azor
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..."i don't care to do it"???...or you could just copy and paste, right?...there doesn't appear to be a limit to the amount of data that be put into a post...that wouldn't be too difficult, would it?...
..."I don't have a place to which I can upload it."???...there are numerous websites available for free storage -- e.g. www.rapidshare.com and www.filesonic.com...all you have to do is register...
..."...why CTTC...see fit to do something as trivial, for example, as providing the identity of the institution that granted Mr. Marineo his alleged PhD degree""...why indeed?...that strikes me acutely odd that the company won't provide that information...
..."I once had an undergraduate student"????...but did the undergraduate lie at any point -- e.g. claim any degrees that he really didn't have?...
..."...30 pages of in depth knowledge of CTTC, its executives, products, clinical trials, and the Calmare inventor.."????...which only demonstrates that ANYONE who takes the trouble to go back through my posts could EASILY acquire an "in-depth knowledge" of the company, etc...what with my detailed explanations and links to every document used to support every statement...why, an 8 year old could probably do it in an afternoon!...in fact, I kinda wonder whether that Regency Blue Cross character didn't sponge off my posts in that evaluation they wrote...hey!...maybe I could sue'em for plagiarism!..HAW!!!!...
...wait a minute!...don't appear to me that you've said nuthin' mean about them or Medicare or Medicaid...how come you ain't mad at all them?...they aren't up close and personal like me?...HAW!!!...
...I'm really very, VERY disappointed that only one person thanked me for providing links to an insurance company's assessment of CTTC's star merchandise:
http://blue.regence.com/trgmedpol/medicine/med143.html
...not to mention the link to how much Medicare and Medicaid are going to be willing pay:
http://www.indianamedicaid.com/ihcp/Bulletins/BT201164.pdf
...now if I don't start seeing a little bit more gratitude, ya'll goin' to have to start looking up the bad news by yourselves!...HAW!!...
...""Raymond Taylor"???...beats me...I never met the guy...I only got to know him by virtue of an empty can of pringles...plus a few wires..."????...why, beg your pardon, that's as true as the day is long!...or is that rhetorical hyperbole?...or maybe rhetorical simile?...maybe even hyperbolic rhetoricum!!...dang!...I hate having to lug around a dictionary every time I wanna say sumthin'!...HAW!!!...
..."Robert Taylor"?????...hmmmmmm...wasn't he a movie actor?... the highly effective manner..."????...personally, I'm more interested in the "highly effective" manner CTTC keeps skirting the issue of where Marineo got his collage of college degrees...HAW!!!...get it?...collage/college?...ahhhh, never mind!...
I keep hoping they'll get as far as discovery and then we ALL get to find out the facts!...wouldn't that be grand?!...of course, if I'm right and he ain't got no degrees beyond what youd' find on a thermometer, then all those articles he's got his name on won't be worth squat -- the journals'll yank'em as fast as they can and his name will be an anathema!...I can't imagine what effect that might have on any ongoing clinical studies -- do you?...
..."I can just imagine the call to the insurance carriers that have decided to reimburse for a number of Calmare procedures."???????....uhhhhh...???????????...so you think it would be libelous to tell everyone which insurance companies have been reimbursing and how much they have been reimbursing?...or do you think that someone calling the insurance companies and complaining about them reimbursing would be tortious?...well, either way, ONLY if whatever was said were INTENTIONALLY FALSE...and no one here would do that, right?...well, at least not me -- that's why I always include links just in case someone has doubts...certainly no one has ever provided evidence that anything I said was false...right?...
...awwwwwww...are those links showing an insurance company, Medicare, and Medicaid turning thumbs down on the bugzapper hurting your feelings?...I'm sorrrry...but look at the bright side -- things couldn't get much worse, right?...oh, wait!...I forgot we're talking about CTTC here...nevermind!...
..."Those private carriers are NOT advertising case by case approvals..."????...and how does that stop you or the patients from reporting how much they were reimbursed on their claims, what hurdles they had to jump, and/or who the companies are?...
..."They have ALREADY reimbursed."???...yippee!...so what?...anyone can apply for reimbursement for any procedure and MAYBE even get a few bucks back...but exactly HOW MUCH did those ALLEGED reimbursements amount too?...I've already posted two links showing one insurance company, Medicaid, and Medicare saying they don't cover it...where are YOUR links?...
..."they will NOT ANNOUNCE those cases because they obviously do not want a flood of claims until, most likely, after more clinical study data and/or Medicare decides and/or a CPT I or CPT III code is assigned."????...well, uhhhhhh...wouldn't that apply to just about every reimburser there is?...but only as long as those studies are CORRECTLY RANDOMIZED, BLINDED, and APPROPRIATELY CONTROLLED...right?....
..."Thanks for this fresh...???...you're welcome...Medicare uses HPCS codes:
http://www.indianamedicaid.com/ihcp/Bulletins/BT201164.pdf
...look on Table 1 for 0278T where it says:
"Non-Covered for All Programs, Non-Covered for Package C"
...probably because all they do is sit around and read internet forums all day, huh?...HAW!!!...
..."moral turpitude"????...gee, are you going to file a complaint against Blue Regency as well?...they may have a bit of a "turpitude" problem:
"The evidence is not sufficient to permit conclusions about the benefits of scrambler therapy as a treatment for pain from any etiology."
...seems like their comments would be more "tortious" than anything anyone could possibly say on any forum anywhere...don't you agree?...I particularly like that one sentence:
"Evidence from these studies is unreliable due to their inherent design flaws, such as non-random allocation of treatment, non-blind study design, and lack of comparison groups."
...hmmmmmmmm...where have I heard that before?...HAW!!!...
..."That news that the CPT III code goes effective Jan. 1 is accurate."???...why, of course, I think I posted that six months ago give or take...so what?...it is STILL a category 3 code -- i.e. a code whose sole purpose in life is to facilitate DATA COLLECTION...and what does BC/BS think about it:
http://blue.regence.com/trgmedpol/medicine/med143.html
...say what:
"Literature Review
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
There are no randomized trials that compared active with sham scrambler therapy. The only published RCT currently available was a small, short-term pilot study that compared scrambler therapy with pain medication in 55 patients matched for type of pain which included postoperative neuropathic pain, postherpetic neuralgia, or spinal canal stenosis.[1] The authors reported significantly greater pain reduction in the scrambler therapy group compared with the medication control group at 1-, 2-, and 3-month follow-up. While this RCT is useful in informing hypothesis formation, it does not permit conclusions on efficacy and safety due to small size, lack of a sham control group, and short-term followup period.
Nonrandomized trials
The remaining published trials are limited to nonrandomized trials.[2-4] Evidence from these studies is unreliable due to their inherent design flaws, such as non-random allocation of treatment, non-blind study design, and lack of comparison groups.
Clinical Practice Guidelines
There are no clinical practice guidelines from professional associations that recommend scrambler therapy.
Summary
The evidence is not sufficient to permit conclusions about the benefits of scrambler therapy as a treatment for pain from any etiology."
...uh-oh!!!...libel alert!...calling all lawyers!!!...aaaaoooogah!...aaaaoooogahhh!!...dive!!!...dive!!!!...HAW, HAW, HAW!!!!!...
...Oh, no!...don't say that:
"As to item two, consider that CTT has never been able to demonstrate the inventor's pedigree, so why expect them to prove capable of disproving any of these claims
Unhappily, folks, consider how brilliantly the company is handling nearly everything these days and weep, as I do."
...put a smile on your face and uhhhh...on the other hand:
"While the United States Food & Drug Administration has approved the Calmare® Therapy treatment therapy for US sales, the treatment has not yet received insurance reimbursement coding. We are confident that because of the therapy’s effective and cost saving treatment properties, many insurance companies, including Medicaid will be adding the Calmare® Therapy to their list of reimbursable procedures. We will make every effort to assist our patients in billing their appropriate insurance provider. However, in all instances, the patient is ultimately responsible for payment for their treatments."
...from:
http://www.ctprc.com/draft/affordable_calmare.pdf
...well, dang!...I guess that puts that argument to rest, huh?...HAW, HAW, HAW!!!!...
...uh-oh!!!...say what:
"The message they are sending out to the public and other shareholders is simple and very clear:
"We the Board have so little faith in this company we will not spend a dime of our own money to purchase any shares. At best, we will take money from the firm, i.e., the Director's salaries, to obtain shares at no expense to ourselves""
...better watch out, now!...somebody could say that little crack is defamatory...might want to check that your homeowner's umbrella policy is paid up!...HAW!!!...
..."Now we have someone who is now admitting he lied about who he was..."????...really?...who did that?...where?...was it Marineo?...huh?...was it?...come on, make my day!...HAW!!!...
..."Wouldn't it be nice for the shareholders and the company if there could be a large pot of insurance coverage to pay the likely significant damages..."????...WHOA!!!...better watch out!...low flying pigs!!!...HAW, HAW, HAW!!!...
..."It is also not clear why a homeowner's umbrella policy would cover such a case..."???...why, sure it is:
"Personal Injury:
This all-inclusive definition covers many predicaments. Personal injury can take many forms, including: bodily injury, shock, emotional distress, mental anguish, sickness or disease, or death arising from any of the above. Personal injury also means false arrest, detention or imprisonment, malicious prosecution, wrongful entry or eviction, humiliation, libel or slander, defamation of character or invasion of privacy."
...see also:
"To become an actionable tort in defamation, the plaintiffs must establish four elements:
1) a publication to one other than the person defamed;
2) a false statement of fact;
3) that is understood as a) being of and concerning the plaintiff; and b) tending to harm the reputation of the plaintiff; and
4) if the plaintiff is a public figure, he or she must also prove malice.
In the past, defamation claims were brought as a result of a remark published in a newspaper, magazine, or book. In recent years, however, defamation suits have been brought as a result of remarks have been brought as a result of remarks made in blogs or on social network sites.
Is posting a remark on Facebook, for example, or on a blog, considered publication? The Insurance Services Office (the “ISO”) has weighed in on this issue as it relates to homeowner policies. The ISO amended its definition of “personal injury” earlier this year in its Personal Injury coverage Endorsement to include an oral or written publication “in any manner.”
By amending its wording, the ISO has removed any doubt that this endorsement is intended to cover remarks made in emails, blog postings, and social networks."
...from:
www.aaic.com/NewsLetter.nsf/0/91AF64D06A33C3AE8625796C0056CF2A/$File/Impact%20of%20Social%20Media%20on%20Personal%20Lines.pdf
...by the way, CTTC is considered a "public figure":
"The First Amendment requires that a defamation plaintiff prove actual malice or reckless disregard of the truth when the plaintiff is a public official or public figure. New York Times v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964). This is a much higher burden of proof for a public figure plaintiff. Instead of showing objectively that a "reasonable person" knew or should have known the defamatory statement was false, a public figure plaintiff must prove the intent of the defendant was malicious, or that they acted with reckless disregard for the truth. This allows the defendant to prove its good faith intent and efforts as a defense."...
...yessirree, bob!...nuthing like having the First Amendment and a good umbrella policy is what I always say!...HAW!!!...man, I hear these lawsuits can go on for years and years and years...I'm sure glad I don't have to pay for one!...HAW, HAW, HAW!!!!...
..."Changes are a'coming and the shareholders will exalt."????...well, at least you're half right...HAW, HAW, HAW!!!!...
..."CTTC would be amenable to settlement of this matter with a stipulated judgment that would prevent further communications by Dr. Taylor in any way libeling or disparaging CTTC"????...HAW!!!...I bet they would!...of course, that seems to imply that something "libeling and disparaging" was said to begin with, don't it?...and, of course, we all know that ain't true, right?...wouldn't want anyone to agree to something based upon a false premise, right?...
...not to worry, no doubt a homeowner's umbrella policy could provide someone who understands what all that legalese stuff means...maybe they wouldn't think anything posted was libelous since nothing posted was false...and since the defendant WINS in 83% of the slapp cases that reach a jury trial, maybe they'll think it worthwhile to argue the case...who knows?...right?...
...hey, here's an idea!...if CTT would take five seconds out of its busy day to identify the institution that granted Marineo his PhD, then that would surely prove those posts were indeed false and, consequently, libelous...slam dunk, right?!!!...why, I bet that'd make that any homeowner's umbrella policy lawyer think twice!...HAW!!!...
...hmmmm...I wonder who costs more -- CTT's lawyers or a homeowner's umbrella policy lawyers?...ka-ching!...ka-ching!...ka-ching!...HAW!!!!...
...personally, I always try to look on the bright side -- as Camille Paglia said, "The only thing that will be remembered about my enemies after they're dead is the nasty things I said about them."...HAW, HAW, HAW!!!!...
...HAW, HAW, HAW!!!!!...welllllllll, HAPPY NEW YEAR, YA'ALL!!...how's it hanging, huh?...I see CTT's just as limp as ever...1.25 a share?...now what's that all about?...maybe it was that last earnings report where they announced they had, what, like 35 grand in cash...$35,000???...how in the heck are they paying all them lawyers, you reckon?...ohhh, wait, I see -- those 100,000 shares "Issuable in lieu of directors’ fees and for legal services":
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/102198/000136086511000203/cttcs8amend3.htm
...HAW!...speaking of lawyers, you know what?...the laws in this country are just too dang complicated!...why, you wouldn't believe all the stuff a person's gotta learn!...like Latin, for example -- "qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur"!...sounds pretty dang impressive, huh?...and then there's all those fancy legal whatchamacallums -- things like "Restatement (Second) of Torts §§ 652A-E (1997)" and "42 USC section 1983 complaint" and all sorts of other stuff -- "verifiable facts,"privacy torts," "fair and true reporting," "public figures," "counterclaims," "fair comment on a matter of public interest" and so on and so forth...and did you know that you can "mitigate (lessen) damages for a defamatory statement by proving that the plaintiff did not have a good reputation to begin with"?...wonder how tough that would be with CTT??...HAW!...why, it's enough to make a person's head spin!...
...good thing there's lots of folks around interested in helping sort out SLAPP suits -- for those not in the know, that's a "strategic lawsuit against public participation"...folks like the Anti-SLAPP Project and the ACLU and the First Amendment Organization and all sorts of kind folks like that...and if that weren't enough, would you believe that a homeowner's umbrella policy provides coverage for libel suits?!...HAW!!!...ain't that a hoot?!!...hmmmmmmm, wonder if Safeco knows any good lawyers?...
...anyway, at least maybe we'll finally get to find out why ol'Marineo was having so much trouble keeping his degrees straight and why exactly he and CTT don't seem too keen on letting anyone know where his "PhD" came from...yessssireee, a little thing called "discovery" ought to clear that question up straight away...HAW!!!...
...hmmmm...I just noticed in the last 10Q CTT didn't mention EXACTLY who besides Nano and the American Arbitrators Association they were suing...why not?...they don't they wanna let everyone know their suing a REAL MD for allegedly saying unkind things about their merchandise?...oh, of course, maybe they were worried about how it might polarize potential MD customers to see the company suing one of the brethren...HAW!!!...oh, wait, no --- maybe they realized that it might result in "tortious interference" and then they'd have to sue themselves!!!...HAW!!!...
...maybe someone ought to alert the Hartford Business Journal and see if it's worth a story...who knows?...maybe even the WSJ or the network news might pick it up!...why, imagine all the publicity if they got everyone talking about how the military spent all that taxpayer money on CTT merchandise -- wouldn't that be grand?...HAW!!...
...now ya'all keep smilin'!...remember, nuthin' like a good belly laugh to put a little sunshine in your day!...HAW, HAW, HAW!!!!...
..."What else could explain it?"????...gee, maybe he wondered why he was being sued for things that he hadn't said...then perhaps applying his diagnostic skills -- I hear some docs have those -- he put two and two together and -- presumably ruling out everyone else in the family -- realized someone OUTSIDE of the house had access to his DSL...from there, who knows where he went...he could've called his ISP or googled or maybe called up his buddy, Giuseppe, who is said to be a positive genius of an electronics repairman...
..."On Sunday, May 22, 2011"????...well, I'm pretty sure that anyone who followed that thread would have recognized that I was merely responding sarcastically to someone else's persistent prodding about credentials:
"Identify yourself and your credentials. Full name, like Dr. Stephen d'Amato. You have nothing to hide, I am sure.
Why not step out from the dark and stand up instead of pointing at
Kandel and Schwartz."
...which I find especially humorous since my "credentials" seem so much more important that Marineo's credentials...yet he has gone so far as to LIE about his credentials in scientific journals...even if I had seriously claimed assorted degrees, such a claim by an anonymous poster on an "investor forum" just wouldn't quite match up -- would it now?...
..."Is he as stupid as his response to the court would suggest?"????...well, certainly stupid enough to leave his wifi without any kind of protection...well, I guess now you could say used to be stupid enough...
..."your take on the CTTC lawsuit"???...the one against the American Arbitrators Association?...I'm guessing they just walked away from that after they realized how incredibly STUPID it made'em look...I wonder how much it cost'em...
..."Raymond Taylor"???...beats me...I never met the guy...I only got to know him by virtue of an empty can of pringles...plus a few wires:
http://digitallife.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/03/09/6227119-is-a-criminal-using-your-wi-fi?chromedomain=technolog
...say what:
"In just 30 minutes, we picked up 1,524 wireless signals, a quarter of them with no password protection at all," said Sanders."
...dang!...he's doing better than me!...takes me five-ten minutes to find an open signal any more!...oh, well, live and learn...do pringles come in "family" size?...
..."They're not going to even try it if they can make more money on nerve blocks, epidurals, and invasive surgery."????...well, shouldn't CTT have thought of that BEFORE trying to sell it?...isn't it kind of important to know your market and how it's going to react to your product?...
..."If people can get lasting pain relief without surgery then they don't need those clowns."????...uhhhhhhh...aren't those "clowns" supposed to be CTT's primary customers?...well, at least back before CTT relented and started selling to pretty much -- so it seems -- anyone willing to sign a check...
...besides, those "clowns" are probably more interested in the insurance coverage than whether it really works -- if you got the money, honey, they got the time...usually, at least...and I still haven't seen any posts naming which insurance companies are paying for bugzapping and how much...I can't imagine why...
..."Thanks for admitting that Marineo IS qualified."???...but not as an MD, right?...how about as a "PhD"?...sure would be nice to know who gave him a PhD?...wouldn't it?...
...oh, my!...I seemed to have stirred up a bit of controversy on the "Student Doctor network":
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=11748976&posted=1#post11748976
...gee, I wonder who "member 431596" could be?...well, at least they didn't try and dispute the veracity of anything I posted...oh, and I do like some of the responses "431596" got:
"Useless propaganda, no data."
"...what do you think, in medicine, is the best way to prove efficacy of an intervention? (Here is a hint, a small trial in 16 patients with no control or placebo is NOT the answer. Also, quoting big names that use the therapy is also not proof of efficacy)."
"If a therapy is powerful enough to make physiologic and biological change for the good, it sure is hell is powerful enough to make changes for the bad. Anything that claims no side effects or badness also claims they are useless."
"WIth only a few posts you attack my specialty. Where have you read about people getting relief for these things? How about you back up and identify your practice setting, your credentials, and why you are so in awe of this new and unproven device? Do you have any disclosures?"
...oh, I can only imagine the disclosures "431596" could make...
...and I do like the reponses to my original post:
"Thank you detective." (with a "thumbs up" as well)
"bravo!"
...aw, shucks!...now I'm starting to blush!...
...looks like it's share issuing time again:
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/102198/000136086511000177/cttcs8a2.htm
...100 thousand here, 100 thousand there...but who's counting ?...right?...
..."Whether or not he buys any stock or exercises any option is his own personal decision..."????...you betcha!...and it's pretty darn clear that despite being the "Executive Vice-President" in charge of "business development," he ain't gonna buy none one way or t'other!...
...of course, given his position as an "insider" and how his ownership of the company's stock reflects -- at least to some people -- his opinion of the company and its prospects, one might be compelled to question his apparent total lack of interest in buying even ONE share...
...by the way, did'ya see my post #6369?...the one were I responded to your critique of my "facts"...I found particularly hilarious that study you mentioned that was so successful -- the one where they were zapping people up to FOUR times a day to keep'em pain free...kinda like a TENS device, don't ya know?...oh, wait!...I forgot!...that's what it is, ain't it?!...
..."Scientist on CTTC Staff:"????...and with the insight so provided, and with his company having cornered the market on miracle painkillin' bugzappers, you'd think that he woulda gone out and bought at least ONE share and/or exercised at least ONE option of his company's stock...has he?...
..."Let's review..."????...why, yes, let's do review your criticisms of my "facts" regarding the calmare, its inventor, and the companies that make and distribute it!...
...our first contender: "Here's a study that found a 78% response rate and an average pain reduction of 74%"...at first glance, I thought you had me here!...all those cancer patients with all those different sorts of pain and nearly all responding extraordinarily well to therapy:
http://www.fintrademedical.com/pdf/Managing_Chronic_Pain.pdf
...gosh, with those kind of results, I wondered why Fintrade couldn't seem to give a bugzapper away much less sell any!...moreover, I wondered why Marineo pitched such a fit when he griped about their research here:
http://resources.metapress.com/pdf-preview.axd?code=03p7l33u37515534&size=largest
...but then I saw this tucked away in the middle of the paper:
"Patients who did not obtain a satisfactory result could, after consulting us, increase the number of administrations as needed up to a maximum of four per day; more than four excluded them from the study."
...say what now?...four?...FOUR???...per DAY???...why, that's almost like...like...like wearing a TENS unit!...isn't it?...and exactly how many of these patients required FOUR "administrations" per DAY?...gee, the authors didn't seem to have bothered to report that number!...
...well, there you go!...no wonder Marineo was ticked!...FOUR treatments a day, indeed!...just when he's out curing the world's pain with ONE treatment a day!...it was that "special training" that made all the difference -- right?...well, anyway, I'm just glad Ican still say that NO ONE has been able to duplicate Marineo's "miraculous results...
...NEXT!...scientific FAILURE translates into failing to find a significant difference -- as in Smith's FAILURE to show a decrease in opioid use, FAILURE to to reproduce results on other pain scales, and FAILURE to achieve an increase in quality of life...sorry, you can't rewrite the rules of statistics and experimental design to suit your purposes...
...NEXT!..."There is nothing to prove that Marineo is a fraud."????...well, that makes me feel bad since that means a good buddy of mine on this board is the bonafide fraud since she reassured everyone here that she contacted CTT and they said Marineo had only a PhD...
...moreover, on his last paper, he only claimed a PhD...so let's get this straight...in 1997 Marineo said, "Working for years in the field of electronics. I never posed as a doctor."...so you think between 1997 and 2004, he went to med school, collected his degree, published some stuff claiming he had a "MD,PhD" and "MD,DSc"...and THEN, five years later, he decides to ignore it and the "DSc" and claim only a PhD in the article?...is that about right?...why?...he didn't want people to think he was "putting on airs"?...
...NEXT!..."Did they tell you they determined that he had no degree or are you assuming it?"????...sorry, you're just going to have to thrash that out with whoever it was that said she contacted CTT...although I urge caution as she seems a might temperamental at times...although, surely you must have wondered why CTT doesn't resolve the issue simply and cleanly by providing Marineo's CV and when they found out...
...NEXT!..."This one is in the gray area."...no it isn't it...per wikpedia:
"Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (acronym TENS) is the use of electric current produced by a device to stimulate the nerves for therapeutic purposes. TENS by definition covers the complete range of transcutaneously applied currents used for nerve excitation..."
...describes the bugzapper exactly and couldn't be any clearer..."TEMPR(Transcutaneous Electrical Modulation Pain Reprocessor) would be a valid subcategory of TENS"????...so would a cattle prod but I don't think I'd recommend one for treating pain...would you?...
...NEXT!..."BUT they don't have to be for registry studies."????...no they don't but they DO have to be REGISTERED as "registry studies" and have to follow a certain protocol:
http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/DeviceRegulationandGuidance/GuidanceDocuments/ucm070974.htm#2
...Loprinzi's studies are not registry studies and insurance companies WON'T use them otherwise...
...whew!...well, I'm tuckered again'!...I found a few more interesting facts that I hope to get around to discussing in the not too distant future...stay tuned!...
..."creates a series of complex artificial neuronal messages that are transmitted to the brain via the body's dermatome pathways."????...do you have a reference besides Marineo?...because I'm quite sure that such an assertion has never been demonstrated by anyone on the planet earth and, presuming current basic neuroscience isn't bogus, is physically impossible since the body has no receptors capable of receiving any "complex artificial neuronal messages" transmitted to it...and even Marineo admitted in his last paper that messages transmitted along c-fibers would be translated as pain...which is exactly what happens when the bugzapper is cranked too high and the current starts to generate heat -- something for which there IS receptors -- in the tissue...
..."no factual basis for publicly defaming the company and its technology"????...now, now...don't get carried away:
FACT: No one has been able to duplicate the success rate claimed
by Marineo in studies he was involved with.
FACT: Smith's study FAILED to demonstrate a reduction in opioid
use.
FACT: Smith's study FAILED to replicate his data on other pain
scales.
FACT: Smith's study FAILED to produce a significant increase in
"quality of life."
FACT: The inventor of the device, Marineo, was busted by police in
1995 for practicing medicine without a license because he
was treating AIDS patients using a device that supplied
electric shocks via externally applied electrodes.
FACT: The inventor of the device is a bonafide FRAUD who has
FALSELY claimed "MD,PhD" and "MD,DSc" degrees which he
doesn't have AND has gone so far as to publish papers using
those claims.
FACT: CTT used those claims in documents that were served up to
shareholders and potential investors (see an earlier post
for links) in company documents, SEC filings, and as part of
a promotional campaign, and yet, despite apparently
determining that Marineo was in fact lying about those
degrees, CTT never reported that publicly.
FACT: CTT applied for FDA approval citing the "Calmare" as a TENS
device and the FDA granted approval for use as a TENS
device, and yet persists in claiming it is something other
than a TENS device.
FACT: D'Amato claimed he would open TEN more clinics by January
but, so far, doesn't appear to have opened any.
FACT: Chalmers claimed he was opening a clinic in Las Vegas -- and
perhaps he did -- but there doesn't appear to be one there
now.
FACT: Aris Despo, "Executive Vice-President" in charge of
"business development" does not appear to ever have bought a
single share of CTT stock, nor exercised a single option.
FACT: None of the studies currently underway at the Mayo Clinic
have meet the criteria required by insurance companies to
determine efficacy -- i.e. they are not RANDOMIZED, BLINDED,
and APPROPRIATELY CONTROLLED.
FACT: The ONLY connection between Marineo and Tor Vergata appears
to come from over ten years ago when he donated a
painkillin' bugzapper to them.
FACT: After I inquired of Tor Bergata for Marineo's credentials,
their web page that mentioned him changed from calling him
"Professor Marineo" to calling him "Mister Marineo."
FACT: A MAUDE "adverse effect" report has been filed on the device
with the FDA -- contradicting claims by the company of no
known adverse reactions.
FACT: CTT and a group of brokers were sued by the SEC for
attempting to manipulate the price of CTT stock. One of the
brokers, Thomas Kocherans, was forced to file bankruptcy
after being hit with a fine for over $50,000. Kocherans
became a real estate broker in Utah and was subsequently
hired by CTT to act as a distributor of bugzappers.
FACT: CTT has yet to produce a single neuroscientist or
neurologist willing to vouch for their device.
FACT: At one point early on, CTT attempted to make the point that
the device would only be sold to and used by qualified
medical doctors; subsequently, CTT lowered their standard to
include chiropractors, and eventually included -- judging by
the want ads others have posted here -- pretty much anyone
capable of signing a check for one.
FACT: A review of the many chronic pain forums available on
the web shows a preponderance of posts reporting either "no
effect" or adverse effect; in over TWO years, only TWO posts
gave the device an ultimate positive comment -- ignoring, of
course, all comments coming from sites trying to sell
bugzapper therapy.
FACT: CTT signed a $10,000,000 distribution agreement with a
company called "Innovative Medical Technologies" which CTT
admitted in their suit against the AA appeared little more
than a front set up by one of the CEO's relatives and which
never bought a single bugzapper.
FACT: Outside of an early attempt by D'Amato on seekingalpha to
dispute my contentions about the device, its inventor, and
the companies involved in its manufacture, promotion, and
distribution, none of those involved have stepped forward on
a public forum to dispute either the accuracy or veracity of
any of them -- of course, I'm excluding personal attacks and
repetitive posting of various press releases by assorted
anonymous posters...
...whew!...I got a bunch more but it's past lunchtime...sorry that I didn't stop to add all my links to support my "facts," but if anyone wants one in particular, feel free to ask...
..."these are early results."?????...what "early"?...he's been using it for at least a year or two now, hasn't he?...how much longer will it take him to make up his mind whether it worth using or not?...
...surely by now -- presuming he is indeed using it -- he knows whether patients are pleased with the results...so why doesn't he simply say somewhere whether he's pleased with the feedback patients have given him and whether he recommends other clinicians consider its use...
...and surely he has spoken with his colleagues about his results -- presuming they were good results -- and whether the patients have been happy with the effects of therapy...surely, SOME of them would be at least a little curious...so is anyone else at Mayo using the device?...has anyone else at Mayo even TRIED the device?...
...indeed, if it's so good, why doesn't Mayo simply declare it as such and announce it as an option in pain regimens?...after all, it IS already approved for use...no more studies are needed to use it -- studies are needed only for documentation to prove to insurance companies that it is more effective than other TENS devices...
...which actually brings up another point...like it or not, the FDA approved it as a TENS device...if CTT plans on getting reimbursed at a higher rate than other TENS devices, then they'll likely have to come up with a study showing it is more effective than other TENS devices...
..."bugzapper" is my pet name for the device derived from one of the websites promoting the therapy wherein they mentioned that the patient may notice audible clicks whenever the device discharges -- i.e. like a bugzapper...and, of course, my opinion is that it is every bit as effective at treating pain as a bugzapper...besides, repeating "calmare" over and over makes me hungry...HAW!!!...