Are Your Medications Safe And Effective?, with Jerry Avorn
Big Brains26 Kesä 2025

Are Your Medications Safe And Effective?, with Jerry Avorn

For a more than a century, the Food and Drug Administration has worked to protect public health. In his research, Harvard University physician-researcher Jerry Avorn has examined how the FDA’s once-rigorous gold standard approval process has been affected by a powerful shortcut known as the Accelerated Approval Program—originally designed for desperate AIDS and cancer patients. He says that change in the 1990s has allowed more than half of all new drugs onto the market before drug companies have proven they actually help people.

In his new book Rethinking Medications: Truth, Power and the Drugs We Take, Avorn cites numerous examples: from a cold medicine that doesn’t de-congest to billion-dollar cancer treatments that only shrink lab results to the controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm—approved despite no clear cognitive benefits. In this episode, Avorn explores whether some prescriptions in your medicine cabinet are safe, effective and worth the money.

Follow Big Brains:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/big-brains-podcast/

X: https://x.com/BigBrainsUC


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jaksot(217)

Meet The ‘Planet Hunter’ Searching For Alien Life, with Jacob Bean

Meet The ‘Planet Hunter’ Searching For Alien Life, with Jacob Bean

The search for life beyond Earth is no longer science fiction—it takes a lot of data, powerful telescopes and a bit of cosmic detective work. And at the center of this search is University of Chicago ...

15 Touko 202534min

How To Stop Gun Violence Before It Starts, with Jens Ludwig

How To Stop Gun Violence Before It Starts, with Jens Ludwig

Despite decades of policy ideas, pouring millions of dollars into the problem, and a slow pace of gun control measures, the United States hasn’t made much progress on curbing the epidemic of gun viole...

1 Touko 202530min

Can Your DNA Predict Your Future?, with Dalton Conley

Can Your DNA Predict Your Future?, with Dalton Conley

What if a single number, derived from your DNA, could predict your income, education level or even who you're likely to marry? In his new book “The Social Genome,” Princeton University sociologist Dal...

17 Huhti 202534min

Can You Really Die of a Broken Heart? The Hidden Dangers of Grief, with Mary Frances O'Connor

Can You Really Die of a Broken Heart? The Hidden Dangers of Grief, with Mary Frances O'Connor

When we lose someone, we love, we often say we have a broken heart—but what if that’s not just a metaphor?In her new book “The Grieving Body: How The Stress of Loss Can Be An Opportunity For Healing” ...

3 Huhti 202531min

The Science Behind Raising Successful Kids, with Ariel Kalil

The Science Behind Raising Successful Kids, with Ariel Kalil

New federal data paints a stark picture: American children are falling behind in reading and test scores, with the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged kids growing wider. But is this really just ...

20 Maalis 202531min

Do Animals Understand Death?, with Susana Monsó

Do Animals Understand Death?, with Susana Monsó

What does it mean to understand death? For centuries, philosophers have argued that only humans can truly comprehend mortality. But what if they’re wrong?In this episode, we speak with philosopher Sus...

6 Maalis 202532min

Why Measles Is Resurging—And The Rise Of Vaccine Hesitancy, with Adam Ratner

Why Measles Is Resurging—And The Rise Of Vaccine Hesitancy, with Adam Ratner

In 2000, the United States declared that measles had been eliminated. But just 15 years later, the disease made a comeback—and it hasn’t gone away since. In this episode, Dr. Adam Ratner, director of ...

20 Helmi 202535min

The Little-Known Secrets To A Good Life, with Shigehiro Oishi

The Little-Known Secrets To A Good Life, with Shigehiro Oishi

What makes a good life? For decades, psychologists have debated whether true fulfillment comes from happiness—a life of comfort and joy—or meaning—a life of purpose and impact. But what if there's a t...

6 Helmi 202533min

Suosittua kategoriassa Koulutus

rss-murhan-anatomia
voi-hyvin-meditaatiot-2
psykopodiaa-podcast
psykologia
adhd-podi
rss-rahamania
rss-valo-minussa-2
rss-tietoinen-yhteys-podcast-2
rss-narsisti
kesken
rss-liian-kuuma-peruna
rss-duodecim-lehti
rahapuhetta
rss-vapaudu-voimaasi
rss-niinku-asia-on
rss-psykalab
rss-luonnollinen-synnytys-podcast
leikitaanko-laakaria
filocast-filosofian-perusteet
rss-monarch-talk-with-alexandra-alexis