Cypress Systems, Inc. is a biotech company headquartered in Madera, California and is best known for its research, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), regarding the use of selenium supplementation for the prevention of a variety of cancers.[1] Cypress Systems, Inc. also manufactures selenium, zinc, and chromium for the nutraceutical industry.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Biotechnology |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founder | Paul A. Willis |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Key people | Mark Whitacre, CSO and President of Operations |
| Website | cypressingredients |
In 1983, the now-deceased Dr. Larry C. Clark conducted a Nutritional Prevention of Cancer (NPC) study. This historic trial claimed that selenium supplementation prevented a variety of cancers,[1] a claim which has not been validated by later enquiry, as there is no good evidence selenium supplementation helps prevent cancer.[2]
The Chief Science Officer (CSO) of Cypress is Mark Whitacre. In the 1990s, Whitacre spent nine years in federal prison for embezzling over 9 million dollars from his former employer, ADM Archer Daniels Midland. He embezzled the funds while he was working with the FBI as a whistleblower. He is the highest level executive of a Fortune 500 company in US history to turn whistleblower.[3][4]
References
edit- ^ a b Clark, L. C.; Combs Jr, G. F.; Turnbull, B. W.; Slate, E. H.; Chalker, D. K.; Chow, J.; Davis, L. S.; Glover, R. A.; Graham, G. F.; Gross, E. G.; Krongrad, A.; Lesher Jr, J. L.; Park, H. K.; Sanders Jr, B. B.; Smith, C. L.; Taylor, J. R. (1996). "Effects of selenium supplementation for cancer prevention in patients with carcinoma of the skin. A randomized controlled trial. Nutritional Prevention of Cancer Study Group". JAMA. 276 (24): 1957–1963. doi:10.1001/jama.1996.03540240035027. PMID 8971064.
- ^ Vinceti, Marco; Dennert, Gabriele; Crespi, Catherine M.; Zwahlen, Marcel; Brinkman, Maree; Zeegers, Maurice P. A.; Horneber, Markus; D'Amico, Roberto; Del Giovane, Cinzia (2014-03-30). "Selenium for preventing cancer". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (3): CD005195. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005195.pub3. ISSN 1469-493X. PMC 4441528. PMID 24683040.
- ^ Enewschannels.com
- ^ "A Presidential Pardon Long over Due for Whistleblower Mark Whitacre". Forbes.
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