In recent days, a report titled "A Father's Choice: Risking Everything to Make His Own Medicine or Watch His Child Die" has gone viral online, sparking significant public reaction. The story details a father with only a high school education who, in an effort to treat his son suffering from the rare Menkes syndrome, taught himself gene editing and began synthesizing pharmaceutical-grade compounds. His actions have ignited widespread discussion.
On September 29, the father addressed his homemade medicine efforts on Weibo, thanking supporters while appealing for assistance from relevant experts and testing institutions. "High School Father Responds to Homemade Medicine for Son" – Screenshot of his Weibo post
>Expert: Understandable, but non-compliant and not encouraged
While many expressed admiration and moved by the father's actions, numerous netizens raised safety concerns. Zhang Jichun, former director of the Pharmacy Department at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, also voiced worries about the safety of homemade drugs: "Intravenous injections are produced under extremely strict conditions. The solubility enhancers added must meet pharmaceutical standards, and their quantities are strictly regulated. No one would endorse the use of self-made drugs."Director Zhang emphasized that while the father's actions are understandable, they are non-compliant. From a professional perspective, such behavior is not encouraged—neither from a drug regulatory standpoint nor in clinical practice.
Further Reading: About Menkes Syndrome
Menkes syndrome is an extremely rare genetic disorder caused by impaired copper transport from the intestinal mucosa into the bloodstream. This results in reduced activity of copper-dependent enzymes (such as lysine oxidase and tyrosine oxidase), leading to developmental and functional impairments.