Swiss alternative-medicine clinic faces scrutiny after serious patient complications

Thomas Rau, a 76-year-old Swiss doctor known for his “biological” medicine approach, operates BioMed in Schwellbrunn, offering costly stays that combine diagnostic dark-field microscopy with treatments like colon hydrotherapy, ozone therapy and high-dose alpha-lipoic-acid infusions. In 2021, a Cypriot patient and a Swiss art dealer each received the alpha-lipoic-acid IV and subsequently experienced severe abdominal pain and a rapid decline in platelet counts, prompting emergency transfers to hospitals in Herisau, St. Gallen and Zurich.

Local prosecutors have seized clinic records and launched investigations into the safety of these procedures, while the clinic continues to serve an international clientele. Rau maintains that he referred the patients to hospitals promptly and disputes any causal link between his treatments and the complications. The case has drawn attention to the broader debate over alternative-medicine practices in Switzerland.