Washington Blade - October 15, 2004
Ryan Lee

Don't believe it? Check your e-mail inbox.

You might find a message from a company called BiologicalMiracle.com offering a product called the Antidote, which is "the all-inclusive miracle that will kill all viruses and bacteria your body can throw at it."

"The Antidote is a unique anti-microbial peptide offering the widest range of healing power on the market today," according to the Web site. "It kills all known deadly viruses and bacteria in the body."

The Antidote is sold in 5-milliliter bottles and takes 48 hours to become effective, according to the Web site.

Despite warnings from the company that its e-mail "is not just another spam" and its product is not "just another 'passing fad,'" health advocates warn people with HIV to think twice before ordering the product.

"Absolutely don't spend your money on something like this, or anything, without first talking with your health care provider," said Paul Feldman, public affairs director for the National Association of People With AIDS.

"The whole thing gives me pain to think people would spend their hard-earned money on something that comes to them [via e-mail] rather than work with their health care provider, who can actually help them," he added.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration issued an alert on April 2 directing its field personnel to seize quantities of the Antidote, which is being shipped from two London companies not licensed to sell the medicines it was purporting to sell.

The companies listed as responsible are BiologicalMiracle.com and Flashpoint International Ltd., but the FDA notes that "surveillance of The Antidote from other unapproved sources is warranted."

SPAM MAY BE the latest means, but crafty entrepreneurs have been trying for more than 20 years to convince people with HIV and AIDS to shell out their cash for miracle cures, Feldman said.

"It's been going on since Day 1 of the epidemic," he said. "But let me be clear: There is no cure for AIDS."

People searching for a rapid solution to a disease like HIV may be vulnerable to commercial solicitations that promise an easy way out, said Cara Emery, treatment education program manager at AIDS Survival Project in Atlanta.

"An amazing number of people really do respond to these things, especially if they're not educated about HIV," Emery said. "People are always looking for a quick cure, where it won't be difficult."

People with HIV could suffer if they replace accepted medical treatment with unproven gimmicks, Emery said.

"The really dangerous thing with these one-time, or instant cures, is people will access them, they may even feel better from a placebo affect, and then they may not follow-up with a regular doctor's cure," Emery said.

E-MAIL FROM THE Antidote manufacturers invite customers to submit orders online or mail payment to a post office box in Cyprus; no other contact information is listed on the Web site.

But the site does include testimonies from people who say they used the Antidote and experienced miraculous relief.

Among them is Jed Scott Swift, an Ohio resident who said the Antidote erased "a 14-year long illness that nothing else has helped."

"I think it offered me great help, and it helped me immediately," Swift, who said he suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome, told the Blade in a telephone interview.

Laszlo Otvos, an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania who researches anti-microbial peptides, said he was skeptical of the Antidote's claims, particularly since peptides are believed to affect specific organs such as the liver, rather than a person's entire body or immune system.

"I have difficulty believing any peptide drug could be efficient all over the body," Otvos said.

041015
WB041017

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2004. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2004. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .