In world's first, trojan horse drug to treat blood cancer patients: What is it?
"Myeloma is an aggressive type of blood cancer, but we have seen a steady improvement in the outlook for patients over recent years as we have introduced new targeted therapies. I am delighted that patients in England will be the first to benefit from this new treatment, which has the potential to keep cancer at bay for years longer," said Peter Johnson, NHS England's national clinical director for cancer.WHAT IS THE "TROJAN HORSE" DRUG?Belantamab mafodotin, also marketed as Blenrep, is a form of targeted antibody therapy.Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which affects both healthy and cancerous cells, this drug is designed to find, enter, and destroy only the cancer cells.advertisementIt works much like the ancient tale of the trojan horse. The drug "sneaks" into the cancer cell by attaching to a specific protein found on the surface. Once inside, it releases a powerful toxic substance that kills the cell from within, without harming surrounding healthy tissue.Administered through an infusion every three weeks alongside other cancer medications, belantamab mafodotin has shown promising results in trials.When combined with bortezomib and dexamethasone, it delayed cancer progression by an average of three years. In contrast, patients taking commonly used treatments like daratumumab typically experienced disease progression within a year.IS IT A GAME CHANGER FOR PATIENTS?For people like Paul Silvester, a 60-year-old from Sheffield diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2023, the new drug has been life-changing.'I feel like this treatment has brought the party balloons back in the house. It has been amazing – within the first two or three weeks, after the first dose, I was in remission," he said.Silvester received the drug through an early access programme at Royal Hallamshire Hospital after his initial treatment failed to stop the cancer.Doctors believe the therapy is particularly promising for patients who have exhausted other treatment options. It will be offered to those whose disease has progressed or failed to respond to first-line therapies.advertisementTHE FUTURE OF BLOOD CANCER TREATMENTPatient advocacy groups have also welcomed the development. Shelagh McKinlay, Director of Research and Advocacy at Myeloma UK, said the approval was a major win.'We have been working very hard for the last year to get this treatment approved and we know it will transform the lives of thousands of people with myeloma,' she said.Health Minister Karin Smyth, added that by embracing cutting-edge 'trojan horse' technology, the NHS is offering new hope to blood cancer patients across the country.As research continues and more data emerges, belantamab mafodotin may be the hold the future in changing how blood cancers like myeloma are treated in years to come.Must Watch
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First Post
2 days ago
- First Post
How UK doctor and ‘Apprentice' star made big bucks by selling fake sick notes
Dr Asif Munaf, who was previously taken off BBC's show 'The Apprentice', is now facing criticism for offering same-day sick notes. He was earlier removed from the spin-off series over what were described as 'anti-Semitic remarks'. Now, a fresh row has emerged after it was revealed that his new company claims to provide doctor-signed sick notes in as little as two hours read more Asif Munaf was dropped by the BBC from their 'Apprentice' spin-off show. Image: X Dr Asif Munaf, who was earlier removed from BBC's show 'The Apprentice', is now under fire for offering sick notes on the same day. Earlier, he was suspended from the medical register after making anti-Semitic posts online that criticised Israel's actions. ALSO READ | The case of British paedophile who tried to marry 9-year-old at Disneyland Now, fresh concerns have come up after it was found that his new company promises to help people get a doctor-signed sick note in as little as two hours. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD So, who is Asif Munaf, and what is the latest controversy surrounding him? Let's take a look: Who is Asif Munaf? Munaf is a 37-year-old doctor who worked with England's National Health Service (NHS) but was later suspended by the medical council. Notably, he was dropped by the BBC from their 'Apprentice' spin-off show after making what were described as 'anti-Semitic remarks'. Munaf was among 18 entrepreneurs featured on The Apprentice and had also appeared on Dragons' Den, where he pitched for a £50,000 investment in return for 10 per cent of his company, Date Smoothie. His social media posts drew strong criticism after he shared a number of 'anti-Jewish' comments. These included calling Zionism a 'satanic cult' and referring to Zionists as 'odiously ogre-like' after the October 7 attacks by Hamas. Munaf is a 37-year-old doctor who worked with England's National Health Service (NHS). Image: LinkedIn The Sheffield-born doctor, has also faced earlier allegations from fellow Apprentice contestants, who claimed he made offensive remarks about women and spoke of 'only having sex with virgins'. He denied making such comments. His now-closed website, the University of Masculinity, was also criticised for controversial posts and retweeting content by Andrew Tate, The Sun UK reported. One post, aimed at women, read: 'Have you ever met a beautiful feminist?' What is the new row involving him? A new report has claimed that Munaf is behind a company that sells sick notes for as little as £29 (around Rs 3,403). The company's website advertises services to 'beat the GP wait' and promises a doctor-signed sick note in just two hours. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Applicants simply need to fill out an online questionnaire. There is no video or in-person consultation involved. ALSO READ | Why the iconic Glastonbury music festival is under the scanner of UK police An investigation by The Telegraph UK said that undercover reporters managed to get signed off for months with Covid within hours of applying, without showing any proof of a positive test. One of them was even issued a note for anxiety after pretending their dog was dying. Another asked to work from home for four weeks, openly stating in the form that 'to be honest, I need this adjustment because I want to join my friends on holiday in Malta next month'. All three notes were approved within hours of the requests being submitted. A report containing all the evidence has been passed on to the General Medical Council (GMC), which oversees doctors, and the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which monitors healthcare services, the report said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a long X post, Munaf said, 'I don't issue the medical notes - I run the business'. He added that doctors provide the sick notes based on HIPAA-aligned guidelines, referring to the US health privacy law. 'These are well-qualified, regulated professionals, not guys scribbling on Post-it notes behind a kebab shop,' he said. He also shared a link where people can book a 45-minute one-on-one session with him for £150 (Rs 17,608), promising advice on 'business, health, and peak performance'. When Munaf was dropped from BBC show Last year, Munaf was removed from a spin-off show of The Apprentice by BBC after being accused of making antisemitic comments on social media. BBC said in a statement: 'We can confirm that the individual concerned will not feature as a guest on any additional upcoming BBC content relating to The Apprentice.' Meanwhile, Munaf dismissed the allegations as 'slanderous'. 'The Zionist lobby went after my medical registration.' Dr Asif Munaf tells TRT World after he was dropped from a BBC spin-off show and suspended from the medical register in the UK over his pro-Palestine stance amidst Israel's ongoing war in Gaza — TRT World (@trtworld) March 29, 2024 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a string of posts on X following the BBC's move, he said he would 'always keep speaking the truth, especially in the midst of genocide', a term that Israel has strongly denied. He has also referred to Zionism as 'fascism on steroids', 'a commercial enterprise based on apartheid', and 'a cancer'.
NDTV
5 days ago
- NDTV
Brothers Blame Influencer Mum's 'Conspiracy Theories' After Sister's Death
Gabriel Shemirani blames his influencer mother's belief in conspiracy theories about medicine for his sister's death from cancer, after she rejected chemotherapy. "She was being fed fake information," the 24-year-old British student told AFP, saying their mother "was against her daughter seeking medical treatments that could have saved her". Gabriel's mother, Kate Shemirani, is one of a growing cohort of health influencers on social media accused of advocating and selling unproven treatments. She promotes alternative theories about Covid, vaccines and organ transplants, and has called chemotherapy "the poison path" and "mustard gas". Gabriel's twin sister, Paloma fell ill in 2023 aged 22, shortly after graduating from university, and was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, a type of cancer which is in most cases "very treatable" according to the UK's National Health Service. But Gabriel told AFP his sister opted not to start chemotherapy treatment advised by an oncologist, influenced by her mother's distrust of conventional medicine. "85 percent of people with my sister's cancer... would have survived" with chemotherapy, said Gabriel. Paloma died one year later at 23 after opting for a controversial treatment called "Gerson therapy", involving vegetable juices and coffee enemas. Kate often talks about surviving breast cancer by doing this, although she underwent surgery as well. According to Cancer Research UK, there is "no scientific evidence" for Gerson therapy as a cancer treatment. Australian "wellness" influencer Jess Ainscough died from cancer in 2015 after trying the therapy. Misinformation Gabriel and his older brother Sebastian took legal action in Paloma's last months to get her medical care assessed, and asked social services and police to intervene. Kate did not respond to AFP's request for comment. She released a statement on X saying Paloma was "never coerced" and presented a written statement signed by her daughter in April 2024. "I have suffered no abuse from my mum," Paloma wrote, describing her cancer diagnosis as not definitive. Paloma said she questioned medics about survival rates on her mother's advice, before discharging herself from the oncologist and moving in with Kate. Paloma said she was "delighted with her chosen treatment plan". But she died in July 2024 after suffering a heart attack at home. Kate blames her death on "a chain of gross medical failings, breaches of consent law, falsified medical records, and reckless emergency drug use". The brothers are awaiting an inquest on July 28, and hope a police investigation will follow. Many wellness influencers like Kate, who calls herself a "natural nurse", are accused of touting unproven treatments that are promoted by algorithms to ill people. A US study in 2023 found 70 percent of cancer patients questioned had seen cancer misinformation on social media. Royal 'Lizards' Kate was struck off as a NHS nurse after her speeches at anti-vaccine rallies made her a public figure during the Covid lockdown. "My mum's a national conspiracy theorist who called for doctors and nurses to be hung," said Gabriel. The student at London School of Economics says he grew up hearing conspiracy theories from his parents and once believed "the royal family were all lizards". Paloma shared some of these beliefs, such as rejecting the Covid jab, her friends told the BBC, who first covered the story. Gabriel is estranged from his mother, who he said "needs to feel important. And for her, conspiracy theories allow her to do that, to feel like this Messianic figure". Suspended from Twitter in 2022 over her Covid statements, Kate was reinstated on X in 2023 and has over 81,000 followers. She also has 28,000 followers on Facebook and 21,000 on Instagram. Her website offers paid consultations and sells apricot seeds and vitamins. While these figures "aren't actually huge", she is "definitely a prominent figure," said Stephanie Alice Baker, a sociologist researching health and wellness misinformation at City St George's, University of London. Gabriel is urging tighter social media controls on those making such unproven health claims. "You shouldn't be able to make medical claims against (scientific) consensus, and there should be a third party body that social medias have to be accountable to with medical claims," he said. Baker said she had seen a surge in content creators "selling unregulated products like soursop tea, apricot kernels and horse and dog dewormer". "This is something I feel very concerned about, and I think needs to be seriously regulated, both from social media companies, but also in terms of government regulation."
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Hepatologist warns against taking zinc supplements for immunity, diabetes or heart health: ‘No evidence of benefits'
Do you take zinc supplements? Many people try to up their nutritional intake by supplementing their diets with extra vitamins and minerals, including zinc. But before you pop that pill, it is quite necessary to reach out to a physician and educate yourself. Many people take zinc supplements to boost immunity, treat the common cold, childhood diarrhoea, COVID-19 and other infections, and improve eye health.(Adobe Stock (For Representation)) Also Read | NHS surgeon shares what happens when you eat nuts every day: 'Your brain and gut will thank you' In a post shared on June 26, Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, aka The Liver Doc (a hepatologist), shared a guideline to taking these supplements, warning that popping them may not be as good as many believe. 'Are you on a Zinc supplement? Then please read this,' he wrote. Does taking zinc supplements actually have any benefits? According to the hepatologist, large prevention guidelines found no overall benefits to taking the supplement. Dr Philips revealed, 'The US Preventive Services Task Force reviews every good trial it can find on vitamins and minerals and whether they stop cancer or heart disease. It says there isn't enough evidence to show any benefit from zinc (alone or in multivitamins) for people who are already healthy.' He added that the trials also warn that more isn't automatically better because high doses can cause harm. He pointed out that many people take zinc supplements to boost immunity, treat common cold, childhood diarrhoea, COVID-19 and other infections, and improve eye health. However, he pointed out that the evidence is insufficient to recommend zinc supplements, citing various research studies and trials. For instance, Dr Philips cited the 2024 Cochrane review, which pooled 26 randomised studies and found that taking zinc every day does not stop you catching a cold or boost your immunity. Heart disease, diabetes and death Dr Philips pointed out that many take zinc supplements for heart disease and diabetes. However, meta-analyses show zinc supplements sometimes nudge blood sugar or cholesterol numbers, but none of them show fewer heart attacks, strokes or deaths. 'The bottom line: changing lab values doesn't matter if real-world outcomes don't improve, and current evidence hasn't crossed that line,' he stated. He concluded that for everyday healthy adults, swallowing extra zinc (no matter which high-tech form) doesn't prevent colds, COVID-19, cancer, heart disease, eye disease, or just getting sick. 'The only clearly proven medical role is as a drug for rare copper-overload disorders or for people who are demonstrably zinc-deficient. Eat a balanced diet and save your money on routine zinc supplements,' he suggested. Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
