In a June 17 letter, the FDA charged Boyd Haley, founder of CTI Science, with five violations related to his product, OSR#1 a dietary supplement targeted as a therapy for autism now deemed a toxic, unapproved drug.
The compound is a chelating agent thought to treat autism on the scientifically baseless notion that the disorder is linked to toxic metals, such as mercury. Chelating agents are notoriously toxic when they re not administered in appropriate settings, such as in hospitals for heavy metal poisoning. Charlatans sell these compounds in pill form, or more dangerously, to be used intravenously. The claim is they can treat various diseases like autism, but this should be condemned since there s no evidence these therapies work, says ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross.
Dr. Ross adds, Of course, the anti-science site Age of Autism has good things to say about this stuff but they are also still supporting Andrew Wakefield whose controversial article in the Lancet eventually withdrawn by the medical journal led many parents to believe that childhood vaccinations and autism were causally linked.
At least it has a hypothetical biological mechanism, comments ACSH's Jeff Stier sarcastically.
