The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a warning to consumers about a controversial drug called PNC-27. It has not been evaluated by the FDA, but the group selling PNC-27 is making claims that it can cure cancer. The FDA evaluates and approves drugs for specific uses and to try a drug that has not been approved comes with serious risks of side effects, interactions, and ineffectiveness. The FDA is recommending that consumers do not use PNC-27.

PNC-27 and Cancer Claims

According to the company promoting and selling PNC-27 online to U.S. consumers, the product is a non-toxic protein that attaches to cancer cells and kills them. The company claims that this protein can cure any type of cancer. It also claims that the drug causes no side effects in comparison to treatments like chemotherapy which cause serious and uncomfortable side effects. The company encourages cancer patients to kill their cancer cells a little bit at a time with PNC-27 while maintaining a healthy lifestyle and taking steps to boost the immune system.

PNC-27 has been approved for use in other countries, but it has not been evaluated by the FDA in the U.S. This does not make it illegal to use in the U.S., but it does mean that the agency has not seen adequate testing to prove it is safe or effective. There have been scientific studies that show PNC-27 can kill cancer cells in specific cell lines, but these tests have not extended to actual human trials.

Contaminated PNC-27 Led to Warning

The FDA not only evaluates new drugs for effectiveness and safety; the agency also monitors and periodically tests the quality of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. When the FDA found the bacteria Variovorax paradoxus in an inhalable form of the PNC-27 product, it issued a strong warning to consumers to not use the product. Inhaling bacteria could cause serious health problems.

The FDA warned in its statement that the contamination was not the only issue with this product. The agency also made it very clear that it had not evaluated PNC-27 for the statements made by the company selling it: that it cures cancer. If someone with cancer takes PNC-27 with the hopes of being cured, the results could be disastrous. Not only may this drug cause dangerous side effects or interactions, it may prevent a patient from getting cancer treatments that are actually effective.

Anyone who is tempted to try PNC-27 by buying it online should first talk to their doctor or oncologist. The FDA states in its warning that there are proven, safer, and more effective treatments for most types of cancer that patients should be using instead of PNC-27. The agency also states that anyone who has already tried PNC-27 should tell their doctors and report any signs of adverse reactions or side effects. While none have yet been reported, it is important to record and monitor any reactions that cause harm.