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APPENDIX 8
CLEVELAND CLINIC
THE CLINIC CENTER 9500 EUCLID AVENUE, CLEVELAND, OHIO 44106, U.S.A. 216/444-2200⚫ CABLE: CLEVCLINIC CLV.
DEPARTMENT OF RHEUMATIC AND IMMUNOLOGIC DISEASE
J. D. Clough, M.D.
R. S. Krakauer, M.D.
A. L. Scherbel, M.D.
C. S. White, M.D.
A. H. Mackenzie, M.D.
W. S. Wilke, M.D.
R. J. Scheetz, M.D.
March 31, 1980
Congressman Claude Pepper
2239 Rayburn Building
Washington, D.C. 20215
Dear Congressman Pepper:
I enjoyed participating in the DMSO hearings which you held in Washington
last week. Furthermore, the manner in which you conducted the hearings
was excellent. Many salient points were brought out by you and members
of your Committee which emphasized the irregular manner that FDA has been
using to withold the use of DMSO for use as a therapeutic agent.
It is apparent to me that FDA is determined to withold this drug from
clinical use indefinitely. I feel certain that they will continue to
allow clinical investigation, but clinical studies that are submitted
will never be satisfactory for FDA to approve clinical use of this drug.
There is now overwhelming evidence that the drug, used as recommended,
is clinically effective and without serious toxicity.
I am now contacting patients with scleroderma who have used DMSO in the
past and I am asking them to write to you regarding their impression of
this drug.
I feel certain that you and your Committee can be most helpful to the
medical profession, as well as to the many patients who are in need of
this drug if Congress would pass a bill allowing DMSO to be used by pres-
cription for the indications which we discussed.
It was indeed a pleasure for me to meet you in Washington and I want to
thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to hold the DMSO hearing.
Sincerely yours,
Auch R. Scherbel
Arthur L. Scherbel, M.D.
ALS:sm
