get around to making the company do follow-up studies and as a result we have this drug that the initial list price was 56 000 a year it can cause brain swelling and hemorrhage and stroke um so you know no drug is going to be without side effects but you're willing to accept them if somebody has shown that the drug really works.

But if nobody's shown the drug works, and we know it causes side effects like brain swelling and bleeding, and it costs $56,000 a patient, that was probably one of the clearest examples of how we should not have approved that drug. And sure enough, later on, the drug needed to be pulled because after many years, it became clear that it was not only not helpful, but it was dangerous. So

But if nobody's shown the drug works, and we know it causes side effects like brain swelling and bleeding, and it costs $56,000 a patient, that was probably one of the clearest examples of how we should not have approved that drug. And sure enough, later on, the drug needed to be pulled because after many years, it became clear that it was not only not helpful, but it was dangerous. So

But if nobody's shown the drug works, and we know it causes side effects like brain swelling and bleeding, and it costs $56,000 a patient, that was probably one of the clearest examples of how we should not have approved that drug. And sure enough, later on, the drug needed to be pulled because after many years, it became clear that it was not only not helpful, but it was dangerous. So

You know, given that we've got such wonderful drugs out there, we just need to do what FDA was assigned to do and has drifted away from over the years.

You know, given that we've got such wonderful drugs out there, we just need to do what FDA was assigned to do and has drifted away from over the years.

You know, given that we've got such wonderful drugs out there, we just need to do what FDA was assigned to do and has drifted away from over the years.

Right. And we shouldn't have to rely on, well, the drug's been around for many, many years before I'll take it, because frankly, the American public deserves to get access to drugs and not just make sure that it's been a decade and no one died from it, so I'll take it. I think the answer, and there are some very hopeful answers to these questions.

Right. And we shouldn't have to rely on, well, the drug's been around for many, many years before I'll take it, because frankly, the American public deserves to get access to drugs and not just make sure that it's been a decade and no one died from it, so I'll take it. I think the answer, and there are some very hopeful answers to these questions.

Right. And we shouldn't have to rely on, well, the drug's been around for many, many years before I'll take it, because frankly, the American public deserves to get access to drugs and not just make sure that it's been a decade and no one died from it, so I'll take it. I think the answer, and there are some very hopeful answers to these questions.

It's not like we all need to throw up our hands and say, you know, I'm scared of drugs. Drugs are great. I love drugs. they are some of the best and most useful things we can do for our patients.

It's not like we all need to throw up our hands and say, you know, I'm scared of drugs. Drugs are great. I love drugs. they are some of the best and most useful things we can do for our patients.

It's not like we all need to throw up our hands and say, you know, I'm scared of drugs. Drugs are great. I love drugs. they are some of the best and most useful things we can do for our patients.