Health Ministry panel says experimental treatment at Mayanei HaYeshua was illegal and deliberate

Israel’s Health Ministry has published the findings of a review panel that examined how an experimental treatment was approved at Mayanei HaYeshua Hospital under what was presented as “compassionate use.” The panel was formed by the Public Complaints Commissioner for the Medical Professions after a complaint was filed. It reviewed the case of an 84-year-old patient with advanced metastatic pancreatic cancer who received the drug Gammora in February 2019 without Health Ministry approval.

According to the report, the patient developed sudden neurological symptoms during treatment. At the family’s request, the therapy was stopped, and he died several weeks later. The panel examined the hospital’s Helsinki Committee process, the regulatory approvals, the import and use of the drug, and the conduct of the people involved.

The findings were severe. The panel said the treatment did not meet the legal requirements for any available pathway, including a medical trial, emergency treatment, or compassionate use. It said the drug was not approved for human use, its import permit was based on a declaration that it was for laboratory use only, and it was improperly converted for medical use by unqualified personnel. The report also cited major failures in approval, oversight, and control at the hospital, including reliance on a previous approval given at Ichilov Hospital. The panel concluded the failures were done knowingly, not as a systemic mistake.

The report stopped short of saying the errors definitely caused the patient’s worsening, noting it cannot be determined with high certainty whether he died because of the lapses or because his cancer had advanced. The Health Ministry said it will decide on possible steps against those involved after receiving their responses, and stressed that strict regulation is essential even in difficult cases where unconventional treatment is sought.