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David Noakes, CEO of GCMAF producer immune biotech jailed for 15 months

Thinktank

Senior Member
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Europe
David Noakes, the CEO of immune biotech which produced contaminated GCMAF received a jail sentence of 15 months last December.

BBC article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-guernsey-46359949

The MHRA (UK FDA) raided and closed the laboratorium in 2015 because it did not meet GMP-standard and they deemed the product to be unsafe and likely contaminated being not suitable for human use.

MHRA press release: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/notorious-noakes-10m-guernsey-gcmaf-crook-imprisoned

MHRA youtube video about Noakes sentencing:

MEassociation article: https://www.meassociation.org.uk/20...idgeshire-mhra-press-release-3-february-2015/

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On a personal note, i have used immune biotech GcMAF myself, prescribed by a quack LLMD for so-called chronic lyme disease.

The GCMAF caused an inflammatory storm and the cytokine panel showed extremely elevated levels. I believe it's called IRIS. I do not know if the inflammation caused me any longterm damage, but what i'm more concerned about is possible contamination of the product. Rumors online say Noakes used his own blood for the product. Does anyone know more about that? Contamination with what? Possible viruses or any other pathogens?

I believe GcMAF has potential as a treatment for certain diseases, but certainly not "chronic lyme disease".
 
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Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
I read GcMAF is not recommended for ME/CFS patients who have inflammatory symptoms to begin with, as it will only worsen that inflammation.



GcMAF did very well on this forum poll on the efficacy of ME/CFS treatments: 29% reported that GcMAF led to a major improvement in their ME/CFS symptoms (in the poll a major improvement was defined as one where a patient moves up one level on the ME/CFS severity scale of very severe, severe, moderate, mild and remission).

One severe bedbound ME/CFS patient on this forum reported being completely cured after a year's treatment using the Goleic GcMAF sold by David Noakes's company Immune Biotech.

The Immune Biotech website can be viewed here on the Wayback Machine.



Obviously unsafe production practices are an issue, and so are unsupported claims of cancer cures; but it's interesting to note that no adverse effects were reported by people using the Immune Biotech product in the above MHRA video (the video only mentioned the potential for adverse effects).

A lot of GcMAF suppliers around the world have been closed down. This effectively removes GcMAF as a treatment option for ME/CFS, as patients on these forums have sometimes found that one formulation of GcMAF may not work for a them, but another formulation will. So it is important to maintain a variety of formulations.
 

Thinktank

Senior Member
Messages
1,640
Location
Europe
Update from last year:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/david-noakes-judge-orders-seizure-of-14-million

Kinda harsh to call GcMAF a bogus cure but hey, FDA and big pharma...

David Noakes: Judge orders seizure of £1.4 million

A convicted fugitive faces the confiscation of £1.4 million in prime assets by the Crown, following a hearing at Southwark Crown Court today.

From: Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Published 5 June 2020


s300_handcuffed-gov_uk.jpg

It means that David Noakes, who has been convicted of money laundering and the manufacture and sale of unlicensed medicines, will face the seizure of his aircraft, boat, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce and UK and Guernsey bank accounts.
The outcome follows a four-year investigation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which was assisted by the London Regional Asset Recovery Team (RART) in investigating Noakes’s complex financial dealings.
Noakes, the owner of Guernsey-based Immuno Biotech, served a 15-month prison sentence from November 2018 after pleading guilty to 4 charges relating to the manufacture, sale and supply of an unlicensed medicine (GcMAF), and one count of money laundering.
Globulin component Macrophage Activating Factor (GcMAF) was a product made from human blood, sold by a Guernsey-based company called Immuno Biotech, headed by Noakes.
Noakes advertised GcMAF as a ‘miracle cure’ for a range of conditions including cancer, HIV and autism, with no scientific basis to support these medicinal claims. The court heard Noakes made over £13 million from the sale of GcMAF between 2011 and 2015.
GcMAF was sold through various European websites which UK buyers would have had no difficulty accessing. Production was stopped in January 2015, as a result of the MHRA’s investigation, and a seizure of more than 10,000 vials took place, which Noakes could have sold for £5.5 million. The MHRA also issued a warning to the public against purchasing GcMAF.
The £1,349,400.48 confiscation order means that the identified assets will be realised and paid to the Home Office for distribution under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) 2002 incentivisation scheme.
MHRA Head of Enforcement, Andy Morling, said:
Today’s confiscation marks the successful conclusion of a complex, four-year investigation by the MHRA Enforcement Group.​
Our investigation team has worked relentlessly to bring David Noakes and his associates to justice and today’s decision to deny him the proceeds of his criminality is welcome. Noakes put public health at risk through the unlicensed manufacturing and sale of GcMAF products, which were not fit for human consumption or for use as medicines.​
To get the best advice in relation to your health, visit your GP or other health professional, get a correct diagnosis and always buy medicines from a legitimate high street or registered pharmacy.​
To stay safe when buying medicines online, always buy from a registered website. Avoid dodgy online providers, suspicious URLs and beware of unrealistic claims which can expose you to unlicensed medicines, or even identity theft and fraud.​
Patient safety is our highest priority and we will continue to track,prosecute and remove assets from criminals who exploit public health for their own gain.​