Physician claims that cures for diabetes meet pharmaceutical opposition CAIRO: For millions of diabetics worldwide insulin remains the sole medication available that offers temporary relief from the progressive illness. One researcher, who has produced a remedy he says is effective against the widespread disease, claims that pharmaceutical companies want to keep it that way. "If you are aware that diabetes is a profitable disease from which pharmaceutical companies reap billions every year, you will be able to understand why a permanent cure for the disease remains undesired, underlines Dr Tarek Kamal Reda, director of the obesity research and management center at the National Nutrition Institute, Cairo. Reda, whose new herbal mix for curing diabetes has recently been highlighted in medical circles, is concerned, like many before him, that his recipe might conflict with the interests of pharmaceutical companies. This worry has somewhat diluted his joy at the success of his Rihan Diacure, a formula of 28 ingredients that he says has proven effective in many cases - some considered hopeless. Reda's new formula, mainly consisting of basil, watercress, lemon, capsicum and garlic, has been tried out by many of the diabetics who visit his clinic in Mohandiseen. "One case was really hopeless, having been suffering from type 1 for the last 12 years, he explained. "She used to survive on 40 and 50 unit insulin shots and usually got admitted to the intensive care department two or three times a year, he added. "I was surprised to find out that after I put her on Rihan Diacure for several weeks her intake of insulin had dropped dramatically to three units, much to my amazement. I had never expected it. Reda says that his experimental formula was initially meant to enable his patients to have better control of the disease. "But after I got these amazing results with that critical case I tried it with several other patients and also reached similar results. "An American specialist came and examined her pancreas and was surprised to discover that it was functioning. We didn't actually know whether the formula had breathed life into that organ or it had all these years been stricken with a kind of laxity that caused her blood sugar to rise above normal levels, added Reda. Reda's formula was inspired by an American diabetes periodical that occasionally highlighted the effect of many herbs, each in isolation, on pancreatic function and the control of blood sugar. "One time it was ginger, another it was watercress or basil, related Reda. "I decided to mix all such parts and produce a worthwhile food supplement rather than a medicine to help improve pancreatic function. But obviously for Reda, who has patented his discovery at the Scientific Research Center in Cairo, the new remedy is just a step. Disseminating it could prove even harder than devising it. Like many who claim to have come up with a cure for diabetes, he says he will have to fight against the wishes of pharmaceutical companies worldwide, an issue addressed in the press as well as by specialized publications. The influence of pharmaceutical companies on the field of medical research is clear. One example of such influence can be found in The New England Journal of Medicine, which has of late decided to use the services of physicians in reviewing its articles and editorials even if they have links to drug companies. The magazine justified their decision on the basis that there are no longer any independent doctors to do the job for them. The journal said that in 2000 the drug industry sponsored more than 314,000 events for physicians - everything from luncheons to getaway weekends - at a cost of almost $2 billion. On top of that, many doctors accept speaking and consulting fees that link them to drug companies. But the move has also been triggered by the fact that the expertise of these doctors was much needed mainly because of their connections with the companies and their knowledge of the pros and cons of new treatments and drugs that are usually used by patients. Reda, who has spoken out on the ill effects of anti-obesity drugs, could find it difficult to get his remedy across in an atmosphere dominated by pharmaceutical tycoons. A few years ago it was rumored that an herbal mix sold in the UAE rebuilt pancreas cells, causing dramatic improvement in many cases. After people rushed to a Sharjah pharmacy that was said to be selling it, sale of the product was halted. The pharmacy claimed that rights to produce the drug had been given to an American company and it would be appearing on the market once it was properly manufactured. The current controversy in the treatment of diabetes is twofold with one group of specialists arguing for rebuilding cells through herbal medicines and others supporting the transplant of stem cells.
