| Posted 28 May 2018 MNET / DSTV are running adverts for Oscillococcinum, which claims to be effective for flu. This is a timely reminder that this product has no real effect. We have posted a number of posts on this absurd product. A class action lawsuit against the company was successful and a Canadian lawsuit is presently in the offing. Wikipedia has this to say about Oscillococcinum: Oscillococcinum (or Oscillo[1][2]) is a homeopathic preparation marketed to relieve influenza-like symptoms. It does not provide any benefit beyond that of sugar pills. It is a popular preparation, particularly in France. It is manufactured by Boiron, its sole manufacturer. Oscillococcinum is used in more than 50 countries and has been in production for over 65 years. The preparation is derived from duck liver and heart, diluted to 200C—a ratio of one … Read the rest Posted 21 January 2016 This article, copied from The Conversation, asks the question why Oscillococcinum is even on our shelves when the evidence does not support its use for flu. Prof Roy Jobson, an Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, writes “A homeopathic flu product is being advertised in South Africa despite the fact that an internationally based review, and an update to it, have found the product to be ineffective”. It is essential to read his article with this CamCheck article in mind: Absurdity of Oscillococcinum: ASA FAC ruling (opens in a new browser window) … Read the rest On 15 November 2013 the Minister of Health finally published Regulations to the Medicines Act (Medicines and Related Substances Act, 1965 (Act 101 of 1965), not for comment, but for implementation. They defined complementary medicines for the first time in South Africa. In addition the Regulations incrementally “called up” various complementary medicines over the following six years. If a product that has been called up, and has not been registered, or an application for registration has not been received by the MCC, then according to the Medicines Act (Section 14(1)) it may no longer be sold. The Regulations also created a new category of medicines – category D – which are complementary medicines “subdivided into such disciplines as may be determined by the Council after consultation with the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa.” This left “dietary supplements” out in the cold and the Health Products Association … Read the rest Posted 15 May 2015 In a post titled, Flu vaccines might be ineffective, so try… water (otherwise known as Oscillococcinum)?, the well known critical thinker, Jacques Rousseau, has commented on LeBron’s press-release for Oscillococcinum (which we have also commented on). Extract: “Briefly, on Oscillococcinum itself, you’d be amused to read up on it, as the story of its origins and composition is quite the catalogue of pseudoscience in action. While there might be nothing that trumps Scientology for batshittery, Oscillococcinum gives it a damn good try…”
Read the post here … Read the rest Posted 15 May 2015 It is one thing to sell a product that has no proof of benefit, another to claim it is more effective than one that has. Lebron, the local agents for Oscillococcinum – a homeopathic product that claims to be effective for the symptoms of flu and colds (but is not), have made the repugnant suggestion in a press-release that “flu vaccines may not work”, and that Oscillococcinum should be used instead. The press release misleadingly does not point out that flu vaccines DO work – but not for a specific strain of flu that may emerge, and infers that therefore one should consider not using a flu vaccine and instead use Oscillococcinum. … Read the rest | Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, has written a hard hitting opinion on homeopathy (and Oscillococcinum). He writes: | | ![photo[1]](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_90,h_90/http://www.camcheck.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/photo1-150x150.jpg) |
[quote]Oscillococcinum is a complete hoax product. The method of production is to take an extract of duck liver and heart and dilute it in a 1:100 ratio with water, and to do that dilution over and over, 200 times. Wikipedia, in the article I linked up above, eloquently explains what this means: “Mathematically, in order to have a reasonable chance to obtain one molecule of the original extract, the patient would have to consume an amount of the remedy roughly 10^321 times the number of atoms in the observable universe.”[/quote]
… Read the rest Posted 11 December 2012 A complaint was laid with the ASA against certain claims made for this product. The company assured the ASA that they had removed the claims and that “[I]t confirmed that the claims objected to ‘will not be used in future’.”
… Read the rest Posted 19 September 2012 This is a story of money, of failure of appropriate interpretation of evidence, of a legal process trumping facts. This is a story of consumers being screwed. This is not a story of whether homeopathy works or does not work – it is about whether evidence and proof is less strong than personal opinion, and of whether “experts” can be believed or even trusted. This is a story of whether a “belief” should be superseded by the accumulation of evidence and facts that contradicts that belief, and how strongly a commercial company will fight back to keep making money even if the product is actually useless. … Read the rest Posted 26 April 2012 Consumer complaints were lodged against a Boiron laboratories television commercial as promoting the product Occilococcinum. The voice-over states, “When flu symptoms appear, take Oscillococcinum immediately”, “Take Oscillococcinum immediately for the relief of flu symptoms” and “Oscillococcinum, homeopathic medicine from Boiron laboratories”. In essence the complainants submitted that the implied efficacy of the product is unsubstantiated and misleading. The complainants explained that this product is nothing more than duck liver and heart, which has been processed, and then diluted to a measure of one part liver/heart extract to 100200 parts water (100 to the power of 200). As such, there are literally no heart/liver molecules left in the final product solution. What’s more, there is no evidence to show that consuming duck liver/heart has any effect on the flu. The ASA ruled in favour of the complainants. … Read the rest Posted 28 August 2011
An USA federal judge has certified a class, which enables the class-action suit filed by the Newport Trial Group against Boiron USA to proceed. http://www.casewatch.org/civil/bo i ron/coldcalm/class_certification.pdf The suit claims that Boiron made misleading claims that Children’s ColdCalm, a homeopathic product it manufactures, would relieve sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, sinus pain, headaches, and sore throat. http://www.casewatch.org/civil/boi ron/coldcalm/complaint.pdf In July, the judge denied a motion to dismiss the case on jurisdictional grounds. http://www.casewatch.org/civil/boiron/coldcalm /dismissal_order_ruling.pdf [note note_color="#f6fdde" radius="4"]CamCheck posts related to Oscillococcinum
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