HEK-293 was first available to researchers in 1977, long after these products were developed. Their development could not have depended on the use of HEK-293.

  1. Hydroxychloroquine was first approved for medical use in the U.S. in 1955.
  2. Ivermectin‘s discovery and development used broad animal trials. Ref: Pesticide Synthesis Through Rational Approaches (acs.org)
  3. Albuterol (Ventolin) was discovered in 1966, marketed in the UK as Ventolin in 1969. ref: Landau R (1999). Pharmaceutical innovation: revolutionizing human health. Philadelphia: Chemical Heritage Press. p. 226.
  4. Aspirin was first discovered in 1853. A U.S. patent was awarded to Bayer in 1900. Ref:  Aspirin – Wikipedia
  5. Lidocaine was discovered in 1946 and brought to market in 1948. Ref:  Scriabine, Alexander (1999). “Discovery and development of major drugs currently in use”. In Ralph Landau; Basil Achilladelis; Alexander Scriabine (eds.). Pharmaceutical Innovation: Revolutionizing Human Health. Philadelphia: Chemical Heritage Press. p. 211.
  6. Metformin was discovered in 1922 and first marketed in France in 1957. Ref: Fischer J (2010). Analogue-based Drug Discovery II. John Wiley & Sons. p. 49.
  7. Metoprolol was first developed in 1969 and patented in 1970. Ref:  Fischer, Jnos; Ganellin, C. Robin (2006). Analogue-based Drug Discovery. John Wiley & Sons. p. 461
  8. Tums is nothing more than calcium carbonate and sugar. It was developed in 1928 by James Harvey Howe, in the basement of his house and first produced for sale in 1930 by the Lewis Howe Company.  Ref:  Tums – Wikipedia.
  9. Acetaminophen (paracetamol) has some disagreement as to the date of discovery, but the general consensus is 1877. Ref:  Morse, H.N. (1878). “Ueber eine neue Darstellungsmethode der Acetylamidophenole” [On a new method of preparing acetylamidophenol]. Berichte der deutschen chemischen Gesellschaft (in German). 11 (1): 232–233.
  10. Ibuprofen was discovered in 1961 and first marketed in the UK in 1969. Ref: Halford GM, Lordkipanidzé M, Watson SP (2012). “50th anniversary of the discovery of ibuprofen: an interview with Dr Stewart Adams – PubMed (nih.gov)“. Platelets23 (6): 415–422.
  11. Dextromethorphan was patented in 1949 and approved for medical use in 1953. Ref:  Fischer, Jnos; Ganellin, C. Robin (2006). Analogue-based Drug Discovery. John Wiley & Sons. p. 527.
  12. Pepto Bismol was first sold in 1900 as Bismosal. Renamed Pepto-Bismol in 1919.  Ref:  Bismuth subsalicylate – Wikipedia
  13. Maalox was first produced commercially in 1949. Ref:  Maalox – Wikipedia
  14. Pseudoephedrine was discovered 1889, most OTCs with pseudoephedrine content pre-date 1977 substantially. Ref:  Ladenburg, A.; Oelschlägel, C. (1889). “Ueber das “Pseudo-Ephedrin” [On pseudo-ephedrine]. Berichte der Deutschen Chemischen Gesellschaft (in German).

While any use of the remains of aborted children ought to be rejected by anyone who values the dignity of human life, these medicines do not exist ‘but for the use of’ those children’s bodies. These medicines were developed independently of such use. Later on, other researchers may have conducted tests on the already existing medicines using HEK-293 or some other aborted fetal cell line, but there is a distinction between medicines that would not be here but for the use of aborted children and those that were later tested. Ultimately, it is that practice that must be ended — indeed the entire practice of abortion — and that is the reason why we focus on the root cause at Children of God for Life.

Fr. Schneider’s article has been lifted off the internet by organizations seeking to impose vaccine mandates on employees and students. We hear from you daily by the hundreds, many of you panicking and confused. We can help, but it is up to each of you to take the stand in front of you. We hope this information helps challenge those leaders who did not do the research for themselves.