Biotherapeutics: Expensive Scam, Or Equal Opportunity?

FRANKLIN, TENN.—Three years ago, when an oncologist named Robert Oldham created a company called Biotherapeutics, some called it genius; some called it downright unethical; still others called it capitalism in its most predatory form. But everyone acknowledged that the concept bad the potential to change the face of cancer therapy. Oldham, former head of the National Cancer Institute’s biological therapy program, proposed to offer experimental treatments to any cancer patient w

| 5 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
5:00
Share

FRANKLIN, TENN.—Three years ago, when an oncologist named Robert Oldham created a company called Biotherapeutics, some called it genius; some called it downright unethical; still others called it capitalism in its most predatory form. But everyone acknowledged that the concept bad the potential to change the face of cancer therapy.

Oldham, former head of the National Cancer Institute’s biological therapy program, proposed to offer experimental treatments to any cancer patient who could afford them—treatments that would oth erwise be available only to the tiny portion of patients who fit into the institute’s strict guidelines for clinical trials. And he neatly circumvented FDA restrictions on using unapproved therapies with a clever scheme that removed his operations from federal jurisdiction.

In their desperate search for a cure, Oldham predicted, cancer patients would flock to his door, wallets in hand. Plenty of other people agreed, and they put up $40 million to launch ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • Paul Raeburn

    This person does not yet have a bio.

Published In

Share
3D illustration of a gold lipid nanoparticle with pink nucleic acid inside of it. Purple and teal spikes stick out from the lipid bilayer representing polyethylene glycol.
February 2025, Issue 1

A Nanoparticle Delivery System for Gene Therapy

A reimagined lipid vehicle for nucleic acids could overcome the limitations of current vectors.

View this Issue
Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

sartorius logo
Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Lonza
An illustration of animal and tree silhouettes.

From Water Bears to Grizzly Bears: Unusual Animal Models

Taconic Biosciences
Sex Differences in Neurological Research

Sex Differences in Neurological Research

bit.bio logo

Products

Photo of a researcher overseeing large scale production processes in a laboratory.

Scaling Lentiviral Vector Manufacturing for Optimal Productivity

Thermo Fisher Logo
An illustration of an mRNA molecule in front of a multicolored background.

Generating High-Quality mRNA for In Vivo Delivery with lipid nanoparticles

Thermo Fisher Logo
Tecan Logo

Tecan introduces Veya: bringing digital, scalable automation to labs worldwide

Explore a Concise Guide to Optimizing Viral Transduction

A Visual Guide to Lentiviral Gene Delivery

Takara Bio