Don’t sell experimental cancer treatment to crazy, barbaric or stubborn patients, High Court hears
Court is told about internal memos for staff at beauty clinic involved in death of woman and a letter of appreciation from the deceased over earlier treatment
Staff from a Hong Kong beauty clinic at the centre of a manslaughter trial were told specifically not to sell an experimental cancer treatment to customers who were “crazy, barbaric or stubborn” but only to loyal ones, a court heard on Friday.
Testifying in the High Court, former beauty consultant Leung Shuk-yi said she believed it was beauty chain DR Group’s attempt to avoid trouble arising from its Cytokine inducted killer cell (CIK) treatment, which was marketed as a health care product. Prosecutors said it caused Chan Wai-lam’s death in 2012.
“They are afraid complaints will be lodged,” said the ex-employee, who left the company in 2012.
For the first time on Friday, the court also heard about a letter of appreciation from Chan – who claimed to often suffer from flu – to thank the group for her “significantly” improved condition following CIK treatment in May 2012.
Chan died of a blood infection on October 10 that year, a week after she underwent another round of CIK therapy, which required blood to be taken, processed and reintroduced to her.