Trump on autism

I see the tangarine tyrant is promoting a chemotherapy drug as the treatment for autism now:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-washington-food-and-drug-administration-arizona-university-of-pennsylvania-b2832932.html

A Trump administration decision to repurpose an old chemotherapy drug for autism has surprised many experts — including the physician who recently proposed the idea

The way it has been fastrcked without the normal checks makes me think Trump has a big investment in the company making the drug.

Yeah, this is the Vitamin B9 thing I mentioned a few days ago. It wasn't exactly a secret.

I think there were a few small trials (30–40 children) in India where it was reported to reduce Autism symptoms. That was evidence enough for Trump.

Perhaps the Independent newspaper is inaccurate because according to Macmillan, Leucovorin is not a chemotherapy drug. 

www.macmillan.org.uk/.../folinic-acid-leucovorin-calcium-folinate

It is, in fact, a form of Vitamin B9. In addition to reducing the side effects of some chemo treatments, it is used in the treatment of methanol poisoning, anaemia, and folate deficiency (this last is where the tenuous connection with autism comes in – apparently folate deficiency is found in some autistic people).

I think linking Leucovorin to chemotherapy in the context of autism is just journalism sensationalising the treatment and they are causing needless anxiety.

There may be no evidence that Leucovorin would treat autism, but sloppy journalism could mean that some people who receive the treatment for other conditions may believe that they are receiving chemotherapy which kills cells by stopping cell division, and it would be killing healthy cells. 

I think linking Leucovorin to chemotherapy in the context of autism is just journalism sensationalising the treatment and they are causing needless anxiety.

There may be no evidence that Leucovorin would treat autism, but sloppy journalism could mean that some people who receive the treatment for other conditions may believe that they are receiving chemotherapy which kills cells by stopping cell division, and it would be killing healthy cells.