We've discovered the biggest cause of cancer in laboratory animals
VIRODENE — the supposed Aids wonder drug developed by Pretoria University researcher Olga Visser and cardio-thoracic surgeons Kallie Landauer and Professor Dirk du Plessis — was put on ice by the Medicines Control Council this week.
And the media went wild. "Ban imposed on 'miracle' Aids drug" screamed headlines. "MCC finds Virodene PO58 can cause fatal liver damage, cancer."
Nice headlines. Extremely sloppy journalism. Radio, TV and newspapers have screwed up on this one. Let's try to put this in perspective.
The MCC did not say that Virodene causes cancer. What they did say was that Virodene contains a highly-toxic industrial solvent called dimethylformamide.
This stuff — let's call it DMF — can cause irreversible liver damage and has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals.
Given that DMF can kill you in the short term by causing liver failure or in the long term by possibly causing cancer, the MCC has issued a moratorium on testing the drug on people.
The National Party promptly called for the head of Health Minister Nkosazana Zuma. The Democratic Party said this was a "severe indictment" of Zuma who was involved in "yet another Aids fiasco".
These guys should really shut up until they've done their homework.
One of the most commonly prescribed or administered drugs in this country is paracetamol, known to the Americans as acetaminophen. We consumers know this drug by many names including Panado and Tylenol.
Paracetamol causes severe liver damage with toxic doses. Translation: Take too many tablets, and it can kill you.
What sort of dose is considered to be dangerous? More than four grams (or eight 500mg tablets) per day. If taken for extended periods, the recommended dosage drops to 2,6g per day.
Notice that the MCC has not banned paracetamol. Millions of people — myself included — use this drug on a regular basis for relief of pain and reduction of fever. At the low doses that we use, the benefits of the drug outweigh the dangers.
Most toothpastes are sweetened with saccharin. Tests have shown saccharin causes cancer. Should we stop brushing our teeth?
So, Virodene contains DMF. Does that make it automatically unusable?
The level of DMF contained in Virodene may be so low that the possible hepatotoxic carcinogenic (liver-poisoning cancer-causing) properties of DMF may not manifest themselves. There again, the level may be high enough to be dangerous.
The liver-poisoning, cancer-causing effects of DMF may be offset by some other component. Many of us know that Essentiale or Prohep can diffuse the liver damage caused by overindulgence in alcohol. There again, the effects may be enhanced by another component.
Nearly everything is dangerous at sufficient doses. Pure oxygen, for example, is extremely poisonous at moderately high pressure. Scuba divers know this, which is why they use either compressed air or a mixture of oxygen and helium.
The long and short of this sorry affair is that it is yet to be proven that Virodene is either poisonous or causes cancer. Also yet to be proven is whether or not Virodene works.
The MCC has acted correctly by suspending testing on human subjects until a call has been made on whether there are acceptable or unacceptable levels of DMF.
They have not said that the drug is dead. They have said that safety issues must be sorted out. A full report will emerge, eventually.
And that biggest cause of cancer in laboratory animals? Scientists...