Gloria Gamat published an article in February 2007 about the movie "Lorenzo's Oil."
The movie described the heroic crusade of Augusto and Michaela Odone to find a cure for their son's, Lorenzo Michael Murphy Odone, illness. Lorenzo suffered from the rare disease ALD (adrenoleukodystrophy) which is a rare disorder that leads to progressive brain damage due to the destruction of myelin, a complex fatty neural tissue that insulates nerves in the central and peripheral nervous system.
While doctors gave Lorenzo between 2 and 3 years to live, the mixture of glycerol trierucate and glycerol trioleate, Lorenzo's Oil, extended his life to 30 years. Lorenzo passed away on May 30, 2008 after suffering aspiration pneumonia.
Early studies found that Lorenzo's oil was of limited value to ALD patients but a more recent study found benefit. A follow up study by Dr Hugo Moser of 89 patients found that Lorenzo's Oil therapy did delay the onset of the disease significantly.
In the U.S. Lorenzo's oil is only available to patients taking part in a clinical trial at the Kennedy Kreiger Institute. The treatment is not covered by most medical insurance due to the fact that it is not U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved.
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