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AFRO-NETS> New Therapies for HIV/AIDS
New Therapies for HIV/AIDS
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HIV/AIDS: Malaysian Team Claims Discovery of Cure
A research team in Malaysia claimed Sunday to have found a cure for
AIDS after two years of research. Amir Hamzah Abdul Hamid, who led the
research team, said patients undergoing the treatment have been able to
fight HIV/AIDS by building up cells that withstand the virus. Amir said
tests have been conducted on 20 HIV/AIDS infected inmates at a drug re-
habilitation center. However, Dr. Lang Chim Choy of University Malaya
said further details are necessary to substantiate their claim (Kuala
Lumpur Star, 5 Mar).
Tree Bark May Help Fight HIV/AIDS
The discovery of two products in tree bark found in Argentina and Af-
rica may prove effective in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, researchers have
learned. Mahabir Gupta of the University of Panama described an extract
found in a tree in Argentina that yields a compound that "shows remark-
able anti-HIV activity." Kurt Hostettmann of the University of Lausanne
in Switzerland said his team has found an anti-fungal compound in a
type of African tree which "is more active than all the compounds on
the market."
Efforts To Compensate Countries For Drug Compounds
Pharmaceutical companies have been criticized in the past for exploit-
ing drug sources without compensating the countries where the compounds
are found. But Gupta said working with companies is the only way to de-
velop promising compounds into drugs. "If alliances are made in an in-
telligent way where both parties gain, I think it would be fruitful,"
he said. Hostettmann said his group has linked up with a US drug com-
pany to synthesize the compound found in the African trees because it
takes six trees to extract enough of the compound to test. He also said
his team is working with the University of Zimbabwe to make sure the
countries that supply the trees receive compensation (BBC Online, 20
Feb).
Published in UNWIRE - March 10, 2000
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