Brazil legalizes an untested cancer compound;

researchers enraged

In a surprising move, Brazils 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 ministrys report
that the drug had proved ineffective in curing cancer in laboratories. Brazilian researchers have
expressed outrage at Rousseffs 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 So Paulo, in the early
1990s. The universitys 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 Braslia, 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.