Trial to assess chelation therapy (TACT) temporarily suspended

The TACT trial, a $30,000,000 trial funded by the NIH in the USA has been running and actively recruiting since 2003. Recently allegations have been published in Medscape critical of the consent form given to patients, the safety of the trial and disclosure of interests by some of the investigators.

The original allegations are scathing and can be found here:
Atwood KC, Woeckner E, Baratz RS, Sampson WI. Why the NIH Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT)should be abandoned. Medscape J Med. 2008 May 13;10(5):115. PMID: 18596934
( http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid... )

A further short publication cane be found here:
Mitka M. Chelation therapy trials halted. JAMA. 2008 Nov 19;300(19):2236. PMID: 19017902 (Pay per view)

Essentially the investigators running the trial believe the attacks are politically motivated but are taking the allegations very seriously. They have agreed to suspend recruitment in the trial until the allegations are disproved and are confident that they will be disproved.

The American College for the Advancement in Medicine (ACAM) has released an official press release about the temporary suspension of the trial. The press release can be found here:
http://www.acamnet.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=ltJWJ4MPIwE&b=224...

" ACAM Supports NIH Decision to Suspend TACT Trial

September 3, 2008, Laguna Hills, Calif. -- The American College for Advancement in Medicine, ACAM today announced its support for the National Institute for Health's (NIH) decision to suspend patient accrual of the Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) Trial until allegations of impropriety can be proven false. ACAM believes that the TACT trial represents a important milestone in assessing the role of chelation therapy in modern healthcare and respects the decision of the NIH.

ACAM continue to work with Dr Tony Lamas to answer the unfounded allegations of impropriety.

"We believe that the Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP) will find that the allegations are of a political nature. To serve the best interests of participants enrolled in the TACT trial and all patients and their physicians who seek answers about chelation therapy, we call for a swift end to the moratorium and resumption of the trial," said Jeanne Drisko, MD, President of ACAM.

For the most current information about the TACT trial visit: http://nccam.nih.gov/chelation/ "