Cancer cure? No Money? No good?

[Andrew Green]

The drug also has no patent, which means it could be produced for bargain basement prices in comparison to what drug companies research and develop.
Scientists tested DCA on human cells cultured outside the body where it killed lung, breast and brain cancer cells, but left healthy cells alone. Rats plump with tumors shrank when they were fed water supplemented with DCA.

http://media.www.studentprintz.com/media/storage/paper974/news/2007/01/23/Opinion/Scientists.Cure.Cancer.But.Nne.Takes.Notice-2667600.shtml

 

[mrhnau]

http://media.www.studentprintz.com/media/storage/paper974/news/2007/01/23/Opinion/Scientists.Cure.Cancer.But.Nne.Takes.Notice-2667600.shtml

Very very interesting... I might have to read up a bit on it. I do hope if its legitimate that some company will pick it up.

 

[mrhnau]

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

Although this indicates that DCA could some day be used in humans as a therapy against cancer,clinical trials of the effect of DCA on humans with cancer have not started yet. An article in New Scientist magazine suggests that clinical trials may require public funding, as the lack of a patent reduces the incentive for any company to invest in research. Original article appeared in the journal, Cancer Cell.

Clinical trials are not cheap, or quick. Could be many years before you start picking up your DCA-ade bottles.

 

[Phoenix44]

"Scientists may have cured cancer last week."

Scientists have cured MANY cancers with current treatments. I have a friend who had lymphoma and was cured. Many breast cancers have been cured. Most skin cancers, cervical cancers. Throat cancer is generally curable.

There are many current treatments that kill cultured cancer cells. They don't necessarily work in people, or even in animals. If it's a promising therapy, the research will be done.

 

[Andrew Green]

True, success in cultures and mice does not mean success in humans. But I think the point is that it does look promising, to the point that if it wasn't a unpatentable drug, but something new that could be sold at much higher prices the research would have no trouble finding money. But since there is no profit to be made, no one is willing to put up the cash to fund the testing.