JEDDAH, 21 July 2003 — The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia and Aeon Biotech, a British company researching food intolerance, have exchanged accusations regarding a test developed by Aeon and offered to Saudi patients.
The MoH has said the so-called NuTron test has no sound scientific basis and is misleading patients.
Minister of Health Dr. Hamad Al-Manie has banned the test, performed on patients who suffer from obesity to identify food groups the patient is intolerant of and eliminate them from the patient’s diet.
The MoH described the test as misleading and a means of extorting money and banned advertising of the test. Aeon denies the allegations.
Chief Operating Officer Kate O’Brien, in a letter to the minister, a copy of which was seen by Arab News, said: “The diagnosis we provide and the advice we give is based on clear scientific processes proven in laboratory testing.”
O’Brien said the company received blood samples for testing in its laboratories in the UK from an independent laboratory in the Kingdom.
She said while Aeon was “urgently inquiring” what advertising was used in the Kingdom, it could vouch for the effectiveness of the test in reducing inflammatory conditions and leading to “healthy weight loss.”
Sarah Abuljadayel Arab News Staff
© Arab News 2003
