Frankie62

ETFs For Retirement

Interesting article, but isn't it a little heavy on IShares? Since the IShares portfolio is being sold, can we assume they will have adequate management? What about percentages for each fund - equal? Could have also mentioned how often to check on your retirement portfolio. (Many forgot to do that in the recent fiasco.) Spending less than you earn is always a good idea - especially in retirement. Certificates of Deposite may be better than equities for some - the interest rates will be going up when the expected inflation arrives.

Johnson & Johnson Is the Latest FDA Casualty

I agree with cyclingscholar. Allow the patients to decide, with the advice of their doctors. A new life-extending treatment should be allowed, especially when the FDA committee recognized it is effective and safe. FDA is becoming a cya organization - not just for patient risk, but for "consultant" doctor's risk to their bottom line ($$). Many in the FDA have true conflicts of interest - with ties to pharmaceutical companies payments. How could FDA have refused approval to Provenge, when it clearly was shown to extend life and have virtually no side affects? What terminal cancer patient would not choose a treatment with no side affects which may extend his life a few months, or years? Or would they choose to have devastating chemotherapy and be terribly ill for their remaining days? Let the patients decide for themselves - it's their life or death. Whatever happened to "First do no harm"?

Johnson & Johnson Is the Latest FDA Casualty

You may be right, cyclingscholor. FDA seems to have a cya attitude - not just for risk but also for the "consultant" doctors' piece of their pie. Many of them truly have conflicts of interest. Why would they approve a new drug or new treatment (see Provenge) which has virtually no side affects and extends life - their pharmaceutical company "consultant" ties might be negatively affected. But what patient in their right mind would choose miserable chemotherapy treatments if another less devastating immunotherapy is more effective. Let the patients decide, with their doctor's advice. And for goodness sake, separate the evaluation of headache treatments from the cancer and other life-saving treatments.

Frankie
On Nov 27 10:25 AM cyclingscholar wrote:

> How about an announcement like this:
>
> The FDA is fundamentally a flawed organization, attempting to balance
> risk and reward for drugs when this is best left to doctors, patients,
> and their families.
>
> Thus, from this point on FDA is to strictly an advisory agency. If
> they feel a drug is dangerous or ineffective, the sum total of their
> power shall be to issue the following proclamation:
>
> "WE BEAN COUNTERS AND STATISTICIANS AT FDA HAVE TESTED THIS DRUG
> AND FOUND IT INEFFECTIVE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. USE IT AT YOUR
> OWN RISK, AFTER CONSULTATION WITH YOUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL." <br/>
>
> cyclingscholar

Pharmaceutical Facts Investors Should Know

Pharma companies claim they must sell new drugs for high prices, even when they are life-saving cancer treatments, to recoup their development costs. My only comment is a reminder that investment counselors usually advise owning some big pharma. They would not be advising that if pharmas were barely making a profit. Wake up and smell the coffee.

Pharmaceutical Facts Investors Should Know

Big Pharma always says they need to charge high prices on new drugs (including life saving cancer drugs) to recoup their development expenses. My only comment is that, like the oil and gas sector, financial advisers always recommend some pharma stocks. They would not recommend investing in pharma if those companies were barely making a profit.

Biotech Stocks' Various Lupus Therapies: Opportunity or Lost Cause?

It is so sad that there are so few drugs to treat Lupus, and there is no cure. My daughter-in-law has Lupus and would absolutely love to have a baby, but without treatment her Lupus acts up. She was diagnosed in college when she had a major "flare", and even though she is a healthcare professional, she cannot find an adequate treatment.