Health Ministry finds deliberate violations in unapproved compassionate-use treatment at Maayanei HaYeshua

Israel’s Health Ministry on Sunday released the findings of a review panel that examined a so-called compassionate-use treatment given at Maayanei HaYeshua Medical Center. The panel, appointed by the Public Complaints Commissioner for the Medical Professions, concluded that the failures in the case were carried out knowingly by those involved.

The case centered on an 84-year-old patient with advanced pancreatic cancer who received an experimental preparation called Gammora. According to the panel, the treatment was administered contrary to accepted medical guidelines and without meeting the required regulatory conditions. During the course of treatment, the patient developed sudden neurological symptoms, and the treatment was stopped at the family’s request. He died several weeks later.

The committee found that the treatment was not lawful and did not satisfy the conditions of any existing legal pathway. It was never approved by the Health Ministry, and the panel said false information was provided to it. The product itself was not approved for human use, and the import permit had been issued only on the declaration that it was intended for laboratory use. Its conversion into a human treatment was unlawful, and it was prepared by people without proper training.

The review also identified serious failures in the hospital’s approval, oversight, and control procedures. Investigators said the authorization relied incorrectly on approval given to another patient at Ichilov Hospital, indicating internal breakdowns in procedure checks. The panel stressed that it was a deliberate violation, not an innocent systemic error, but it could not determine with high confidence whether the failures worsened the patient’s condition, since he may have died from the progression of his disease. The ministry is now considering action against those involved, while spokeswoman Shira Solomon said it will continue reviewing the conduct of the institutions and individuals to draw lessons and protect patients.