Criminal Story of a Prevention - Ukrainian Anti Cancer Institute

particularly crucial is that Ukrain is the first and so far the only drug which attacks only
cancer cells while leaving healthy cells undamaged, as demonstrated many times in vitro
(including at the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, USA).
Numerous scientists are now investigating Ukrain. Professor Liepins demonstrated
Ukrain induced growth inhibition of one hundred percent on the same human tumour cell
lines investigated at Bethesda and reported his findings at the 17 th International Chemotherapy
Congress in Berlin in June 1991. This was confirmed by EORTC (European Organisation for
Research and Treatment of Cancer) in Holland. The Mayo Clinic in the USA confirmed that
Ukrain destroyed cancerous melanoma and breast cancer cells as well as other human cancer
cells. Similar results were reported from Japan and at the University of Vermont the anticancer
effect of Ukrain was even demonstrated on cells which had proved resistant to
Cisplatin.
It is all the more curious that the pharmacist, Reinhard Fischill from Vienna wrote a
letter to the Austrian pharmacists’ journal (Österreichische Apotheker Zeitung, 20 May 1996)
saying, ‘As a pharmacist it makes my hair stand on end,’ when he reads, ‘The alkaloid
derivative from greater celandine attacks only tumour cells and leaves normal cells
undamaged.’ In addition, he pokes fun at the experiments carried out by Dr. Thomas Tritton
at the University of Vermont which had shown that Ukrain was also effective where Cisplatin
had failed.
Understandably, Nowicky was puzzled about the source from which Fischill drew his
knowledge. All the documentation handed to the authorities for the registration process was
confidential (as Dr. Jentzsch expressly assured me). The fact that Fischill worked closely with
the Ministry of Health as a member of the Austrian Pharmacists’ Association and particularly
that he is connected to the company Novipharm, which produces the mistletoe preparation
Isorel, are far from being reasons to bring him to registration documentation, even those of a
competitor. Isorel is used as an alternative cancer treatment; one that was quickly registered.
In reaction to Fischill’s allegations in his letter, Jentzsch, who until now has blocked
the registration of Ukrain, explained to me on 8 February 1994, ‘It is certainly no quack
medicine. We are all interested, but if the requirements are not fulfilled, there will be no
registration.’ Asked whether, in view of the studies available until then from all over the
world, the researcher should not be given a grant for further research, Jentzsch replied, ‘The
ministry (of health) has always demanded that with such important things there should be
intensive…’ he interrupted and corrected himself, ‘intensive is maybe overstated…
cooperation with the Ministry of Science.’
At the Ministry of Science, however, there is another viewpoint. From 1984 the
Research Department had, as the only government office, greatly promoted Nowicky’s work.
In addition to the grants already mentioned, in 1992 and 1996 two special editions of the
journal Drugs Under Research were sponsored in which the most important results of
Austrian and foreign researchers were collected. The first special edition of 109 pages was
presented at a symposium organised by the Ministry of Science under the then minister, Dr.
Erhard Busek on 25 May 1993. Cancer specialists and doctors were invited to hear talks
delivered by scientists from Austria and abroad under the title ‘New Methods of Cancer
Treatment – the Example of Ukrain’. This was not some obscure pamphlet by dubious authors
but serious scientific contributions from serious researchers.
Years later, in the Oncological Department of Vienna General Hospital, I found out
what clinical circles thought about an initiative like this. After Dr. S. had said in a radio
discussion on 7 February 1997 that Ukrain was carcinogenic, I visited him a few weeks later
at the hospital because I wanted to know what experimental results had led him to this
statement which appears nowhere else in any literature on Ukrain.
However, as soon as we began talking, he threatened me with legal action if I named
him in any report of our conversation. This was already disappointing. There had been no
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