Ernst Krebs—Inventor of Laetrile

Ernst Krebs (1911–1996) was born in the USA, the son of a physician. After various unsuccessful attempts to obtain a university degree, he managed to get a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois. The doctor title he later sometimes used was an honorary degree from the American Christian College in Tulsa. In 1952, Krebs began producing Laetrile, which he claimed to be a cancer cure. His theory was based on obsolete concepts put forward by a Scottish embryologist. Krebs stated that Laetrile cured 40% of all cancers and significantly improved the rest. Together with Andrew McNaughton, Krebs tried to popularise Laetrile, while avoiding the regulator’s demands for evidence. Laetrile was re-branded as ‘vitamin B-17’ and cancer was portrayed as a vitamin deficiency syndrome. After multiple legal disputes, Laetrile became a populist cause which eventually ran out of steam. Yet, conspiracy theories are rife and Laetrile is still being touted as the miracle cure that the establishment managed to suppress.