Brazil legalizes an untested cancer compound; researchers enraged
In a surprising move, Brazil’s president Dilma Rousseff signed a law that would allow the sale and production of an untested cancer compound called synthetic phosphoethanolamine. The law that came into effect on April 14 would give any patient with a certified cancer diagnosis access to the compound without the need of a prescription. The law came into effect soon after the science ministry’s report that the drug had proved ineffective in curing cancer in laboratories. Brazilian researchers have expressed outrage at Rousseff’s decision as it overrules the authority of the Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency, which regulates the approval of new drugs on the basis of internationally accepted safety and efficacy protocols.
The compound has been highly demanded by cancer patients as it is deemed to be a ‘miracle drug.’ It was developed by Gilberto Chierice, an analytical chemist at the University of São Paulo, in the early 1990s. The university’s laboratory distributed the drug to patients without a legal approval for many years. When the university decided to put a stop to this, it was sued by patients who have also been putting considerable pressure on the government to make the compound available. It is believed that Rousseff bowed down to the political pressure and passed the law. Expressing his displeasure about the move, Gustavo Fernandes, president of the Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology in Brasília, said that this is a “political decision inspired by a messianic surge of pseudoscience” and is “the worst possible way of dealing with this problem.”
Although the compound has shown some promising results in animals, no preclinical studies or clinical trials have been conducted to prove its efficacy in humans. However, some patients who are administering the compound have reported positive outcomes, while in others it has been ineffective. Researchers have expressed concern about this as some patients are also favoring the compound over standard treatment procedures.
Even though the compound is legal by law, the lack of an approved facility to produce it would make it difficult for patients to gain easy access to it. Some researchers are hoping to conduct clinical trials to understand whether the drug is as effective as claimed and detect any unknown side effects it may have.
References:
Brazil president signs law legalizing renegade cancer pill
Brazilian law grants patients right to use untested cancer ‘drug’
Published on: Apr 21, 2016
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