Fraud Charged in Chelation-Related Death
Stephen Barrett, M.D.
In 2003, the survivors of Susan Alexander, a 56-year-old woman who died in 2002, sued a clinic she attended, several of its staff members, and Metametrix (a laboratory that offers nonstandard tests) The suit accused the defendants of negligence, fraud, racketeering, and wrongful death. According to the complaint, Ms. Alexander's heart stopped beating during chelation therapy for alleged lead poisoning that had been diagnosed with a fraudulent test.
Chelation proponents claim that their procedure is safe and effective against coronary atherosclerosis. However, there is no scientific evidence that this is true, and the Federal Trade Commission has obtained a cease-and-desist order prohibiting the American College of Advancement of Medicine from advertising any such claim.
In 2006, based on evidence obtained through the discovery process, the plaintiffs dismissed the claims against Metametrix that were based on allegations of fraud and violations of the Georgia RICO statute. The remaining claims against Metametrix were settled by an agreement with confidential terms.
Several other defendants have been dismissed, but I have not yet been able to find out the circumstances. I have temporarily removed the suit document until I find out the current status of the case.
This page was revised on Feburary 2, 2008.