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PC-SPES (PDQ®)

Health Professional Version
Last Modified: 01/13/2012

Substitutes for PC-SPES

No substitutes are available for the original PC-SPES. Although manufacturers are selling supplements purporting to be substitutes, the PC-SPES mixture is patented and cannot be duplicated. There are no published reports of clinical trials of herbal mixtures that claim to be substitutes for PC-SPES. The only company that had a license from the patent holder to manufacture PC-SPES is no longer in business, and the product cannot be legally manufactured in the United States without the patent holder’s permission. PC-SPES is not legally available in the United States.



Glossary Terms

clinical trial (KLIH-nih-kul TRY-ul)
A type of research study that tests how well new medical approaches work in people. These studies test new methods of screening, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a disease. Also called clinical study.
PC-SPES
A mixture of eight herbs that has been sold as a dietary supplement and promoted as a way to keep the prostate healthy and to treat prostate cancer. PC-SPES has been studied in the treatment of prostate cancer, but has been taken off the market in the U.S. because of safety concerns.
supplementation (SUH-pleh-MEN-TAY-shun)
Adding nutrients to the diet.