A Canadian doctor has had his medical license stripped after defrauding families of thousands of dollars for bogus autism treatments.
Charlatan Jason Klop charged $15,000 for fecal transplants, in which bacteria were extracted from the feces of healthy patients and transferred to autistic children as young as two years old.
He claimed the treatment – delivered with pills or enemas – produced “dramatic improvements” in autism symptoms and offered it at clinics in Mexico, Hungary, Australia and Panama.
Klop admitted that his company violated several Health Canada rules, as well as College of Naturopathic Physicians standards, and that he will pay a paltry $7,500 fine.
Klop has claimed to have seen “dramatic improvements” in the autism symptoms of children he has treated with fecal microbiota transplants at clinics in Mexico, Hungary, Australia and Panama.
Fecal transplants in which bacteria were extracted from the poop of healthy patients and transferred to patients (Vancouver Island Health Authority
An announcement According to the College of Naturopathic Physicians of British Columbia, Klop was removed from the facility on Wednesday. He has the right to apply for reinstatement within five years.
Not only did he admit to promoting and selling fecal transplants that are not approved for autism, he also admitted makes ‘unverifiable statements’ in its advertising.
He claims to have seen “dramatic improvements” in the autism symptoms of young children he has treated at his clinics in Mexico, Hungary, Australia and Panama, for a paltry $15,000.
Klop also claimed to have met donor screening requirements of the Food and Drug Administration and the American Gastroenterology Association. But it was later revealed that his laboratory had no donor screening protocols or analyzing the product, and disposing of fecal waste with household waste.
Court documents to reveal that he had ‘treated’ at least 60 children in this way.
Fecal transplants are only approved in Canada and the US for the treatment of C.diff – a nasty and recurring stomach infection.
It is being investigated for the treatment of a wide range of conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, liver disease and diabetes. So far, a benefit has been shown in children with autism in a study of 18 children who received a ‘transplant’ in the form of an enema or pill for about two months.
The treatment improved the symptoms. But the study had major caveats, not least the small sample size. The study format also allowed recipients to know whether they were receiving a treatment or a placebo, meaning the results may have been influenced by the placebo effect.
The ability of fecal transplants to help treat autism symptoms has not been clinically proven in sufficient research
Shaina Cahill, the spokesperson for Klop’s company Novel Biome, acknowledged the disciplinary agreement in an email to CBC.
“He has not worked as a naturopathic doctor for several years and has transitioned completely into a role solely focused on the production of fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) products as a contract manufacturer,” she said of Klop.
Autism spectrum disorder includes a wide range of disorders characterized by social impairments, sensory sensitivities, communication difficulties, and difficulties adapting to change.
There is no cure for ASD, so experts also recommend behavioral and educational therapy to help people, especially children.
Researchers believe that autism is the result of a combination of certain genetic factors that make a person more susceptible, as well as environmental factors such as low birth weight and having older parents.
It is understood that the controversial link between autism and certain vaccines has been completely debunked, the study that reported it has been retracted and the author has been disgraced.
But that hasn’t stopped some parents from making this blatant accusation.
The lack of clarity surrounding the cause of autism and how it can be cured has also led to parents trying dangerous ‘treatments’. These include feeding a child Miracle Mineral Solution, a highly toxic bleach-like chemical, chemical castration, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Parents of children with ASD have better tools than ever to help their children thrive in the form of various types of psycho- and occupational therapy.
At the same time, caring for a child with severe autism can take a toll on the entire family, and many bad actors can exploit that exhaustion, frustration, and lingering hope to make some gains.