Free Cure-All Blood Cancer Drug in Pune? Don’t Fall For This Old Fake Message

An old message about a cure-all cancer drug has resurfaced on social media. The viral message claims that this lifesaving drug “Imitinef Mercilet” can cure blood cancer and is available free of cost at Yashoda hospital in Pune, Maharashtra.

Readers of Fact Crescendo forwarded this message to our WhatsApp FactLine (9049053770) and requested to do a fact-check on it.

Fact Crescendo found that the claim in the message is false. 

What’s The Claim?

The viral message reads: “Medicine for blood cancer has been found. “Emotif Merkillate” (Imitinef Mercilet) purifies blood cancer. It is available free of cost in Yashoda Hematology Cancer Institute in Pune.”

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FACT CHECK 

There is a cancer drug called Imatinib Mesylate (correct spelling). It was called a “magical bullet” when it revolutionized the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) in 2001. 

The drug was developed by Nicholas Lyndon in the late 90s. Lyndon and his colleagues were also awarded the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award in 2009 for “converting fatal cancer into a manageable condition.”

World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated it as an essential medicine.

Does It Cure All Blood Cancers?

There are different types of Leukaemia. According to Medline Plus, Imatinib Mesylate is used to treat certain types of leukaemia (cancer that begins in the white blood cells) and other disorders of the blood cells. Imatinib is in a class of medication called kinase inhibitors which helps stop the spread of cancer cells.

Dr. Balkrishna Padate, director and head of Haematology from Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai told Fact Crescendo that this viral message is like “a drop of truth in the ocean of misinformation”.

“Imatinib Mesylate has shown very good results in Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) and Ph+ve Acute Lymphoblastic leukaemia blood cancers. It is not used for all types of blood cancers,” he said.

“In the chronic phase of CML, it can be used as monotherapy. But it has to be used in combination with other medicines in other phases of CML and Ph+ve ALL. Hence, it is a myth that the drug is magical cure for all blood cancer. The patients should consult with expert haematologist prior to taking any treatment related decisions,” Dr. Padate clarified.

Does Yashoda Clinic Give It For Free?

Fact Crescendo got in touch with Sameer Nikam of Yashoda Haematology Clinic Administration. He informed us that this viral message has been going viral for the past many years and has no truth in it. 

“Yashoda Haematology Clinic is not providing any cancer medication free of cost. The hospital administration has also filed a complaint with Cyber Security regarding this fake message. We even changed our contact number to avoid calls asking for the free cancer drug,” he told. 

He further said, “There is no one particular medicine that can cure cancer. After proper diagnosis doctors prescribe medicines to patients. What actually happens is that when patients get successful results they spread the word that such and such medicines helped them in recovering. So others assume that the same medicine can also heal them; which is quite dangerous. There are various kinds of blood cancer and they all need different medicines and treatments. Please don’t believe in the viral messages and let it go unnoticed.”

CONCLUSION

Imitinef Mercilet does not “purifies” or “cure” all types of blood cancer. The drug has a very specific use and can only be prescribed by the specialist doctor. Also, Yashoda Haematology Clinic in Pune clarified that they do not give any cancer medicine for free. The viral message is fake. 

The same message was earlier fact-checked by Fact Crescendo Marathi.