The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) authorized the import and use of an experimental medication for influencer Lito Sousa, who was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare neurodegenerative illness. The drug is manufactured by an American company and the import request was made through Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein.
The agency's decision took into consideration the severity of the disease, described as neurodegenerative with rapid progression, lethal and irreversible. The import was also authorized due to the absence of a sponsor or responsible representative for the medication in Brazil.
The medication is still in the pre-clinical development stage, with no formally initiated studies in humans, meaning it has not yet undergone clinical trials.
In a video published this Friday (4), recorded days after hospital discharge, Lito Sousa stated that his chances of surviving have increased. In the recording, the influencer appears talking about aviation with his wife and a friend, and comments on the progress of his own treatment since he publicly revealed his diagnosis.
