Amid the search for new cancer therapies, novel drugs and pharmaceuticals are constantly being developed. Specifically, researchers are looking for drugs that are effective, safe, and have minimal side effects, a stark contrast to common treatments like chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is well known for some of its ugly side effects. What’s worse, cancer cells can become immune to chemotherapy, leaving you without an effective treatment option and struggling with the side effects, such as nausea.
One new drug that has emerged in the past few decades may hold promise, and it offers something a bit different than the usual cytotoxic drugs used to treat cancer. In fact, it’s made of key nutrients we consume regularly in our food. Keep reading to learn more!
What is ApatoneⓇ?
Apatone is a drug developed by ICMedTech that combines vitamin C and vitamin K3 to work as a cancer treatment solution, though the ratio between vitamin C and K3 largely favors vitamin C (meaning there is more vitamin C). That’s it: just those two vitamins.
You might be wondering what these two nutrients have to do with cancer. For starters, you probably know that vitamin C already has been shown to have a range of uses. We often think of vitamin C as something we get from citrus fruits, and this is true. It has a range of health benefits, which includes helping in the formation of blood vessels and tissue. When it comes to cancer, though, vitamin C also has some benefits as an antioxidant that can help reduce some of the risks for cancer, which is why it has been explored as a potential cancer treatment.
Vitamin K3, on the other hand, plays a very different role in our health. Specifically, it’s a key nutrient that helps promote healthy bones and proper blood clotting (not too much, not too little). For people at risk of certain diseases (such as heart disease), vitamin K3 may also help prevent calcium from building up in the body in dangerous ways.
Together, these two vitamins work to target and destroy cancer cells.
How does Apatone help with Cancer?
So, Apatone is a combination of two vital nutrients with the goal of destroying cancer cells. How do they work together to treat cancer? Here’s how.
Many of the beneficial health qualities of both vitamins appear to work together in a positive way when combined. Specifically, research suggests that the two together could help prevent the growth of cancer cells and trigger apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Apatone works by targeting and neutralizing certain molecules in cancer cells that help produce energy, as well as molecules that help cancer cells fight off chemotherapy .
Apatone can be administered as either a pill or an IV infusion.
Is Apatone Effective?
While the jury is still out on making any conclusive statement about Apatone’s effectiveness, studies and clinical trials of Apatone have yielded promising results.
Results of the first FDA-approved clinical trial of Apatone in cancer patients, which were published in 2007, yielded some of the most promising results of Apatone in humans. Specifically, this study found that Apatone was effective at targeting a range of different cancer cells, including cells for prostate and bladder cancer.
Researchers also noted how the body perceives Apatone, shedding more light on its mechanism of action, or how it works in the body. The study suggested that Apatone closely resembles glucose, a key nutrient cancer cells rely on to thrive. This allows Apatone to accumulate inside cancer cells and operate in a more selective way, sparing healthy cells.
In another study examining the use of Apatone as a treatment option for prostate cancer patients who had already failed previous cancer treatments, researchers found that 13 out of 17 patients responded favorably to taking Apatone for about 12 weeks. This work builds on prior research that explored Apatone as a supportive drug taken before and after chemotherapy, which also yielded promising results.
Other studies have shown that Apatone has shown promise in promoting cancer cell death in ovarian cancer, bladder cancer, and more.
Is Apatone Safe?
A benefit of Apatone as a cancer treatment is its low toxicity profile. That is, both vitamin C and vitamin K3 are both vital nutrients in the body, so consuming safe amounts poses a relatively low risk of experiencing a toxic side effect like you might with chemotherapy.
However, Apatone is not FDA-approved just yet. Some believe that this is simply because people are unwilling to invest the time needed to seriously engage Apatone as a therapeutic intervention for cancer. Whatever the reason, Apatone can’t be prescribed as a standard treatment without FDA approval.
So if you have questions about Apatone for your cancer, talk to your doctor to discuss your options.
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