E-DRUG: 'AIDS medicine' registration claim refuted in South Africa
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Unethical promotion by sponsors of "alternative" medicines (including fraudulent claims that their products are registered by health authorities) appears to be a growing problem in many countries (including Australia).
I remind E-druggers of the 2007 World Health Assembly Resolution (60.16.5) on Rational Use of Medicines that urged Member States to, "Enact new, or enforce existing, legislation to ban inaccurate, misleading or unethical promotion of medicines and to monitor promotion of medicines".
Malarix and similar problems such as the problem with 'Bhejane' in South Africa described below need to be brought to the attention of health authorities in the relevant country so that remedial action, such as corrective advertising orders and fines, can be imposed. Well done TAC!
Cheers
Ken
Dr Ken Harvey
Adjunct Senior Lecturer
School of Public Health, La Trobe University
http://medreach.com.au
Mobile +614 1918 1910 | Fax: +613 9818 1875
k.harvey@medreach.com.au
'AIDS medicine' registration claim refuted in South Africa
See http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1
<http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=125&art_id=vn2010070104484
4999C958361> &click_id=125&art_id=vn20100701044844999C958361
By Kanina Foss
The Medicines Control Council [of South Afirica] has confirmed that the
controversial traditional supplement Bhejane, taken by AIDS patients in
the belief that it will boost their immune system, is not registered.
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) [of South Africa] on Wednesday
issued a call for Business Report to print a correction of a June 21
article which stated that Bhejane was registered.
The article said Business Report had visited the premises of Zebulon
Gwala, the manufacturer, and seen an MCC registration certificate with a
registration number that confirmed the product was registered in the
complementary medicines division effective in March this year.
But according to MCC registrar of medicines Mandisa Hela, the MCC has
not yet registered a single complementary medicines product, because
regulations for complementary medicines are still being finalised.
Hela said she sent MCC inspectors to Gwala's premises immediately after
she heard about the Business Report article. "We are expecting a report
back from them within the next few days to establish what it is that
(Gwala) claims is a registration certificate, because certainly we
haven't issued one."
In the article, Gwala said he was working on making the supplement
available at pharmacies and would eventually like it to be rolled out at
government health facilities, despite the fact that it hadn't been tested.
"Clinical trials are expensive and I don't have that kind of money, but
my door is open if anyone would like to sponsor further tests. I have
never said Bhejane cures HIV, but I know that it helps people and it
does not have side effects," he said.
He started selling Bhejane 13 years ago when the 83 ingredients were
revealed to him in a dream.
The TAC and the DA have previously called for it to be banned. The TAC
is also calling for the Department of Health to investigate, and for
Gwala to face criminal charges if he has breached the Medicines Act.
"Mr Gwala claims that Ubhejane (Bhejane) will increase one's CD4 count
and decrease one's viral load. When Ubhejane is given to patients, it is
claimed that it is a cure for AIDS," they said.
"Since AIDS is caused by a virus, ie: HIV, Gwala is consequently selling
Ubhejane as an antiviral medicine."
The TAC and the DA said Gwala was a charlatan, and that there was no
evidence that Bhejane was of any benefit to HIV-positive people.
This article was originally published in The Star on July 01, 2010.