Revised: 8 October 2010

Publications

Medsafe warns consumers not to take Miracle Mineral Solution

Medsafe has been alerted to the Miracle Mineral Solution products (also known as "Miracle Mineral Supplement" - MMSI and MMSII) in the past and has communicated with the company to require them to cease making claims that their products are an effective treatment for several serious diseases. Copies of our correspondence with the company are available on the MMS website. Medsafe will be contacting the distributor of these products to advise them to stop selling these products as medicines.

The Food Standards Authority in the UK warned the British public against the use of Miracle Mineral Solution on 29 September 2010. This follows similar warnings from the Food and Drug Administration in the United States and Health Canada in Canada about the use of these products.

These products, when used as directed, produce an industrial bleach that can cause serious harm to health. The products instruct consumers to mix the 28% sodium chlorite solution with an acid such as citric acid. This mixture produces chlorine dioxide, a potent bleach used for stripping textiles and industrial water treatment. High oral doses of this bleach, such as those recommended in the labelling, can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and symptoms of severe dehydration.

MMS is distributed on Internet sites and online auctions by multiple independent distributors. Internet claims for these products include the treatment of multiple unrelated diseases, including HIV, hepatitis, acne, cancer and other conditions.

In New Zealand, MMS is sold as a mineral supplement and has not been assessed for quality, safety and effectiveness and granted approval for sale as a medicine.

Medsafe is currently investigating other options available to them with respect to MMS and supports the recommendations made by authorities in the UK, US and Canada that consumers who have MMS should stop using it immediately and throw it away.

Consumers who have experienced any negative effects from MMS should consult with a healthcare professional as soon as possible. Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of this product to the New Zealand Pharmacovigilance Centre for Adverse Reaction Monitoring (CARM) at the University of Otago - carmnz@otago.ac.nz

ENDS

For media queries, please contact: Luz Baguioro, Media Advisor (04 496 2349, 021 802 622)