A.I.D.S. Drug Expected (Press, 27 March 1987)

A drug that may extend the lives of A.I.D.S. patients is expected to be available in New Zealand starting in May 1987. The medication, A.Z.T. (azidothymidine), was developed by the American pharmaceutical company Burroughs Wellcome and has already received marketing approval in the United States, Britain, and France. Mr. Bob Williamson, the general manager of Wellcome New Zealand, stated that the company is currently awaiting approval from the Health Department and is optimistic about making A.Z.T. available within the next two months. The drug will be marketed in New Zealand under the name Retrovir. Clinical trials have indicated that A.Z.T. can slow the progression of A.I.D.S., a disease that severely compromises the immune system. However, the anticipated cost for patients in New Zealand is quite high, estimated between $28,000 and $40,000 for a year's treatment. Mr. Williamson mentioned that this expense would be covered by taxpayers since A.I.D.S. patients receive treatment in hospitals, funded through hospital boards. As of the time of the report, there have been 37 diagnosed cases of A.I.D.S. in New Zealand, with 24 of those located in Auckland. The disease has had a severe impact, as nearly half of those patients have succumbed to it. Dr. Ellis Pegler, an infectious diseases physician at Auckland Hospital, cautioned that while A.Z.T. shows promise, it is not a cure for A.I.D.S. He warned that the drug carries significant side effects at the recommended doses, particularly impacting blood cells, which has led many patients in the United States to require blood transfusions.

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