Noakes and the Immuno Biotech GcMAF Controversy
Before entering the medical field, Noakes spent a decade as a computer consultant. His professional background included designing an alphabetical keyboard layout in 2004 and working for various Cornish companies, such as Phillips Frith, Mount Wellington Tin Mine, and Holman Brothers. His career also extended internationally, with roles in Brussels and at JPMorgan Chase Bank in New York.
The Rise of Immuno Biotech and GcMAF
Noakes transitioned into the biotech sector as the owner and CEO of Immuno Biotech Ltd, which operated under the trade name First Immune. Based in Guernsey, the company promoted a blood product known as GcMAF (Globulin component Macrophage Activating Factor). Noakes claimed this protein could cure a wide array of severe conditions, including cancer, HIV, autism, and multiple sclerosis.
Starting in 2010, Noakes aggressively marketed GcMAF, claiming to treat 10,000 patients globally and reporting monthly revenues of £1 million. By 2012, the company had established laboratories in Oxford. Noakes further embedded himself in the alternative medicine community, joining the board of governors of the National Health Federation in April 2016. He also promoted GcMAF to the Guernsey Chamber of Commerce and advised cancer patients to avoid chemotherapy, despite strong criticism from Cancer Research UK.
Regulatory Crackdowns and Safety Concerns
The operations of First Immune soon drew the attention of health regulators and financial institutions. In July 2014, NatWest bank closed the company's accounts. The situation escalated in 2015 when the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)—the body responsible for ensuring medicines and medical devices work and are safe—inspected an unlicensed site in Milton, Cambridgeshire.
The MHRA seized 10,000 vials of GcMAF and shut down production after discovering that the plasma used was not intended for human use and the facility failed to meet good manufacturing practice standards. Furthermore, a former personal assistant alleged that Noakes occasionally used his own blood in the process. While the company had provided GcMAF to approximately 100 Guernsey residents for free, the Guernsey Border Agency prohibited imports in February 2015, leading the company to substitute GcMAF with a product called Goleic.
International Legal Battles and Fatalities
The controversy extended beyond the UK. In Switzerland, the regulator Swissmedic closed the First Immune clinic in Bussigny after five patients died since its opening in October 2013. Noakes also collaborated with scientist Marco Ruggiero and American doctor Jeff Bradstreet. The latter committed suicide in June 2015 following a federal raid on his office related to GcMAF work.
In addition to medical fraud, Noakes faced employment disputes. In November 2015, an employment tribunal found him guilty of sex discrimination against his former assistant, Lucia Pagliarone, who claimed she was required to perform medical injections despite having no medical training. Noakes was ordered to pay £10,500.
Criminal Convictions and Sentencing
Law enforcement agencies in multiple countries eventually targeted Noakes' operations. Following raids by Guernsey police in February 2017 and French gendarmes in Normandy, the Crown Prosecution Service's Specialist Fraud Division charged Noakes with money laundering and conspiracy to manufacture a medicinal product without a licence. It was revealed that he also ran Macro Innovations, another company illegally manufacturing GcMAF in Cambridgeshire.
In November 2018, Noakes pleaded guilty in the UK to money laundering and the manufacturing, supplying, and selling of an unlicensed medicine, receiving a 15-month prison sentence. After failing to report to police while on bail in 2019, he was arrested in Truro in May 2020. Southwark Crown Court subsequently issued a confiscation order for £1,349,400.48 against Noakes and his company.
His legal troubles concluded in April 2021, when he pleaded guilty in France to manufacturing and selling fake cosmetics and medicinal products via the internet, resulting in a four-year prison sentence.
Key Facts
- Company: Immuno Biotech Ltd (trading as First Immune).
- Product: GcMAF, a blood protein promoted as a cure for cancer, HIV, and autism.
- UK Sentence: 15 months imprisonment for money laundering and selling unlicensed medicine.
- French Sentence: 4 years imprisonment for selling fake medicinal products and cosmetics.
- Financial Penalty: A confiscation order of £1,349,400.48.
- Regulatory Action: MHRA shut down production due to non-human grade plasma and poor manufacturing standards.
| Year | Event/Action | Outcome/Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | NatWest Bank account closure | Loss of banking facilities |
| 2015 | MHRA Inspection (Cambridgeshire) | 10,000 vials seized; production shut down |
| 2015 | Swissmedic Clinic Closure | Clinic closed after 5 patient deaths |
| 2015 | Employment Tribunal | £10,500 fine for sex discrimination |
| 2018 | UK Criminal Trial | 15 months imprisonment |
| 2020 | Southwark Crown Court Order | £1,349,400.48 confiscation order |
| 2021 | French Criminal Trial | 4 years imprisonment |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GcMAF and what were the claims about it?
GcMAF is a blood product (protein) that Noakes claimed could cure various diseases, including cancer, autism, HIV, and multiple sclerosis.
Why did the MHRA shut down the production site?
The MHRA found that the production site did not meet good manufacturing practice standards and that the plasma used to derive GcMAF was not intended for human use.
What happened to the First Immune clinic in Switzerland?
The clinic in Bussigny was closed by the Swiss regulator Swissmedic after five patients died since the clinic opened in October 2013.
What were the specific criminal charges against Noakes in the UK?
Noakes was charged with and pleaded guilty to money laundering and the manufacturing, supplying, and selling of an unlicensed medicinal product.
Did Noakes face legal issues in countries other than the UK?
Yes, he was sentenced to four years in prison in France in April 2021 for manufacturing and selling fake cosmetics and medicinal products online.