Something unbelievable happened at the World Rheumatic Diseases Conference in the winter of 2024 The entire audience stood up and applauded the speaker on the stage for 10 minutes. We're talking about the Filipino student Lucia Fuentes. Lucia was presenting her research on a formula that swiftly addresses joint pains and various chronic pains without the need for any surgery.
Lucia came up with a brilliant idea that scientific institutions in the Philippines are currently working on. We had the opportunity to speak with Mrs. Lucia personally. We asked her how this new formula will change the lives of thousands of people.
Reporter: Why did you decide to study joint diseases?
Lucia: I do my best not to talk about it publicly because it's a family matter. My mother passed away several years ago due to sepsis. Joint tissues appeared healthy upon examination, and doctors didn't mention any medical issues. However, she occasionally complained of joint pain. Over time, the pain increased, and she was admitted to the hospital. We continued treatment, but due to the doctor's negligence and the wrong medications, an infection developed in her blood. We lost her to sepsis quickly. Additionally, I must mention that my grandmother also died because of this. Of course, after losing my mother, I began researching, and when I saw the results, I was truly shocked. Because when I learned about the prescriptions written by doctors and the impact of over-the-counter medications on people, I realized they are actually ineffective, even harming the liver. And I believe my mother was taking these medications every day.
Once the results of the clinical trials emerged, I immediately received offers to sell the rights to what I had developed. A French pharmaceutical laboratory offered me a substantial amount of money. Then, an American pharmaceutical company offered me $3,000,000, and most of them contacted me from different places. This overwhelmed me to the point that I changed my phone number and deleted even my social media accounts.
Reporter: Why don't you want to sell the formula you developed?
Lucia: Some offers are too high. When I developed this formula, my sole goal was to help thousands of people, like my mother, get out of this situation. But if a foreign company obtains a patent for this product, they will sell it for 10 times, maybe 15 times the price. Even my foreign doctor friend told me that this product would be sold for no less than $3,000. Who in the Philippines can afford to buy this product at such a price? My goal is not to make money from foreigners but to help my nation in the health sector. PJHA (Philippines Joint Health Association) approached me last month with an offer. This proposal would be beneficial for both our nation and a foreign company. So, I accepted the offer immediately. Alberto Vega also contacted me.