Board: Drug therapy for children with autism was risky

A doctor nationally known for treating autism with a drug sometimes used to chemically castrate sex offenders has been suspended from practicing medicine in his home state of Maryland after state officials determined he is putting children at risk.

Dr. Mark Geier allegedly misrepresented his credentials, misdiagnosed children and urged parents to approve risky treatments without fully informing them of the potential dangers, according to the Maryland Board of Physicians.

The board's order, dated April 27, states that Geier "endangers autistic children and exploits their parents by administering to the children a treatment protocol that has a known substantial risk of serious harm and which is neither consistent with evidence-based medicine nor generally accepted in the relevant scientific community."

Geier told the Tribune in 2009 that he had treated hundreds of children with a testosterone suppressant called Lupron, which he called a "miracle drug." But a Tribune investigation exposed the therapy as a potentially dangerous treatment based on junk science and promoted by a physician not board-certified in any specialty relevant to autism or the use of hormone-disrupting drugs.

Geier, who has treated Illinois children and retains a license to practice medicine here, is prominent in the world of alternative treatments for autism. His ASD Centers advertise "new hope for autism," and he has offices around the country, including in Springfield. Geier is scheduled to speak at the annual Autism One conference this month in west suburban Lombard.

The Maryland board found that in six of nine cases it reviewed, Geier incorrectly diagnosed children with autism with precocious puberty -- that's the extraordinarily early onset of puberty -- and prescribed Lupron, which is sometimes covered by insurance to treat that rare condition.

In some cases, according to the board, Geier diagnosed the children with precocious puberty and prescribed drug protocols without examining them or conducting proper tests. Some of the children Geier diagnosed were too old to have the condition.

Geier is a genetic counselor, but according to the Maryland board order he has falsely claimed to be a board-certified geneticist and epidemiologist.

Geier, who is not allowed to practice in Maryland while the case is pending, referred questions to attorney Joseph Schwartz III. At the root of the case, Schwartz said, was a "bona fide dispute over therapy" rather than a doctor who posed an immediate threat to patients. 
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