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Comment by benten10 | Hacker News Reader

They really don't see a difference between disruption like AirBnB/Uber (the 'law breaking and getting away' part I don't agree with; the 'eff rude taxi drivers' agree wholeheartedly) and similar law-breaking 'disruption' in healthcare. When you go in with the mindset that 'wrong' laws _deserve_ to be broken, it can be hard to know when to stop. My money's on them using the money to lobby the FDA to change the laws, just like other 'disrupters' are doing.

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Fortunately the FDA is quite used (and resistant) to lobbying from companies that would eat Theranos for breakfast if they wanted to. E.g. Pfizer had "Other operating expenses" in 2010 bigger than the entire much-hyped $9 billion valuation of Theranos.

Edit: if I was trying to shore up support for a company, I'd at least make sure the CEO doesn't look unhinged on business magazine covers. The one ~15% down in the article is just scary.

Edit2: From TFA: "She determined that a vegan, macrobiotic lifestyle would allow her to “train” her body to work all the time and to function on very little sleep, like an android." I'm quite sure "very little sleep" for extended periods of time is bad for your physical and mental health regardless of how macrobiotic your diet is.

SIR! I SAY SIR! WOULD YOU LIKE TO BUY THIS GENU-INE BOTTLE OF CALIFORNIA RATTLESNAKE OIL?! IT IS GUARANTEED* TO CURE WHAT AILS YOU!

*guarantee not FDA approved. Ingestion or skin contact with Rattlesnake oil may result in loss of life, loss of limb, cotton mouth, and spontaneous human combustion.

"My money's on them using the money to lobby the FDA to change the laws, just like other 'disrupters' are doing." - - Exactly. Why else would Theranos' board of directors be filled up with Senators and Washington power brokers instead of scientists and doctors... I mean, for cripes sake- Henry Kissinger was on their board at one point!! Wtf is he doing on the board of a medical device company.

Also on the Theranos board: three former U.S. cabinet secretaries, two former U.S. senators, a retired Navy admiral and a retired Marine Corps general. Ridiculous.

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