Potential cancer treatment developed by a now-deceased resident of Sanibel Island is on its way to human trials.
Five years after Sanibel resident John Kanzius’ death, the cancer treatment he was developing in his garage is now closer to becoming real. The Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation announced on Tuesday they are seeking approval from the FDA for human trials.
Kanzius died of pneumonia because his body was weak from fighting leukemia—a type of cancer.
Kanzius, who was a broadcaster by trade, had a theory. He thought radio waves could kill cancer cells without also wiping out healthy cells like chemotherapy does.
Mark Neidig, the Executive Director of the Foundation, said seeking FDA approval is a big step.
“Our mission was to create the national and global awareness of the potentials of this research and then to fund the research to prove that it works,” he said. “We have indeed funded all the research that is necessary to get it to the point in front of the FDA.”
The focus of the human trials will be on pancreatic and liver cancer. If it is approved by federal officials, the first phase of human trials will start in Houston. If it’s proven to be safe for humans, Neidig said trials will also be carried out in Fort Myers.
“One of John’s deathbed wishes was to human trials in the communities where he lived and retired,” he said. “And Sanibel, Fort Myers, Southwest Florida, was one of those locations.”
Neidig said the Foundation is also donating some of its assets to the Regional Cancer Centers in Fort Myers.
