Possibilities:
IPT was already the medicine of the future when it was discovered in the
1920s. It was far ahead of its time. Even today it seems to be ahead
of its time, a concept that sounds strange to our ears. Dr. Perez Garcia 3
wrote
me in a
1998 email, "the only problem with IPT is that its concept is 50 years ahead of
current medical knowledge."
Just as IPT has evolved in the past, it will continue to evolve into the
future. Based on past and current trends, here are speculations about things we might see in
the IPT methods of the future:
1. New forms of insulin.
Insulin has one big limitation, in the eyes of the pharmaceutical
industry: It is an old drug, now a commodity and no longer
proprietary. As IPT opens up a huge new market for insulin, we may
see new forms of insulin that are still faster acting, and easier to deliver to
the body.
2. New delivery methods for insulin.
Another limitation of insulin is that it is a large molecule that is best
delivered intravenously. We may see new insulin delivery systems become
more common: oral, transcutaneous, intranasal, inhaler, etc. The
inhaler technology of Inhale Therapeutic
Systems, Inc. may be the first new insulin delivery system to reach the
market.
3. New drugs and combinations. IPT
appears to have the ability to turn regular drugs into super drugs, to turn
devastatingly toxic drugs into benign and effective drugs. And these are
standard drugs, designed and discovered without knowing about IPT. Just imagine
what wonders we might see when pharmaceutical companies begin to design new
drugs specifically to work with the IPT approach.
Similarly, the
vast biomedical research community, and all the independent doctors working with
patients, are likely to discover new and proprietary combinations of new and
existing drugs that work especially well for IPT. There are thousands of
potential ingredients out there today, and billions of possible recipes to
explore. Oral medications could come in a mixture with oral insulin, making possible,
along with oral glucose, a completely oral IPT
protocol. Intravenous medications could come in a mixture with glucose, as
in the 1939 patent of Dr. Perez Garcia 1. These new
combinations could add new patent life to old drugs. Prepare for a pharmaceutical bonanza...
4. New packaging for medications & supplies.
Because IPT generally uses a smaller dose of standard drugs, we are likely to
see some medications become packaged in smaller portions more appropriate
to this procedure. We may also see a stronger emphasis on packaging
drugs for intravenous administration, rather than oral or intramuscular, since this provides better control in
IPT. IPT supplies and ingredients could come packaged in kits for
the convenience of doctors.
5. New devices for administering and monitoring IPT.
In Mexico and Canada, depth of hypoglycemia in IPT has usually been determined
through observation of symptoms by the doctor. It could be that in the US,
technological monitoring of blood sugar during IPT may become standard
practice. This could be by standard glucose test strip analysis that uses
a drop of blood. Or it could be by any one of the different noninvasive
glucose monitors now under development.
The equipment needed for IPT today is pretty basic, and usually available to all
doctors everywhere. But we may see new kinds of IV bags and drip systems
which are optimized for IPT. We may also see automated IPT systems evolve
in high-tech countries. Much as computers in automobiles now control and monitor every
aspect of fuel injection, air flow, and engine control, computers could also calculate
and inject insulin, monitor blood glucose and patient symptoms,
inject drugs, and inject glucose. All in a biomedical choreography that is
responsive, in the moment, to the patient's changing condition and needs.
6. Gene chips for IPT. New gene
sensors could help determine a patient's sensitivity to insulin and the
medications to be given with it, and could help determine the appropriate
dose. Gene chips will probably prove very valuable in research
to track the biochemical processes in IPT.
7. IPT diet for diabetics. It has
been generally observed that IPT does not work very well for diabetic
patients. Barry Sears PhD suggested to me that his "Zone"
diet may help to normalize insulin receptors and metabolism in these
patients, thereby improving their response to IPT.
8. New diagnostics and monitoring. It
was the dream of Drs. Perez Garcia 1 and 2 in the 1950s and 1960s to develop a
simple and inexpensive diagnostic system that could detect cancer and other
diseases, even in subclinical stages, and that could then monitor improvement as
IPT treatments progress. Today such lab tests as the PSA assay serve a
similar purpose. Perhaps after a little research, someone will find
scientific support for the Oncodiagnosticator system the
Drs. Donato developed, and will bring it up to date with the latest electronic
and optical technology.
9. Developing Regions IPT protocol. I hope to
see, in the very near future, the development of an IPT protocol that is adapted
to the cost, manpower, and facilities constraints found in developing
countries. Experimenting with intramuscular insulin administration and
oral glucose and medications might help. Eventually, a completely oral IPT
protocol would be ideal. Any way to reduce the need for syringes and
needles would help. Even using butterfly needles would save on the cost of
intravenous drip equipment. I especially look forward to seeing clinical
research in the field, where IPT can be tried for treating the many serious
diseases that such a large portion of humanity suffer from each day. I
think we can save many lives very quickly.
10. New diseases treated by IPT.
It seems like half the diseases known to us either
have been successfully treated by IPT, or most likely could be, based on
projections from known applications. And this is from the efforts of just
five doctors over some 70 years. But that is not the end. More and
more doctors and researchers will begin to explore this fertile space with new
knowledge of the new tools of IPT. The known applications and the possible
applications will be tested and proven, and new applications will be
found.
11. ...and many more innovations, some of
which are as yet unimagined, and some of
which are confidential and proprietary at this time.