Cuba to use scorpion venom to treat cancer

Cuban researchers held a news conference on Tuesday as they start the first phase of registering a new homeopathic remedy for cancer patients with a base of scorpion venom.The remedy, an analgesic and anti-inflammatory, is widely used on the island and helps raise the quality of life for patients, but it has not been registered for international sale. Dr. Jose Fraga Castro, the president of the Cuban Biological and Pharmaceutical Laboratory (Labiofam), said the remedy has no side effects. After a detailed, responsible and serious investigation on the toxin, we have found it is harmless to human beings. There have been toxology and medical studies on chronic patients and we haven't found any side effects. There is no risk of death if taken orally, he said. Rumors of the effectiveness of the venom-based drug brought hundreds to the island in search of the blue scorpion.The solution, known as Escozul in Cuba, was first developed in the 1990s in the Guantanamo province.