A Fraser Valley naturopath who charged families thousands of dollars for administering pills and enemas made from human waste to autistic children has agreed to surrender his medical license after more than four years of investigation and legal battles.
Dr Jason Kropp claims he has seen “dramatic improvements” in autism in children as young as two after undergoing faecal microbe transplants at clinics in Mexico, Hungary, Australia and Panama, at a cost of around $15,000.
Klopp admitted that his business breached several professional standards and regulations. Public notices published online Naturopathic Doctors of British Columbia
Klopp signed an order agreeing to be unregistered effective Wednesday and will pay a $7,500 fine.
Under the terms of the consent order, Kropp admitted to ignoring Health Canada regulations and the scope of practice for naturopathic physicians in British Columbia by promoting and selling fecal microbial transplants (FMT) to patients with autism, and continued to do so after receiving warnings for violating the regulations, the notice states.
He also admitted to making “unverifiable statements” in the ads and to intermittently allowing Canadians access to the website despite promising not to allow any access at all.
Shaina Cahill, a spokesperson for Krop’s company, Novel Biome, confirmed the disciplinary agreement in an email to CBC.
“He has not practiced naturopathic medicine for several years and has transitioned fully into a role focused on producing fecal microbial transplant (FMT) products as a contract manufacturer,” she said of Kropp.
His license revocation is not permanent and he has the right to apply for it again after five years.
FMT treatment involves taking bacteria and other microorganisms from a healthy person’s stool and administering them to the patient via the anus or orally, with the goal of restoring a normal environment in the intestine.
Currently, FMT is being studied for a wide range of potential uses, but is only approved in Canada and the United States for the treatment of recurrent breast cancer. Clostridium difficile infection.
While doctors and scientists have warned that other uses of the new treatment are experimental and carry serious infection risks, people with autism are embracing the Klopp procedure. Unproven treatments put vulnerable children at risk.
Activists hailed the news as “fantastic”
News that Klopp’s licence had been revoked was greeted with jubilation from advocates for children with autism.
Melissa Eaton, a North Carolina mother of an autistic child, was the one who brought Kropp’s business to the public’s attention when she infiltrated private Facebook groups to track potentially dangerous treatments.
She described Klopp’s licence being revoked as “fantastic” but said she wished the fine had been higher.
“The fine he was given is nothing compared to what he actually paid,” Eaton said.
Ann Boden, a Toronto-based autism activist who has followed Kropp for years, called the university’s approach to the investigation into Kropp exemplary.
“They were very proactive and very interested in gathering information and taking action, and I think it’s very commendable that they did that,” she said.
“We hope other health-regulated universities will take similar action.”
Eaton and Borden said they have complained about medical professionals recommending other questionable autism treatments but are disappointed that there have been relatively few disciplinary actions from colleges and medical boards in Ontario and the United States. From “chelation therapy” From removing heavy metals from your child’s body to rectal ozone therapy.
Kropp and Novelbiome have been the subject of numerous complaints to both the university and Health Canada, including that he Manufacturing FMT capsules using nephew’s stool in a basement apartment in Abbotsford, about 67 kilometres southeast of Vancouver.
The university began its investigation into Klopp in August 2019 and previously “Special Actions” Klopp was banned from manufacturing or selling FMT products. He launched a legal challenge to this restriction and the university’s authority to investigate him, but his claims were rejected. The two levels of BC courts.
Health Canada also conducted multiple investigations into Kropp’s activities, which resulted in him agreeing not to promote the company’s products to Canadians or bring them on overseas retreats.
Earlier this year, Klopp announced that Novelbiome would convert to FMT manufacturing specifically to treat Clostridium difficile infections. But his Chilliwack lab was not accredited and failed a Health Canada inspection in February. A long list of problems We strictly adhere to hygiene and quality control.
In an email, Cahill, the company spokesman, described the lab as “state-of-the-art” and said Novel Biome is not manufacturing any FMT products while it works to obtain a drug manufacturing license from Health Canada.
“It’s everyone’s problem and no one’s fault.”
Eaton and Borden are happy with how the university has handled the investigation into Kropp but would like to see other authorities step in.
“My biggest concern is, will there be criminal charges filed?” Eaton asked.
She also said she has filed complaints with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Food and Drug Administration about Kropp’s export of FMT products to American homes, but has yet to receive a response.
Borden agreed that he would like to see activity outside of Canada, namely in countries where Klopp offers and promotes FMT retreats.
“When these companies go international, it becomes everybody’s problem and nobody’s responsibility,” she said.
“To really stop this, national health regulatory agencies need to work together.”
