Triamazon Cancer Pill Scam Busted

You know, I do not believe that most of the people that feature on this site are fraudsters. No, the truth is far worse than that – most homeopaths, reiki practitioners and herbalists actually believe what they say and that makes then particularly dangerous. But there are people whose motives are particularly hard to believe are just plain deluded. I fear 2008 is going to feature quite a number of more ‘interesting’ cases.

I have been keeping an eye on Andrew Harris and his site http://www.triamazon.com/ for six months or more. He also uses a site called http://www.thiskillscancer.com/. Apaprently, Triamazon is a,

NATURAL SCIENCE PROVEN SAFE NON-TOXIC product that is effective against many cancers and is also far superior to chemotherapy as it does not harm healthy cells.

Harris sells ‘half a course’ of 100 pills of Triamazon for about £250 a bottle from his home in Altrincham. He says,

Skeptics please see… The official independent “Research White Paper” on the proven effectiveness of selected Acetogenins, by clicking on this link below… http://www.iupac.org/publications/pac/2003/pdf/7502×0259.pdf

Clicking through to this paper reveals information about the synthesis of acetogenins. Nothing about clinical efficacy. The Alliance for Natural Health issued a warning saying that the pill was Graviola (Annona muricata). You can buy Graviola tubs for about £20 or less if you look.

Just about every day I have been getting Google alerts for triamazon as it has been advertised around the web on bulletin boards, chat rooms and in press releases. Typically, such messages say things like:

Andrew Harris an ex-cancer patient exposes the big pharma industry cover-up of a natural cancer killing miracle with astounding incriminating conclusive independent evidence available via a direct link to pubmed archives on his website. Andrew is the founder of www.thiskillscancer.com His strong entrepreneurial background in business, marketing, research and management is combined with his personal experiences in having gone through 14 lots of conventional toxic combination chemotherapy to actually surviving cancer through an alternative natural, non toxic, immune system boosting, cancer killing miracle.

Leaving aside the issue of whether triamazon can do anything for cancer, advertising cancer cures is illegal in the UK under the Cancer Act of 1939. Trading Standards are tasked with upholding this act and have been aware of Triamazon for many months now. Indeed, Andrew Harris has been aware of it too as his web site has, at times, appeared with a disclaimer that his site was intended for doctors only – an attempt to wriggle out of the Cancer Act’s glare. It was not fooling anyone.

Yesterday, at 7.30 am a house in Sale was visited by Trading Standards, the MRHA and the Police and the raid seized ‘quantities of an unregistered drug called Triamazon’ and a 48 year old was arrested. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have teamed up with police to take part in a number of dawn raids around the country as part of an ‘Internet day of action’.

It has been slow, but it is good to see that existing legislation can deal with some of the worst sorts of quackery out there. Taking money from desperate and scared people in exchange for worthless pills, has to rank amongst some of the lowest scams imaginable.

If you see similar sorts of things on the web, the Consumer Direct site is a pretty good place to start.

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The Mirror Now Cover this too:

Police swoop on cruel internet cancer “cure” pill conmen

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Update. 10th September 2008
Andrew Harris has now been convicted.

21 Comments on Triamazon Cancer Pill Scam Busted

  1. “Andrew Harris an ex-cancer patient exposes the big pharma industry cover-up of a natural cancer killing miracle…”

    I’m beginning to wonder, what with all this alleged covering-up and wilful withholding of drug free miracle cures for all manner of ailments, how Big Pharma has managed to develop any new drugs at all!

  2. The MHRA passed SEROXAT AS SAFE, THEN TREVOR MCDONALD ANNOUNCED on news at 10, seroxat is banned, the MHRA also passed VIOX, now thats been banned because it causes heart disease,I SEEN THE LINKS AT TRIAMAZON.COM AND THE GO TO pubmed in the states, the ingredients in triamazon does kill cancer and is non toxic, and who are you to personally watch an individual anyway? what powers have you? what right in law have you to stalk and defame anyone via the internet? isnt this illegal? will mr harris get your IP ADDRESS and sue you for defamation and stalking, are you a government employee? i wonder! read the links on mr harris website http://www.triamazon.com they definately pose serious questions for this corrupt government to answer especially as the cure is sat in the archives at PUBMED just like the triamazon website shows.

  3. @fletch. I’ve read the PubMed links on the triamazon website. They are for synthetic studies and structure activity relationships for derivatives of acetogenins as potential anti-cancer therapies in vitro. Harris’ claim that Big Pharma is not interested in these things is simply not true, there is a large amount of research into them, just put acetogenins into pubmed and see. Regarding patent law, it is true that natural products are supposed to be unpatentable but that not really how it works in practive.[1]

    Ignoring these flaws in Mr Harris’ arguments what he is doing can still be considered fraudulent. Selling something at an inflated price and claiming that it will cure cancer fall under the acts mentioned by LCN.

  4. received from Mr Harris (I presume)…

    Hello Andy Lewis, my name is Andrew Harris, i am the owner of Triamazon.com.
    Firstly i have not been busted regardless of what the daily mail states (Law suit for defamation pending) Secondley i have no criminal record whatsoever!
    Your defamation regarding my product is without doubt as bad as the daily mirror, pure unfounded allegations, i have not been charged with any offences, the product is being tested by the MRHA and the results will end up with egg on theire faces as i will be suing them also, my medical records are testimony along with people who have purchased triamazon, please do not slander me or my product that the PRESS HAVE DONE, READ THE DAILY MAIL STORY fully and you will see the MHRA claim herbs can not cure cancer, this statement makes a mockery of their facts along with the fact that they openly state, the do not know whats in triamazon!so why the heavy tactics? because i have realy exposed the government for failing in its duties of care by denying the information on a superior cancer killer thats non toxic, the government the mhra get paid handsomely by big pharmaceuticals, i know your intentions are for the good of everyone but you realy have fell short on your factual evidence supplied by a corrupt treasonous labour government controlled press and media propaganda machine. my solicitor has the truth all about the product triamazon, call him Keith Dyson Solicitors tel 0161 832 9933 and ask him, and he will confirm it all, any more slander and i will have a private investigator to locate you via your IP ADDRESS AND tell me who you really are and then we will see how you liked being stalked and defamed, you owe me a huge apology you are damaging my name and a good truthfull business with your slader carry on and we will see what your actions will cause you to lose legally.
    Call my website tel number and speak with me, i have nothing to hide or be ashamed off, regards, Andrew Harris For and on behalf of http://www.triamazon.com

  5. “Any more slander and i will have a private investigator to locate you via your IP ADDRESS AND tell me who you really are and then we will see how you liked being stalked and defamed”

    That’s rather threatening behaviour IMHO. Which paper has been defaming him? He keeps switching between the Mail and the Mirror. Anyway, if he really wanted help cancer patients and get Triamazon to the masses he wouldn’t charge so much for his untested and unregulated herbs.

  6. I’m a medical student and I received an email from my parents about Graviola as a side-effect free anti-cancer cure that drug companies kept hidden.

    I’m appalled by irresponsible “health” information being circulated around the net.
    A simple check on pubmed would show you that high amounts of Graviola in your diet kills brain cells – a group of people in the Caribbean who consume this daily have been showing up with Parkinson’s disease and direct links have been established scientifically.

    Not only do fake alt medicine pills like this gives false hopes and dupes cancer patients, they have the potential to harm them.

    Keep up your good work on cracking down on them!

    • This is so true. My sister is a military vet who has taken the supplement and was informed that the product would cure her cancer but it spread. Now our family is trying to do our best to provide in home care assistance to help her due to some issues she is having with getting dressed, brushing her teeth etc. So her hopes were up after being introduced to the supplement but instead the Graviola worsened her condition. Doctors are trying to actually place a ban on the product because of the false information. What makes it so bad is the product my sister tried, the bottle indicates the product does not contain the active fruit ingredient from the plant; just the leaves and the root. The leaves from research contain a toxin that can actually disrupt neurological functioning.

  7. Mr Harris has now been convicted and sentenced. So I guess that comment where he says he doesn’t have a criminal record will need revising. I would post a link but currently on my phone, reported on BBC News Manchester website though.

  8. Most of you people are idiots. Big pharma and big university researchers are the ones who discovered this and isolated the compounds in these plants-they are the one who did the research to show its anti-cancer activity. He read the papers, marketed it, and now claims that the “natural” therapy world found it. This stuff might work but NOT A SINGLE CLINICAL TRIAL IN VIVO (in vitro has been done) has been looked at. Which means it kills cancer in a dish, but we don’t know if it kills it in the body. Do not let the words “clinical trial” throw you off. These papers he mentions on his website DO NOT MENTION THE WORD triamazon once. They mention the specific compounds isolated from the plant. This guy and most “natural ways” are unproven.

    Pharma CAN patent natural compound-Taxol is found in the bark of a tree. THEY PATENT THE PURIFICATION AND ISOLATION METHODS. If these compound work against cancer (the pharma companies are already working to isolate it in large quantities), then there will be a pantent war and one pharma company will get the rights. Now, the difference between pharma and this guy with the http://www.triamazon website is that what pharma sells will be pure compound. Not something this wack makes in his basement. Don’t let these frauds with “natural” in there name fool you. The take the work of good MD’s and pass it off as there own. By the way, type in triamazon in pubmed-not one hit.

    listen to “badchemist”, he knows what hes talking about.

  9. TO: All
    RE: Who IS This…

    ….character?

    “You know, I do not believe that most of the people that feature on this site are fraudsters. No, the truth is far worse than that – most homeopaths, reiki practitioners and herbalists actually believe what they say and that makes then particularly dangerous. But there are people whose motives are particularly hard to believe are just plain deluded. I fear 2008 is going to feature quite a number of more ‘interesting’ cases.
    ” — The Black Duck

    Seriously. Who would believe someone who doesn’t post their REAL name on something as important as this?

    There’s the first serious bullet-wound to this cretinous canard.

    I’m going to have to bookmark THIS site, just to come over here ‘slumming’ and beat the tar and feathers out of em.

    For the second round….

    ….I have to wonder if this character has ever had the experience of gout.

    For the ignorant, a severe attack is something that can make you empathize Christ on the Cross; 16-penny nails driven through the foot.

    I didn’t believe in homeopathy either, until I was cured of a problem I’d suffered from for years.

    And then, 15 years later, one of my Father’s birthday gifts to me came upon me; gout. I tried every home-remedy I could discover. Then I turned to homeopathy. And I found something that cured the acute symptoms.

    Several years later, I had another acute attack. I tried what I found worked the first time. Oddly enough…it DIDN’T WORK. So, considering my reference cited 46 homeopathic materia medica for gout, I had to figure out what other symptoms I was experiencing. A day later I noticed I was feeling better in VERY HOT SHOWERS. The indication was ‘chills’. So I cross-referenced ‘gout’ and ‘chills’ and found three homeopathic materia medica that were indicated. I had two of them on hand. I tried one and 15 minutes later the acute symptoms were GONE.

    Several months later, I had another acute attack. I tried the latest homeopathic materia medica. It didn’t work. I tried the earlier homeopathic materia medica. It didn’t work either. So I started looking for what other symptoms I was experiencing. This time, I noticed that my tongue looked like it had been painted with white-wash.

    I did the cross-referencing and found a third materia medica. One that I did not have on hand, but a local retailer had it in stock. It was procured and taken and 15 minutes later the acute PAIN WAS GONE!

    So. If it were the placebo effect, which idiots like to claim about homeopathy, one would think that taking ANYTHING that some fool book said was relief for gout, would have worked. But it didn’t. Therefore, it’s not any BS ‘placebo effect’.

    And it’s not just the gout. Damned MD gave me a med for chronic belching. Guess what….

    ….the med didn’t work. And just to make life ‘interesting’ I developed “central sleep apnea” (CSA). For the ignorant, CSA is when your brain forgets to tell your lungs to BREATH while you’re asleep. You usually wake up gasping for air, like the guy character in He Said/She Said does. JUST LIKE THAT; suddenly sitting straight up taking deep gasping breaths, because you were about to suffocate.

    Then again, you might wake up dead. Or, better still, like Ms Shiavo.

    Homeopathy had a materia medica to deal with such attacks. It works.

    So, again, I have to wonder who is this gutless wonder who won’t reveal his true name here. And what proof does HE/SHE/IT offer that homeopathy DOESN’T WORK? I know for a fact that it works for me. And, it works for my wife and for my mother-in-law.

    Regards,

    Chuck(le)
    [Stupidity is being ignorant and proud of it.]

  10. dear mr chronic belcher,

    If you look on the front page of my web site, you will find my name. You appear to be quite ignorant and proud of it.

  11. TO: The Black Duck[er]
    RE: The Name, Please

    “If you look on the front page of my web site, you will find my name. You appear to be quite ignorant and proud of it.” — some kinda canard

    I’ve looked at your HOME page. If that’s different from your ‘front’ page, maybe you should provide a URL.

    However, allow me to comment that it would be much simpler if you used your REAL name in your posts instead of this childishness.

    Don’t you think?

    As for being ‘ignorant’. Yeah. I’m ‘ignorant’. Of your name. And you’re not being particularly forthcoming.

    In the military we recognize that sort of obfuscation as an indication of something that is rather ‘unsavory’.

    Hope that puts thinks into their proper perspective. After all. I’m here hanging my name out for all to see with every comment. On the other hand, we have you….

    Regards,

    Chuck(le)
    [Hatred is the cowards revenge for being intimidated.]

  12. Pharmacognosy: the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs, drug substances or potential drugs or drug substances of natural origin as well as the search for new drugs from natural source.

    Most modern drugs originate from this line of research… and they have all been successfully patented.

    Anticancer examples include vincristine, an alkaloid obtained from the Madagascar periwinkle.
    An everyday example might be digoxin, a glycoside from the foxglove.

    Once identified, these chemicals can easily be patented or modified and patented.
    That’s been the basis of 99% of pharmaceutical discovery.

    Almost all of these chemicals derived from plants are secondary metabolites that have proven to be of survival value to the plant; that means that they are not part of the main metabolic activity of the plant, which can live without them, but they have some other benefit.

    The main function they serve is as pesticides; they kill or deter other organisms that might feed off the plant. This function has often evolved to be selective, so that it only affects organisms that do not participate in the life cycle of the plant.

    These chemicals are not produced for the benefit of human beings, they are produced to protect the plant. This is why so many plants are inedible.

    Digitalis (digoxin) is toxic to most mammals at the level it would commonly be ingested at if the plant was consumed. It can only be used safely by purification and testing. It also has a very narrow therapeutic index; the window between a safe and effective dose and one that could kill is small.

    This issue also applies to a lot of anticancer drugs which work by killing cells, and it is important to use a dose and treatment regime that preferentially kills cancer cells and not the cells of the patient.
    They are therefore risky drugs to use.

    The primary reason why most anticancer drugs fail to get to market is toxicity; they kill patients even more effectively than the cancer they are being used to treat.

    So, cytotoxic herbal extracts, like those from Graviola, can be very dangerous. If they do have anticancer effects I can guarantee that numerous pharma companies will be vying to get to market with a product.

    Now the money issue. In the UK, the annual CAM market is more than 500 million pounds.
    One of the UK based homeopathy companies has an annual turnover of about 30 million pounds, and a profit of about 5 million.

    This is not a non-profit industry, it makes plenty of money. Certainly enough money to fund trials and prove that products work.

    So why don’t CAM companies spend the money or at least encourage and support the research?
    Surely, proof that a single homeopathic nosode or other CAM had really good efficacy would mean huge profits and success?
    Perhaps they know that their claims are hyped?

    Right now, sales are based on belief. The CAM companies foster this belief, and they generate enough business that it is quite profitable.

    Doing trials risks several things.
    Firstly, it takes away the “alternative” nature of the therapies, damages their mystique and puts them on a par with all other therapies. Belief no longer required, competition introduced and people might start looking harder at the evidence for other similar products.
    Secondly, trials usually don’t turn out the way you would like. Either the treatment is less successful than you hoped, or it produces adverse effects.
    Thirdly, once CAM treatments start to get rigorously tested, people then start to want regulation; what if the treatment only works if the active ingredient is above a certain level, or the nosode is prepared under aseptic conditions? Oh shit, now we have to meet standards!

    None of this is good, so why would a CAM company spend money on testing, when the only certain guarantee of profit is to rely on belief.

    The anticancer drug scam, and the Cancer Act that regulates therapeutic claims, both exist for the same reason; hope, belief and desperation are intensified by the prospect of death.

  13. I used a natural cure (baking soda) for my breast cancer and it shrank and became inactive. No returning cancer in 1 1/2 yrs either. @ nieces used chemo and radiation and had cancer return twice in different parts of body. The chemo and radiation made them worse not better. I am just fine on the other hand . Much healthier too. I gained 7 lbs. They have lost and are deathly skinny with hair loss and fatigue. SCREW conventional treatments. The AMA and drug co’s. just want your money not to cure you.

  14. I know this comes two years too late to be of any use, but going by the writing style of fletch’s comment (February 1, 2008 at 7:09 am) and that of the sender of the email purporting to be from Andrew Harris which Andy quotes (February 11, 2008 at 12:59 pm), I’d be inclined to believe that the same person wrote both of them.

  15. Hi! there

    read about the claim on a Natural Product and responses as well…. I understand very well the effects of alternative medicines, especially the plant products… Most of the medicines have been extracted from various plants so why to deny or rather debate whether it works or not… In Asian countries; plants, herbs and spices are still being used to treat various ailments with success.. Many Alopathic medical practioners have decided to integrate alternative healing e.g. Reiki, pranic healing and Ayurvedic medicines in their practices… So let me summarize by saying that Alternative healing approach is not at all dangerous but no one should use it to exploit or manipulate ailing/desperate people..I along with my family use natural products regularly and I do not pay exorbitant amount to get them…Use your intellect and discretion to make a choice and Yes! do your own research on the product… There is plenty of info out there on the net..

  16. perhaps it is a marvelous cure for cancer that is being witheld from the public by the pharmaceutical companies because there is not sufficient money to be made out of it

  17. Hi all, having just seen this article (yes late) posted by friend f a friend on facebook, i had a little read.
    I am a mechanic so forgive any ignorance on pharmacutical/chemestry/propagnder and cheating goverments.
    It would seem tht mr Andrew Harris an his company charging £250 for some pills is the only winner !
    If by what he says that the goverment are hiding this wonder drug so pharma companies can make money out of innocent people for chemo drugs. However in todays climate (the UK) surely the cost of this wonder drug should it be so and safe, would be taken up enthusiastically by the goverment nd distrubuted accordingly. I mean majority f cancer patients in the UK would be NHS therefore costing the govt a fortune, when theres a £20 product tht would do the jb !
    Am i just not reading rite or does it appear that everything Mr Harris is accusing the govenerment of he is doing the exact same himself ! ripping ff joe public ! I’m all for natural remedies and a believer in nature that there is probly a cure there, but what are the effects of this (parkinsons) !!
    Anyway thats my opinion n this as a very well uneducated grease monkey that would be happy to see Mr Harris serve his senteced trebeled for ripping off folk that are in a crisis…

    Cheers

    PS My real name is in here and ive nowt i can be sued for apart from me pedal bike…lol

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