Austrian Federal Office for Safety in Health Care
News
Miracle Mineral Supplement "MMS" Warning
Situation on EU level and in Austria
Several European medicinal product authorities are currently warning against the use of the "Miracle Mineral Supplement" products "MMS" and "MMS2", as there is a well-founded suspicion that they cause harmful effects that go beyond an acceptable level when used as intended. The Austrian drug authority, the Federal Office for Safety in Health Care/AGES Medizinmarktaufsicht has classified the two products MMS and MMS2 as so-called presentation drugs, since the manufacturer makes clear but unsubstantiated promises of cure and states a medicinal purpose. AGES considers these products to be medicinal products requiring marketing authorization in particular because MMS is intensively advertised via the Internet, among other things, as a cure for cancer, malaria, chronic infections and other serious diseases. Such products may be brought only if in an official permission procedure the effectiveness, harmlessness and quality were proven. For MMS there are no such data available, the clinical effectiveness is therefore not proven and consequently no approval was granted. All healing promises of MMS are not proven and, due to the lack of an approval of the product, have not been checked by the authorities. MMS contains a sodium chlorite solution 28% (not to be confused with narium chloride) and MMS2 contains calcium hypochlorite 70% in capsules. Both products are marketed together with an "activator" citric acid solution 10% for drinking water treatment. Chlorine dioxide is formed by the reaction of MMS with the "activator solution", i.e. sodium chlorite and citric acid. This is a toxic gas with a pungent, chlorine-like odor. Chlorine dioxide is used as a bleaching agent and causes severe burns to the skin and serious eye damage. European poison control centers have received several cases of vomiting, breathing disorders and skin burns from ingestion of MMS. In countries such as Great Britain, Canada, France, Switzerland and the USA, adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney failure, esophageal burns and respiratory disorders due to damage to red blood cells have also been observed. There are currently no such reports in Austria.
Recommendations of the BASG: The Federal Office for Safety in Health Care/AGES Medizinmarktaufsicht urgently warns patients against the use of MMS or sodium chlorite as medicinal products. Sodium chlorite and the diluted acid produce chlorine dioxide, which has an irritating to corrosive effect on the skin and mucous membranes, depending on the concentration. Use may result in significant health hazards.
Further information:
BfArM press release, Feb. 26, 2015:
http://www.bfarm.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/DE/mitteil2015/pm3-2015.html
