The Most Insane Cover-Ups and Deceptions by the Medical Industry 

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Thalidomide was never licensed in the United States because Frances Oldham Kelsey, despite repeated applications from the company and significant political pressure, refused to let it pass by her desk without additional safety data. It was one of the first applications she reviewed when she took the job at the FDA.

My grandma got Contagan (Thalidomide) from her dr when she was pregnant with my mom. When my great grandma saw the package on the table she threw it in the oven saying "you don't need such shit" it's scary to think about how lucky my family was that day. There's a high chance i only exist thanks to my grumpy great grandma.

I was on Lyrica for Fibromyalgia for years. That lawsuit screwed me over hard. The VA refused to prescribe Lyrica for anything but it's intended use, i.e. not for fibro. So I had to go on one of the "approved" medications. I don't recall that six or eight months, but the "approved" medication is now listed as an allergy in my records and I've had several friends tell me they don't know how I survived. But, I literally have no memories from that time period, so no harm, no foul.

The fines a Pharma Co. receives for "knowingly" marketing something dangerous should be greater than the profit of said product to help discourage this unfortunately common crime.

I was orginally put on Depo Provera (an injectable birth control) to stop my periods because i was quite literally bleeding to death because of an uncontrolled bleeding disorder. I once made the mistake of mentioning this to another doctor who reported it to my insurance company and they refused to cover it because the primary use wasn't birth control. Me being kept alive by it was an off-label use and not covered. You wouldn't believe how hard i had to fight to convince them i wanted birth control to use as birth control just so i didn't end up bleeding out. 😳 Sadly, at the time, my bleeding disorder was so rare, that there was no other treatment for it and because it was rare, no money was being put into finding treatment for it either. So sometimes off label use can be a life saver.

Off-label prescriptions absolutely have a rational basis behind them. Just, as an example, I was prescribed propranolol (a beta blocker antihypertensive medication) for anxiety. Worked like a goddamn charm, and believe me when I tell you it kicks the shit out of benzos for chronic use. So, basically, instead of an addictive drug that tends to lose efficacy over time (something like Xanax or Ativan), I got a blood pressure medication prescribed at a dose where it doesn't really have any significant effect on my blood pressure but cut down on the panic attacks considerably (as it would prevent my heart from racing when I thought about my heart racing lol, thus preventing the thing that always made me panic, and frankly, it's one of the least side effect ridden drugs I've ever taken at the dose I was prescribed. To be fair, it doesn't actually do anything mentally, so if I've already gone down the rabbit hole it won't stop it (that's the one thing benzos have an edge on), but it was able to altogether prevent me from ever actually going down the rabbit hole in the first place, as it essentially just deadened the physiological response that would set the whole thing in motion (though, don't get me wrong, if something goes bump in the night, I still have a significant adrenaline rush, it just made it so that I basically can't think myself into a panic anymore lol)

we need a video on the legal history of why Simon (and other people too, i guess) needs to put "allegedly" on every accusatory statement made towards big corporations

I like how Kevin is embiggening Simon's vocabulary with the use of Cromulent, all the while we're chuckling to ourselves knowing he didn't get the joke........ :P

Off label prescriptions are super normal. My periods would basically leave me bedridden and it's not like that anymore

I definitely think off-label prescriptions need to be allowed. I'm one of those women who use birth control for PCOS...and untreated PCOS is a NIGHTMARE. The only other option for PCOS is surgery to remove your ovaries.....and then you'd be dealing with menopause as a young woman.

Thalidomide answers here: (I’m a professor that has taught medical students biochemistry and my mother helped reintroduce thalidomide to the market as a cancer drug after the thalidomide baby generation). It is still called thalidomide and is used to treat rare cancers like myeloma and myelofibrosis. Interesting, when an American company brought it back to Europe as a cancer drug the pope had issues with the company’s policies to ask female patients if they were/might be pregnant to avoid more birth defects. The company that reintroduced thalidomide for cancer was soon bought by the only other company with a competing drug (which was drastically more expensive). Now it is used for cancers, host-vs-graft disorders, leprosy, and AIDS-related skin and blood conditions. There had been a lot of new and shady developments in thalidomide’s story since the 1950s.

I have endometriosis and tho birth control will not cure it it helps so much by making sure it takes longer to grow. I am lucky to have one that cuts my period completely so I have less pain and don't have to deal with the extra pain and symptoms every month (or more! I had one every 2ish weeks at one point)

My doctor put me on Vioxx after a car accident. What I didn't know was that Vioxx was a blood thinner which isn't that big of a deal unless you have a bleeding disorder like I did. I went in for surgery and they couldn't stop the bleeding. My doctor knew damn well about my bleeding disorder and I could have easily died. Welcome to the world of kickbacks to doctors who prescribe certain drugs.

OG BB subs remember when we had to wait a week to blaze, then Simon expanded the Blazement and captured several more writers, now we have a near daily Blaze

The U.S. FDA did not approve Thalidomide because of the persistance of pharmacologist Frances Oldham Kelsey. Thus, there were only a few Thalidomide children in the U.S., the most prominent being the fetus of Sherri Finkbine, whose husband had gotten thalidomide over the counter for himself on a trip to Europe and brought it home to Phoenix, AZ, where his pregnant wife used it. Realizing that her fetus would be severely deformed, she sought an abortion, which, at the time, (1962) was illegal all over the U.S. She received an abortion in Sweden. The fetus, so deformed that the Swedish doctor couldn't tell the sex, had no legs, one arm, and would have been non-viable. I remember her story, as "Mrs. Finkbine" was in the news all over the country at the time.

I mean, birth control being used to treat menstrual issues shouldn't really be considered off lable use. The drug's intended effect is to control/alter your menstrual cycle, in both cases that's the desired result. I see how in most cases the technical differences could be a huge problem, but it seems redundant in this instance.

As someone who has multiple health problems, I have been prescribed many different drugs during my life. I’m in the mid fifties now. So I’m used to reading leaflets about side affects. One of the last prescribed by my Consultant, had the worst sided affect I’ve read. It stated that one of the side affect could be death. Never had that one before.

Simon's ability to be surprised about something he knows that might not be common knowledge is amazing when you figure he's done five or six videos on it previously.

In Scotland I went to school With a Thalidomide victim. He just wee teeny arms and hands. The early 60s. At the same time I met a girl who had been touched by Polio. She had leg braces. Us Scots were a healthy lot.

Simon not knowing Cromulant is perfect proof that the Simpsons is just another thing he's never watched.

Yes yes! Right as I sit down, crack a beer, and spark a joint a notification for Brain Blaze graced my screen. Blaze on

Nooo don't take away off-label prescribing, that would affect like 50% of psych meds. Maybe more.

15:55 Simon has too much faith in pharmaceutical companies. They have to have done their own internal tests, otherwise how could they ever be sure that "independent" lab wasn't working with one of their competitors. They have at least one set of internal testing too.

Off-label prescriptions have changed my life for the better. It takes so long to get the approvals. Waiting for them when the drug is deemed safe would cause a great deal of unnecessary suffering. I would have no way to treat some of my health conditions if it were not allowed.

I couldn’t actually believe that they created a “ thalidomide commemerative statue” so I had to look it up. WTF?!?! How is this actually real? What complete and utter psychopath thought that was a good apology?!?!?!! Honestly, it’s almost like the company is saying, “if you didn’t question our judgement after thalidomide, how about now?”

We need a similar video for other industries with fun crimes, like construction or finance.

Someone should do the math how much of this episode is from the script and how much is simon reacting. I bet more than half of it is simon guessing what the next line would be about, or mis-remembering what he read in last week's script.

Next time can we talk about that time a pharmaceutical company launched one of the biggest drug abuse epidemics in recent history?

How does Simon know that New Jersey is nicknamed the Garden State, but not that Michigan and Illinois are separate states, and Chicago is a city in the latter? 🤣

Fun personal experience as a fellow doctor's kid: My mom had a promotional cloth tote bag with "Metrogel: Vaginal gel" emblazoned *all over it* and would routinely take it to the supermarket to bag groceries. And this was back when (at least in the US Midwest) someone would often pack your grocery bag for you. Those poor baggers!

I laughed cromulently, thusly I smashed the "Like" button.

Cromulent is actually a made up word from The Simpsons and went RIGHT over Simon's head, LOL!!! ~ According to the DVD commentary for The Simpsons, the showrunners asked the writers to come up with two nonce words that sounded like words that could be in actual use. Writer David X. Cohen came up with cromulent as one of those words. It means "acceptable" or "fine." ~

im on birth control because when im not on it my period just never stops. it took 2 months of constant crampy and bloody period to get the pills and every time i hear something about politicians or whoever wanting to take away access to contraceptives i fear returning to the days of being unable to do anything but curl up on my bed and beg for death

I was actually on Geodone for off-label use. Was warned it was an old school anti-psychotic and rarely used because of side effects. I have chronic migraine it worked and I was completely pain free. Unfortunately I started to get the side effect of severe facial pain and had to get off it immediately. That one pain free day was the last I've had in decades. :(

Genuinely surprise that Simon didn't know the word cromulent. Also, despite the comment towards the end, there was not actually a section cut out of the video. But you can get the full script and other cut intros (and other writing) through my bio.

According to a friend who is a doctor, to get a drug approved by the FDA it only has to have an efficacy rating of 35%. This means that out of 100 people 35 will be helped by the drug. Drug companies project the profitability of a new drug. When the lawsuits get to a certain level the drug gets pulled.

Kevin has won me over, his scripts are so cromulent

Simon, it's perfectly cromulent to miss a Simpsons reference

When I was a teenager I took the malaria medicine for leg cramps. It worked perfectly, but not to long ago they got onto the doctors for going off label with their drugs. They can't prescribe it for leg cramps anymore, which is a pity because it worked.

Simon realizing that his alarm clock was telling him to wake up in more ways than one

Simon: "Surely everyone knows about this medication they've never taken and which was taken off the market before most of them were born." Also Simon: "How does something which kills microbes (bacteria) also kill bacteria?"

"Allegedly, in my opinion," has to be in the top ten Simon phrases

Off-label prescription of certain drugs can (at times) work out well. I used to have a lot of trouble being able to get to sleep at night as a kid, so my doctor prescribed me a very low dose (0.2mg) of Clonidine, a drug intended for blood pressure management. However, Clonidine also has a side-effect of extreme drowsiness. Once the pandemic started and my stress went skyward, I went back on it again - and, frankly, the original blood pressure management part of it is probably beneficial now, too.

My favourite thing about the pharmaceutical industry is all the commercials saying "this drug is believed to do this." BELIEVED? All that means is they have NO CLUE what it does. But, here they are, on a national campaign to make us pay a year's wage for each bottle of something no-one knows anything about. Why? Because MONEY....

"Safe and Effective." Like that submarine going to titanic...

Is Kevin in the basement yet? Or is that a cover up? Allegedly

I took vioxx for foot pain. It was great. Glad I didn't have the fatal heart attack.

I actually take BC because I have a blood clotting disorder that gives me 6 week long periods if unmedicated. The regulation for my cycle actually keeps me from dying of blood loss.

Many medications have been found to treat ailments they originally weren't designed for. Viagra was originally developed as a blood pressure medication, more recently we've found out that a certain controversial drug that was effectively used to treat an illness was essentially blacklisted from treating a related illness despite its efficacy. So in a few years you might be talking about the latter.

One of the meds I used to take for ADHD gave me withdrawal symptoms when I stopped. I had splitting migraines for a month and had tremors near constantly.

Ok. I enjoy the "new" Brain Blaze format, but I still miss the old school standing and script slapping ranting format of the old episodes. How many signatures or how much $$$ would it take for Simon to do an old school episode for the Business Blaze fans? I know Simon loves capitalism and money, so I'm sure we could motivate him. There has to be a number, right? Maybe as an anniversary episode?

Just wanted to say I stand in awe and admiration of y'alls incredible linguistic skills in the ever changing you boob vocabulary dance. Bravo Guys❤

Corporations being legally allowed to settle to avoid a guilty verdict, jail terms or their corporation being rightly shut down, as well as pay out far less than they potentially otherwise would, is one of the worst things governments ever allowed to happen. Making a settlement a tax write-off should also definitely be made illegal. Nevermind some of the insane restrictions that come with accepting settlement agreements.

The editing is always *chef's kiss*

idk i just am a patient but i have type 1 diabetes and your channel exposing people and corporations responsible gives me a lot of hope to keep living thanks for all your hard work and production

My friends mom worked for Pfizer and my wall clock in my bedroom when I was a teenager was a Zoloft clock with the little bouncing S.A.D. dot from the commercials on the face. Lol

The Clot Shot ain't mentioned Simon?

Adderall is closer to Meth than Coke lmao wouldn’t call it baby coke more like Shaq coke 😂

I've lived in Jersey all my life yes we're called the garden state even though it's just 2 county's that farm now. Yes the movie Garden State is about Jersey and it's a super huge deal and something we brag about all the time.

BB binge while my wife gives birth, and a fresh one to toss in hell yeah!

Everybody with bad periods talking about how birth control makes life livable again HAHA I went thru progesterone, I think two different pill brands, and now I have a Mirena IUD and the IUD has been the best thing ever. I can go swimming again, I'm not kept bedridden half the month EVERY month, I can exercise without pain finally. Highly recommend, esp in this post Roe v Wade removal US.

Fun fact I take thalidomide and the forms I have to sign saying I won't get pregnant are insane. I have to have regular pregnancy tests and I could actually be legally held responsible if I did get pregnant and it harmed the fetus. I can't even get pregnant and I still have to say I won't get pregnant

As a pharmacist in the USA, I approve this message.

I'm taking an off-label medication (no idea what it's actual use is) because of a specific side effect. It was noted by some soldiers that it also had an effect on their PTSD nightmares. So I'm taking it now (not a soldier. Neighbour was and it destroyed him mentally).

Off-label prescriptions... Yeah, I still remember that time when my childhood doctor was like "So I guess you're having migraines or something... have you ever heard of Oxycontin?"

But somehow it became completly ridiculous not to trust pharmaceutical Companies and their claims in the last three years ...

Fact boy, just because it’s not called business blaze anymore doesn’t mean you can’t do even more things business related.

Enbiggening is a perfectly cromulent word

" I have taken drugs today ", sitting there, drinking coffee.

If corporations are going to be treated like humans they should be required to have morals.

18:00 I always thought that was true, but during the last few years, doctors have been chastised and threathened with legal action for that (look up flccc for on- and off-label protocols with scientific backing). Alledgedly because the medical industry didn't make money off of that - now where have we heard that before...

i've been on and off at least 20 different depression/sleeping/anxiety meds (probably more) in the last 10 years and they haven't helped at all. statistically, i've taken 5 (at least) separate off label meds. scary shit. though the seizure meds i take right how help an insane amount so it isn't all bad.

the use of cromulent in this episode embiggens me lmao

Knew about Thalidomide, but never heard about that statue. Eeee gads!

Is my main gonna talk about medical gaslighting. That’s a very real thing

Etymology - Cromulent A humorous, intentionally morphologically opaque neologism and nonce word coined by American television writer David X. Cohen (born 1966) for “Lisa the Iconoclast”, a 1996 episode of the animated sitcom The Simpsons.

There was a birth control medication advertised on tv with the added benefit of, "You'll have only 5 periods a year!" I thought yeah that sounds healthy. Sure enough, about a year later another ad popped up on tv: If you've taken this drug and suffered these side effects you may qualify for financial compensation.

This is either the darkest funny thing or the funniest dark thing I’ve ever watched. Truly a horror story, especially the thalidomide statue. I have to go now and try to reassemble the pieces of the organ formerly known as my brain.

Cost of doing business should be a felony. With jail time for executives not a fucking fine

Just ask google: What are antimicrobials? Antimicrobials - including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics - are medicines used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals and plants

The fines are merely a cost of doing business. They make hundreds of times as much on the product than they are fined. These instances of selling deadly medications will continue until someone assigns them a big enough fine that it bankrupts the company - and makes the stocks of all investors worthless. This has been called "the corporate death penalty". If an individual knowingly or recklessly caused the deaths of thousands of people, they would almost certainly get the death penalty in parts of the world where that is legal. As corporations can be considered "fictitious persons", why can they not get the death penalty?

My dad was born with a hole in his heart and a partially detached valve...guess what drug grandma took.

I'm prescribed an asthma medication off label for an allergy. I think the off label prescriptions should keep being allowed, but I would love to never see another prescription drug ad.

That reminds me of a movie... Where a guy without an arm killed someone's wife... Something like that.

You've seen the bandate on Simons little finger, I whant a Tangent about it... Sad there was no tangents in this episode

Yeah seriously it is really about that bad, kind of... worse? Bad enough where most folks in health care have uttered the words "yeah, but that's an industry-sponsored study so..."

Today, Thalidomide serves as a drug against specific stages of leprosy, especially in South America.

Ayo Danny, make an entire script that’s an intro and then like 19 minutes in, run the title and the rest of the script is just like a yes or no or one sentence and then credits😂

If the drug companies were to be fined the total sales of the manufacturer. Then they will stop doing this because it is not profitable when caught. Right now, it is still profitable after the stiffest fines and lawsuits.

LOL x INFINITY+💯 AT THAT STATUE!! 😆😂🤣

"If you or a loved one have died after taking ..."

They don't mind an acceptable amount of flipper babies for their brain candy.

Money. Drop a clip from workaholics, episode, girll with the dragon tattoo, part where Carl is dressed up as Cortez and says "pay me bitch". Love the way he says it 🤣

I had a Zolft alarm clock 😂😂

Simon i recently started watching your channels and just noticed that your beard has changed color...O.o 😅

20:43 I took Giodon once about 12 years ago. I do NOT recommend it. Did you know that it is possible to be too happy? I beleive it caused seratonin poisoning. Too much seratonin actually can be a bad thing. After I took I did staret to feel happy but then I started to feel too happy. I started laughing uncontrollably then I had pain in my head and then for 3 hours I had what I would call "restless body syndrome" You have heard of restless leg syndrome, well imagine that but all over your body for 3 hours and amplified to its maximum. For hours I walked around stomping my feet punching my arms and legs repeatedly to get any kind of relief. It was a nightmare.

Yeah I would be entirely out of commission for at least four days a month if I weren’t on birth control. My sophomore year of high school I missed entire weeks of school because my cramps and migraines were so bad

Simon. U spoke of ur Vioxx clock, 😅 noting that ur dad was a physician & that he received it from a pharmacy rep. Imagine this if u will. My late brother in law & his wife were both pharmaceutical reps. They had a 2 car garage that they absolutely could not fit their company cars in there due to all the boxes & boxes of crap (drug samples, pens, post-it notes, etc. ) they had stored in both garages. They were always winning expensive prizes & trips all over the world. Yet Americans wonder why meds cost so damned much! Do they have such nonsense going on in the UK?

2:40 This episode is sponsored by Shea Thunder Wear.