by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright December 3, 2004
All Rights Reserved.

etting botulism poisoning from alleged Botox injections at a south Florida medical clinic, “experts” now question whether osteopathic physician Bach McComb [47], his girlfriend Alma Hall, chiropractor Eric Kaplan [52] and his wife Bonnie [53] actually received some cheap Chinese substitute. Allergan Inc., the maker of Botox, was quick to point out that authorities found unidentified and unlabled substances, suggesting that Botox could not have caused deadly botulism poisoning. All four victims remain hospitalized on life-support after getting injected sometime in late November. McComb, who lost his medical license in 2003 for illegally prescribing painkillers, remained hospitalized with his girlfriend in serious condition in New Jersey. Allergan admitted selling the Advanced Integrated Medical two vials of Botox but pointed out it wasn't enough to cause botulism.

      Admitting the clinic didn't have enough Botox to cause botulism raises some disturbing questions, namely, whether (a) enough Botox can cause toxic side effects and (b) tainted Botox can cause botulism? Allergan's leading researcher at the University of British Columbia, opthalmologist Dr. Jean Carruthers, estimated Botox's lethal dose at 35 vials. A recent high-profile lawsuit against Allergan by the wife of Hollywood producer Michael Medavoy, alleging Botox caused her permanent disability, prompted Allergan to take full-page nationwide ads touting the drug's history and safety record. While Allergan hastens to point out the south Florida clinic didn't buy enough Botox to cause the alleged poisoning, they don't really know whether Advance Integrated Medical bought Botox elsewhere. Allergan already concluded that the clinic must have used countefeit Botox. What we do know is that the clinic recently advertised “Botox Blowout.”

      Medavoy's case, while not successful in court, raised concerns about the liberal use of Botox for its many off-label applications. Originally approved by the Food and Drug Administration for eye and neck spasms in 1989, Botox is now used for facial wrinkles, “the strangled voice,” underarm sweating, carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines, female sexual dysfunction, etc. Though approved April 15, 2002 for treating “frown-lines,” dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons have used Botox for treating facial wrinkles for nearly 20 years. Responding to Medavoy's adverse publicity, Allergan published “The Truth About Botox,” full-page ads marketing the powerful substance as “a natural purified protein derived from a bacterium in much the same way penicillin is derived from mold.” Allergan does everything it can to distance its self from the dangers associated with botulism.

      Botulinum toxin was developed as a biological weapon in World War II and classified as a weapon of mass destruction. It was Saddam Hussein's alleged arsenal of deadly botulinum toxin that, in part, prompted the U.S. invasion of Iraq March 20, 2003. Botox's past “is not something that we tend to expand on very much,” said neurologist Dr. Mitchell F. Brin, currently a vice president and spokesman for Allergan. “Botox will transform the world the way penicillin transformed infectious disease,” citing talking points echoed by Dr. Carruthers and other “scientists” on Allergan's payroll. Brin introduced Botox for treating spasmodic dysphonia or “the strangled voice” in 1984. Since then, medical voice specialists have upped recommended treatments to possibly ten shots a year, increasing potential side effects. Recent botulism poisoning cases cause serious alarm.

      Calling Botulinum Toxin Type A “a natural purified protein . . .” implies there's no health risk with its short or long-term use. Botox isn't health food. It “works by causing damage to the nervous system,” British biochemist Nicholas Abrishamian wrote in Britain's most prestigious medical journal “Lancet” in Sept. 2002. “If it's injected too deeply, it can go into blood, not muscles,” said Abrishamian, warning “then you could get all the classic signs of botulism. People could die from having too much botulism in their blood," contradicting Allergan's message that Botox is non-toxic. Allergan's quick to blame the current mess in south Florida on bootlegged Botox. Environmentalists like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who currently receive Botox shots for his “strangled voice,” haven't shown concern about its possible toxic side effects. No one knows yet whether Botox caused the botulism in south Florida.

      Before dismissing the real possibility that Allergan's Botox caused botulism poisoning in south Florida, it's not necessary for the product to be contaminated or counterfeit. As Abrishmian pointed out, depending on the dosage, injecting Botox into the blood stream could indeed produce botulism. Whatever amount of Botox was shipped by Allergan, it doesn't rule out that Advanced Integrated Medical bought more product from other sources. While it's convenient to blame the poisoning on bootlegged Botox, it's not necessary to produce botulism. “Allergan has reveiewed the manufacturing and quality assurance process involved with the vials, and no deficiencies or irregularities were found,” read a press release from the Irvine, Calif.-based drug maker. If that's true and real Botox caused the current bout of botulism, then the “Botox party” may indeed be over.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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