Chamber of Deputies approves bill authorizing “cancer pill”

The Chamber of Deputies approved a bill Tuesday (Mar. 8) that authorizes the production of synthetic phosphoethanolamine and its administration to cancer patients even before the research leading to the final approval by the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) is completed. The bill is now pending approval by the Senate.

The so-called “cancer pills” sparked a hot national debate in late 2015 because of their potential cancer-healing properties. In its background arguments, the legislative bill said “researchers affiliated with the Chemistry Institute of the São Paulo University at São Carlos (IQSC/USP) succeeded in synthesizing this substance naturally found in the human body and made it available to patients with no other effective therapy alternatives.”

However, there are no scientific studies at this time that can validate the effectiveness and safety of phosphoethanolamine for regulatory approval.

According to the bill sponsors, the drug has held out hope for cancer patients who see it as an alternative to traditional therapies with the promise of improving their quality of life or even curing the disease. If the bill is passed, sponsors argue, patients diagnosed with cancer will have the choice to use phosphoethanolamine at their own risk upon written informed consent.

Translated by Mayra Borges