LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A medication traditionally used in cancer treatment has received FDA fast-track approval as a new therapy for children with autism, offering hope to Nevada families seeking treatment options.

Leucovorin, a generic drug typically used with cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, was fast-tracked for FDA approval in September 2025 for autism treatment. The medication works as a folic acid supplement for children who have a folic acid deficit.

“It’s a new medication in the sense of treating children with autism. It’s not a new drug, though. It’s been around. It’s typically been used with cancer patients undergoing chemo,” said FOX5 reporter Talia Kirkland. “So new, but not so new, if that makes sense.”

Las Vegas family tries new treatment

Seven-year-old Christopher Wilson, who has autism and is nonverbal, is among the first Nevada children to try the new treatment. His father, Sean Wilson, said the family was desperate for answers after Christopher was diagnosed as an infant.

“Even getting a diagnosis can be difficult,” Kirkland said, describing the Wilson family’s experience. “So there’s already some type of hardship that these families go through from the beginning.”

Christopher experienced what doctors initially thought was blindness at birth before receiving his autism diagnosis. The family has been using leucovorin for about 30 days under the care of a local pediatric neurologist.

“Little bottle of hope”

The autism community has embraced leucovorin with cautious optimism, with some calling it “the little bottle of hope.”

Shawn Wilson, Christopher’s father, told FOX5 he had read stories online about dramatic improvements.

“I’ve read stories where sometimes when they begin using leucovorin, he’s seen that one, two, three day and then the child is talking,” Kirkland said, describing Wilson’s research.

However, the Wilson family has not yet seen major improvements after 30 days of treatment.

Doctor emphasizes realistic expectations

Dr. Devraj Chavda, one of the few pediatric neurologists in Las Vegas, is prescribing the medication but emphasizes realistic expectations for families.

“We shouldn’t look at autism as something that is curable. He kept saying that, you know, it’s treatable,” Kirkland said, describing the doctor’s approach. “And even he told Shawn with trying this medication with Christopher, that this is a treatment [not a cure].”

The doctor explained that even if the medication helps children begin speaking, medical professionals still need to determine the root cause of speech delays.

“Even if we get those amazing results where he does begin to speak, we still have to figure out what was the root cause, what was blocking that speech,” Kirkland said.

Limited specialists create challenges

Finding medical experts for the story proved challenging due to Nevada’s shortage of pediatric specialists. The reporting process, which began in November 2025, took months to complete because of the limited number of pediatric neurologists in the Las Vegas area.

“That even just from a journalistic point of view, to find experts is difficult,” Kirkland said. “There are so few pediatric neurologists in this area.”

Federal study planned for 2026

While Christopher Wilson is not part of an official study, the federal government plans to conduct a major trial of leucovorin for autism treatment in 2026. Currently, children like Christopher are receiving the medication anecdotally through their doctors.

“His doctor, I’m sure, is with every patient that he’s prescribing this. I’m sure he’s watching and keeping very detailed notes just to see how this works,” Kirkland said.

Concerns about generic medication quality

Because leucovorin is a generic drug, doctors have concerns about quality.

“One of the big concerns is that because it’s a generic, generics can vary a little,” Kirkland said. “So doctors do have that concern that if we’re using this medication in this capacity, that the quality is all going to be standard across the board.”

Parent’s perspective

Despite not seeing immediate results, Shawn Wilson remains committed to trying the treatment for his son.

“You just want to do the best thing you can do for your kid. You want to help them out, and you want them to have as normal of a life as you would expect,” Shawn said.

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LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — IVF patients are seeking answers after receiving an unexpected letter from the Nevada Fertility Institute informing them their specimens would be shipped to California for storage, giving them just three days to decide or make other arrangements.

Some patients chose local doctor Cindy Duke for IVF treatment because she offered on-site specimen storage at her office near Sunset and Durango. However, patients became concerned when they arrived to find locked doors with a landlord’s notice stating $159,000 was due in rent.

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Patients then couldn’t reach the office by phone before receiving the surprising letter about specimen relocation.

I attempted to speak with Duke about the situation last week without success. When I returned today seeking answers for patients, staff told me she wasn’t available. After waiting 10 minutes and ringing the office bell again, I was told Duke remained unavailable for an interview.

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“Is she available to do an interview or not? I’m trying to reach her,” I said to staff.

“Do you have my contact information I left last time? We really want to talk to her,” I continued.

“I let her know that you feel it’s important to reach out, so it’s just, it’s out of my hands,” the staff said.

At least one Nevada Fertility Institute patient I spoke with chose not to have their specimen sent to California. However, they had to pay $400 to have it moved locally.

The patient told me they waited in Duke’s office on Friday for two and a half hours just to get paperwork signed to relocate their specimen.

According to the letter, today was the deadline for patients to decide where they want their specimens relocated.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.