While some prefer to rely on science-based medication, others stand steadfast to traditional methods of treatment or what we call “bush medicine.” Still there are others who believe we need to get to the root cause of illness instead of always trying to search for a cure.
The new Cuban homeopathic cancer-fighting drug VidatoX 30CH has had all sides weighing in on its use. VidatoX is made from scorpion venom indigenous to Cuba and the Cuban embassy has said it has been tested on over thirty thousand cancer patients who showed no adverse side effects. According to a published report from the launch of the drug in St Lucia it has been developed over the past fifteen years and patients of any form of cancer, at any stage of the debilitating illness, could use VidatoX as a cancer relief and cancer preventing method.
When it was introduced to St Lucia last week, representatives of LABIOFAM, expressed its gratitude for the endorsement of VidatoX from Ministry of Health officials and announced the sale of the over-the-counter-drug in the St Lucian market.
The STAR spoke to the Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health Dr Merline Fredericks who referred us to Dr Owen Gabriel because as she said: “I’m not sure who has given that permission or if that information is correct that the drug is now available in the OECS. The Ministry of Health has not given approval for anything like that. My understanding is that this product falls under the heading of natural products or alternative medicine. Ministry of Health, really and truly, does not get involved with or grant any approval for alternative medication.”
Although the Ministry of Health does not grant approval for natural medicines, are there any concerned about the product?
Fredericks answered, “To be quite honest, we educate the public but when it comes to alternative medicines, persons have a choice. We always advise that persons can do a little more research into the product. The same applies to all those organic medications on the shelves right now claiming to cure prostate cancer, fibroids and everything else.”
The CMO stated, “In terms of the Ministry of Health, the pharmaceutical section, we would not be the ones authorizing or bringing in those products. We will not be the ones bringing it in.”
The STAR also spoke with President of the St Lucia Cancer Society Dr David Bristol who expressed his skepticism about VidatoX. He admitted not being familiar with the drug and said, “There are many things that are proposed as cancer treatments. But I’m afraid that one would have to see very hard evidence that something was actually working other than saying something works. As a physician, if you are going to be recommending to people that they use something, you cannot base it on word of mouth. That’s not how medicine works.”
Bristol suggested we obtain a copy of the research findings and not rely on the drug’s marketing blurb. For him, there are still many unanswered questions about VidatoX including its licensing, validation and use on different continents.
Given the life altering disease that VidatoX is supposed to improve the quality of life in patients, some physicians believe that such a drug needs to be handled carefully because if someone is sick, they will take whatever they can to make them better without thinking of the consequences or even researching whether the treatment is effective.
However, Dr Owen Gabriel, an oncologist who studied in Cuba, spoke to the STAR and had a different point of view. He revealed he is familiar with VidatoX and during the time he studied in Cuba, the drug was in its developmental stages and not on the open market.
He said, “So far I’ve only been exposed to the presentation by the delegation that came for the clinical trial they undertook. As far as I understand, it seems to be a helpful remedy with chemotherapy and without chemotherapy. It is the first homeopathic drug of its kind to be backed up by scientific data. Everything else that is being used is just being used. There is no other drug like this that has been presented with experiments, and scientific data and studies.”
We asked him whether he would recommend that his patients use VidatoX.
“It appears some of my patients are already using this drug,” he admitted. “To this point they had not informed me that they were using it. I’m only aware of this now. I’m going to monitor their progress from this stage.”
We asked the doctor whether he was concerned about the drug’s conventional use? “Unfortunately, because it is a homeopathic drug, it does not require a physician’s prescription. You can buy it off the shelf. As far as this is concerned, the Cuban delegation said they’ve been researching this for the past fifteen years and their tests are very conclusive on human beings. Fifteen years of research is quite enough to justify those things in the research is viable.”
How can we really tell whether the research is viable in absence of the full findings?
Gabriel answered: “The research has been validated by independent labs in Germany and Russia. They showed documents that validated their research. These labs that conducted the validation were accredited by America accreditation body.”
We pointed out that VidatoX is not FDA approved. Garbiel responded saying, “The FDA in itself is a very complex organization. There are many drugs in use in Europe, validated by European medical communities that are not recommended by the FDA. It takes a number of years for European drugs to come into the American market. This is not the only drug, there are several others, some of them we now use conventionally after several years in Europe.
“Obviously there are political constraints with the American blockade of Cuba which would probably not allow this drug into the American market.”
The STAR also got a natural science perspective on VidatoX. Candy Nicholas-Bowen, proprietor of Organica, told the STAR, “As much as I am very happy that scientists are finding ways to help deal with this illness, it would be really nice if we could pay attention to why people were getting cancer in the first place. We all have cancer cells in our body and people with strong immune systems are able to just get rid of.
“Doctors are admitting there is a link between diet and lifestyle. One of the things they have realized, it is very hard to measure the effects of nutrition and diet on lifestyles and illnesses because to do a study, how can you monitor the group to know what they eat and do at all times of the day.”
STAR publisher Rick Wayne weighed in. The former bodybuilder received treatment for prostate cancer this year.
“Cancer is no joke. Already cancer treatment cost an arm, a leg and a nose,” he began. “Quite apart from the ominous possibilities of cancer, quite apart from the cost of it, it is matter of giving people false hope or giving people medicines that could deter them from seeking proper treatment. We have a body here that is supposed to police drugs that are put on St Lucian markets. When the drug promoters themselves come up with their advertising, we should be able to depend on that body to tell us where we stand-to take a chance or not.”
Efforts to obtain a comment from the St Lucian Medical and Dental Association, Dr Almus McDowall from the Natural Health Clinic and the OECS Pharmaceutical Procurement Unit on VidatoX have proved unsuccessful.
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