A New "Treatment" for the Delusion that Autism=Mercury Poisoning, or A Novel Use of An Industrial Decontaminant?

Updated

Those who believe that autism is caused by children's bodies being contaminated by mercury often seek to remove the mercury, through chelation.   This procedure seems to be widely used, although it has never been evaluated for effectiveness.   ( NIMH proposed such a study in 2006 but it was suspended in 2007, after health risks were found.) The study has again been proposed, but many find it unethical.

Despite the lack of studies for safety and efficacy, many parents of autistic children put them on chelating regimens, both intravenous and oral.

At a 2007 conference, a professor of chemistry at the University of Kentucky, Boyd Haley, described a new oral chelator he had "in development", which incited anticipation among the autism-is-mercury-poisoning faithful.  In May 2008,  Haley  gave a similar presentation, this time referring to his product as "an antioxidant", and indicating that it would be marketed under the name of "Oxidative Stress Release", or OSR, as a dietary supplement.  On July 23, 2008, a dentist, Paul G. Wilke, announced that he would be selling OSR.

By July 30, 2008, at least one child was being administered 50 mg  of  OSR (or BDET) twice a day.

On August 1, 2008, Kathleen Seidel, blogging at Neurodiversity.com sent a letter to the University of Kentucky, describing the sequence of events in detail.  The letter asks a series of pointed questions about Haley's conduct and relationship to the university, including

Does the university condone Prof. Haley’s apparent plans to conduct uncontrolled post-marketing toxicity studies and efficacy testing on disabled children before initiating any large-scale testing on adults? And is the university’s Institutional Review Board providing any ethical review of Prof. Haley’s studies of the effect of OSR on human beings?

As of today (August 10, 2008) Seidel has not received any response from the University of Kentucky.  However, there are further developments:

On August 8, 2008, one of the commenters on the Seidel letter wrote that OSR is chemically identical to a product patented by Atwood et. al (also at the University of Kentucky), called BDET, used for "decontamination of soil and water from waste treatment facilities, chemical and metal-finishing industrial sites, municipal landfills, and mines."

On August 9, 2008, Seidel published a second post, The Industrial Treatment, detailing the similarities between the Atwood product (BDETH₂ ) and the product Haley was marketing.  The University of Kentucky holds the patents for the Atwood products, and Seidel concludes:

it would seem prudent for the University of Kentucky to investigate the possibility that BDETH₂  has been perverted from its legitimate use in the decontamination of toxic waste and industrial sites to a more questionable use as an inadequately-tested chelation drug marketed as a “dietary supplement” for autistic children who have been dubiously diagnosed with chronic heavy metal poisoning.

A Fine White Powder (August 1 , 2008)

The Industrial Treatment (August 9, 2008)

previously:

Haley's Chelator: For Cats or Kids? (April 26, 2008)

Comments

[Anon]

You should listen to what the chemistry professor says about chemistry, not the librarian.

[Liz Ditz]

Let's review the evidence: a professor of chemistry who stands to realize a significant income stream from a medically-unfounded treatment, or a librarian, assisted by another chemist, who criticizes both the research and the ethics?

Professor of chemistry = 0
Librarian (with assist from a chemist) = 1

[brook]

parents should teach their children about drugs. they teach ethics to become good personality among the public.

========
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[anonymous]

perhaps instead of listening to the librarian OR even the chemistry professor, we should be paying attention to the physicians around the world who have used this with success? OR we could try listening to the patients themselves OR the parents who care for them and have seen vast improvement???? as a parent of 2 of these patients, my thoughts are that the politics of research need to be checked at the door and get on with the actual research!

[Chris]

Many have chelated and seen nothing, but they had no incentive to tell everyone about it.

[Penis]

More & more people know that blog are good for every one where we get lots of information any topics !!!

[Martha Cooley]

Like QuackBuster, if AutismDiva or other naysayers get their panties in a wad, I know it's probably good. I am using OSR under the care of a doctor after much discussion how to work it into the protocol, and I am seeing nice changes in my child.

[OSR-Fan]

OSR works and works so well and has no side effects. 9 months on it and my son has nothing but gains. Drawbacks ? taste and cost. Almost $5 a week and tastes like mud.

[Melissa]

Here is a chelation study in children with Autism. This study had a profound effect on my childs speech.

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jt/2009/532640.abs.html

[John Sanderson]

Liz, it seems that almost all of your posts, irresepective of the nature of the content, are negative in disposition and it is clear that you rarely offer substantial reference material or any other concrete information to actively support your oppositional position. Please become better at you publishing career or become another anti-conspiracy has-been.

There are many people who offer you their personal experiences and you simply choose to ignore them, and in fact are so rude that you do not even respond to a discussion thread created by your very self.

typepad was a better place without you.

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On August 1, 2008, Kathleen Seidel, blogging at Neurodiversity.com sent a letter to the University of Kentucky, describing the sequence of events in detail.

[hammam]

i am using this product with my son and things r very good now .