A.I.D.S. Drug Scarce, Says Doctor (Press, 1 October 1986)
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Summary: A.I.D.S. Drug Scarce, Says Doctor (Press, 1 October 1986)
In a statement on 1 October 1986, a spokesman for New Zealand's Minister of Health, Dr Bassett, revealed that azidothymidine (AZT), the only drug showing promise in the treatment of A.I.D.S., was in short supply globally. Currently, the manufacturer was only providing the drug to a limited number of patients in the United States. Dr Bassett acknowledged the requests to conduct trials of AZT in New Zealand and mentioned discussions with his department officials on the matter. Dr Richard Meech, chairman of the A.I.D.S. advisory committee that advises Dr Bassett, expressed concern that New Zealand might be at a disadvantage compared to countries with a higher number of A.I.D.S. patients when it came to securing supplies of AZT. He highlighted that for the pharmaceutical company to begin offering AZT, it would need to ensure a commitment to ongoing supplies, citing ethical considerations. Dr Meech pointed out the limited manufacturing of drugs still undergoing early testing phases. He noted that AZT required further scientific evaluation and controlled clinical trials, and that New Zealand, given its lower prevalence of A.I.D.S., lacked a sufficient number of patients to contribute meaningfully to research efforts.
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