‘Diabetes treatment within 2 years if necessary research budgets available’

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Glucophage is safe, say physicians

KUWAIT CITY, Dec 12: Former Dean of the College of Science at Kuwait University Dr Jaseem Al-Hassan affirmed that huge budgets are needed in order to complete researches and produce positive results in relation to the treatment of diabetes and other incurable diseases, indicating diabetes patients and those with intractable diseases will be treated within two years if budget is available for the necessary research, reports Al-Rai daily.

Al-Hassan revealed this in a recent symposium entitled “Applications, Results and Research” organized at Diwan Al-Qattan in Shaab area, which witnessed attendance of distinguished individuals and media personalities.

He said, “For 40 years, I have been conducting research to explore the effective mixture in treating wounds and during the period, I found that fish skin is a material for important substances in many vital and medical activities.” He stated that “the discovery was a relief for the issue of wound and sores healing. I succeeded in my first experiments in treating my father’s foot, which was greatly ulcerated”.

He indicated treating many people who had problems with diabetic foot and the success rate was high. It was an experience that made him feel happy.

He pointed out that the cost of treating diabetics with the soaring number of 400 million people around the world, is approximately 1.3 billion dollars annually, noting “the door of participation is open to everyone to complete the research for the good of Kuwait and humanity”.

Meeting
Al-Hassan talked about his visit to MDA Cancer Center Hospital in Houston – the United States where he held a meeting with researcher in the field of cancer and inflammation where he presented “some of the extracted materials to remove tumors within hours, and indeed the researcher brought a sample of the materials and tried them. He used four materials that contained fats and I tested them on cells removed from lung cancer, so I really found that one of the substances- sample number (3), was able to eliminate the cells in 72 hours and lowered them from 100 percent to 10, which raised our amazement. Then she repeated the experiment on pancreatic and prostate cancers and the results were the same. This propped up a question in my mind: how is it possible for the same material to eliminate three types of cancer cells?”

Al-Hassan praised the contribution of Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences and everyone who contributed to the success of his scientific research.

He stressed, “The success of the research needs greater support, because it should not stop until all stages are accomplished, as the results that have been tested (against cancer cells- and against infectionsin treating wounds and sores) are a huge scientific leap.

Meanwhile, several specialist physicians affirmed that Glucophage is generally safe in the treatment of diabetes, denying report that the drug may cause incurable diseases, reports Al-Qabas daily.

The statement followed a recent information published in a Polish newspaper about the presence of some dangerous chemicals in the drug, which they claimed, may cause incurable diseases but specialists have since discarded the report as inaccurate, the daily added. In parallel with reports confirmed by Kuwait Diabetes Society in this regard, a number of medical experts told Al-Qabas that the drug used by millions of patients around the world is safe, and there is no cause for concern regarding its use.

They cautioned against circulating or publishing inaccurate information that may threaten the life of many patients. In this context, endocrinologist and diabetes specialist in Al-Adan Hospital Dr Khaled Al-Janai revealed that Glucophage is safe and there is no cause for concern regarding its use, especially as the medicine is tried and being used for nearly 50 years, indicating it is almost the first treatment for diabetics.

He said “Glucophage was pulled out of Singapore after examining 46 products of generic drugs but those companies do not supply medicines to them in the country. Therefore, there is no justification for publishing such false information, which may afflict diabetics with a degree of anxiety.” He pointed out that “Glucophage has other benefits, such as reducing cancer, while its preparation is in line with the recommendations of international drug organizations officially approved in the countries of the world. In the same context, President of the Association of Obesity Diseases and Consultant Endocrinologist Dr Yousef Bouabbas warned against circulating or publishing information that questions efficacy of drugs that have been used for a long time, exceeding 50 years.

He indicated that Glucophage is used in Europe and the Arabian Gulf abundantly, and the medicine has been circulated in the United States of America since 1998. He added “there is a misunderstanding about information that this drug causes cancer, as the batch pulled out of Singapore is generic and not original,” explaining that “Kuwait supplies original Glucophage drugs.”

Head of Diabetes Unit at the Amiri Hospital and diabetes consultant Dr Abdulnabi Al-Attar said Metformin or Glucophage is one of the most effective drugs in the treatment of diabetes, and it does not cause cancer. He noted the claim about this matter is not credible and far away from the truth “and medically, it is wrong to stop this medication based on a passing article”.

He stated that Glucophage is recommended by the American Diabetes Society, American Clinical Endocrinologists Association, the Association of European Diabetes Societies, and the International Diabetes Association. It is also approved by the American Food and Drug Administration and the European Medical Association.

He pointed out that recent research has indicated that Metformin may have a positive effect in fighting cancer, indicating “the drug is the first to be recommended for treating type 2 diabetes, and had been used before all medications in some patients”. He noted “the drug has been in use for diabetes treatment since the fifties until now, as it has proven a high level of effectiveness and drug safety.”

He stressed that “scientific experiments on mice do not mean they are applicable to humans in all circumstances”, indicating “the practice of scientific experiments differs from extracting results and their applicability, as it is not possible to generalize any scientific conclusion drawn from just one experiment, without looking at the conditions for implementing the experiment and ability to re-implement it under other circumstances.”

Inaccuracy
Consultant Endocrinologist and Chairman of Kuwait Diabetes Society Dr Walid Al-Dhahi confirmed inaccuracy of report published about diabetes- related Glucophage medicine, which is also known as Metformin.

In a recent statement, Al-Dhahi added publication of the news was under the title “Urgent call for diabetics … Beware that this drug is injected into experimental rats in order to stimulate cancer”, indicating the title is not right and that the message in the news is wrong and has unforeseeable consequences. It makes patients doubt treatment with Glucophage, which the world agreed on its safety in the short and long term. It is available from the mid-fifties and is needed by many patients in the world.

Al-Dhahi added that Singapore withdrew 3 generic types of Glucophage drugs after examining 46 products, while some types of Glucophage were allowed to be used by patients without any risk. This does not apply to Glucophage manufactured from the original parent company, while the Ministry of Health confirmed that generic Glucophage drugs withdrawn in Singapore are not registered in Kuwait.

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