Ukrain

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Ukrain (Ukrainian: Україн) (also called celandine) is the trademarked name of a semi-synthetic substance derived from the plant Chelidonium majus and promoted as a drug for its ability to improve health and treat cancer.[1][2] It was created in 1978, by a Ukrainian chemist Vasyl Novytskyi. Ukrain is named after the nation of Ukraine and is produced by an Austrian company Nowicky Pharma.

According to the American Cancer Society and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, there is no evidence that Ukrain is an effective cancer treatment.

Evidence

In 2005, Edzard Ernst led a review into evidence of the effectiveness of Ukrain. Although the review found evidence suggesting the drug was effective, it also concluded that "numerous caveats prevent a positive conclusion".[3] Commenting on the review some years later, Ernst wrote on his blog that the results they were examining had seemed "too good to be true" – and on investigation the trials were very small in size, often seemed to include Novytskyi himself, and had significant methodological flaws. However despite the cautious conclusion given, "this article became much cited. ... [Novytskyi] must have been delighted".[2]

The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center say that clinical trials suggest that Ukrain might have potential as a future anti-cancer drug, but that its safety and effectiveness are yet to be proven.[4]

The American Cancer Society stated that, as of 2013, "available scientific evidence does not support claims that celandine is effective in treating cancer in humans".[1] It may however be responsible for some adverse side-effects including hepatitis and allergic skin reactions.[1]

Arrests

Ukrain is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.[4] On September 4, 2012, several people including Vasyl Novytskyi, the drug's developer, were arrested in Austria for distributing the drug under suspicion of commercial fraud.[2][5]

See also

  • List of ineffective cancer treatments

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Celandine". American Cancer Society. August 2011. Retrieved September 2013. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Edzard Ernst (14 October 2012). "A telling story about "alternative" cancer cures and their purveyors". Retrieved December 4, 2012. 
  3. ↑ Ernst, E; Schmidt, K (2005). "Ukrain - a new cancer cure? A systematic review of randomised clinical trials". BMC Cancer 5: 69. doi:10.1186/1471-2407-5-69. PMC 1180428. PMID 15992405. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Ukrain". Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. September 2012. Retrieved September 2013. 
  5. ↑ Krebskranke getäuscht: Festnahmen, September 4, 2012 (orf.at)

External links

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