Video: Old, cheap drug shows great promise in shrinking cancer turmors

[JohnyCanuck]

Only one problem, it's anti-cancer properties have only been tested so far in lab rats. It's an old drug, not originally developed to treat cancer, and it can no longer be patented. That's the fly in the ointment, because it's not patentable, that creates problems for the medical researchers trying to get funding to conduct the necessary human trials to prove its effectiveness and safety as a cancer treatment for humans. Most drug trials are funded by the pharmaceutical companies who stand to make a profit off of patenting a new drug and reaping some enormous profits from their investment.


http://eclipptv.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=7422

[monmouth]

1. And there you have it, cancer is a money maker...n/t

[rucky]

2. I would like my tax money to go to something like this.

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. That would be socialism. Stop hating America. nt

[drm604]

3. Apparently it's gone through safety testing in the past,

so couldn't that part be skipped?

In fact, does it really have to show that it meets strict FDA effectiveness standards? If testing on humans ends up showing strong evidence of effectiveness, but doesn't completely come up to FDA standards, couldn't Doctors then simply prescribe it off label?

[Ruby the Liberal]

6. Safety testing is for a specific purpose

If there is a new purpose, new tests have to be done.

[Ruby the Liberal]

5. Can't the NIH or CDC or FDA or someone give them a grant?

[ejpoeta]

7. the money isn't in the cure, but the treatment.

[NJCher]

8. some points from the report

The name of the drug is Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA) and, as the report says, it can treat cancer at pennies a dose.

The video showed rats and how it had shrunk tumors in a matter of weeks with no side effects.

It triggers cancer cells to commit suicide.

The doctor is contacting universities in Canada and the U.S. for continued funding for research but as the reporter noted, there have been two other "orphan" drugs (drugs that no one can make a profit on) that have gone by the wayside.

Clearly, a failing of capitalism. We need a hybrid--a nonprofit "competitor" to the drug companies.


Cher

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

19. I learned something interesting about Canada and cancer drugs. It seems

that the more expensive drugs are not covered under their health care and has to be purchased separately, or included in a drug insurance plan. I discovered that from a friend of mine whose girlfriend just successfully undergone treatment for breast cancer. The national healthcare is also paying for reconstruction.

[fascisthunter]

9. govt research maybe?

[sam sarrha]

11. Fascism is a business relationship between government an buisness... sorry it wont happen in the USA

[fascisthunter]

13. that's not what I meant at all

and if ya read my many other posts you'd know I was against fascism not for it.

[sam sarrha]

17. you said.."govt research maybe?", i said the Government is the Problem, because of be'n owned by

capitalists.. they bribe the government not to do anything so they can Capitalize on peoples Suffering.. because of a Fascist Relationship called Capitalism.. Fascism = Capitalism. until we end Corporate Bribes to elected politicians we live under Fascism

[Mari333]

10. some doctors ARE using it 'off label'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dichloroacetic_acid


Some doctors are treating cancer using DCA "off-label",<18><19> which generates controversy in some circles.<18> The off-label use of prescription drugs is common practice for cancer patients at the most prestigious medical institutions in the world, especially those diagnosed with cancers designated as orphan diseases, for which very few government-approved therapies are available. For example, to treat the grade IV brain cancer called glioblastoma, UCLA Neuro-oncology uses some 50 different drugs, only 4 of which are currently FDA-approved to treat glioblastoma.<20> Oral DCA, which has been safely used to treat lactic acidosis for more than 30 years in humans<14> (but see above), is currently in human clinical trials for glioblastoma.<21>

[drm604]

12. Wikipedia has a nice writeup on this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dichloroacetate

It points out that Dichloroacetate does have side effects and may be a mixed blessing.

IMHO, considering the side effects of some other cancer treatments, and the possibility that DCA's effects may be reduced with thiamine supplementation, these effects might be acceptable.

[wyldwolf]

14. If the government handed this out for free, would tea-baggers take it to cure their cancer?

Wouldn't it be ironic?

[Gman2]

15. If the pharma and HMO's were not in cahoots, HMO's would develop it, to limit their payouts.

[drm604]

16. That's an interesting thought.

Why aren't health insurance companies funding certain medical research? Things like this drug might help their bottom line.

[Gman2]

18. And the really disgusting thing is, most of our research that leads anywhere

is gov funded for university research. Most NEW drugs are just retasked.

[jgraz]

20. This is why even single-payer health insurance will not be enough

Until we take ALL the profit out of treating the sick, we'll continue to put corporate health ahead of human health.

[samsingh]

21. kick

[Raineyb]

22. I suspect it won't be cheap for long. n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

23. Couple of problems with this conspiracy.

1. DCA is in trials for use as a cancer drug for humans.

2. DCA is patentable for treatment of cancer, and has been.