Japanese Firm Develops A.I.D.S.-weakening Drag (Press, 15 November 1988)
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Summary: Japanese Firm Develops A.I.D.S.-weakening Drag (Press, 15 November 1988)
A Japanese pharmaceutical company, in collaboration with Japan’s National Institute of Health, has announced the development of an experimental drug that shows promising results in test-tube trials against the A.I.D.S. virus. The drug, which has not yet been tested on humans, reportedly weakens the human immunodeficiency virus (H.I.V.), the causative agent of A.I.D.S., to one-ten thousandth of its normal level of infectivity in lymph cells. Details of the research were to be presented at the Society of Japanese Virologists convention in Tokyo. The spokesperson for Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd., the company involved, did not provide an estimate as to when the drug might be available for commercial use. A significant feature of the drug is its potential to be used alongside existing A.I.D.S. treatments, particularly azidotymidine (AZT), which could alleviate some side effects associated with AZT if patients were required to take lower doses. The mechanism of the drug, which contains an antibiotic called deoxynojirimycin (DNM), targets the “thorns” on the virus. These thorns comprise sugars and proteins, and the DNM specifically disrupts the sugar component, hindering the virus's growth. This reduction in growth significantly lowers the likelihood of the virus infecting Helper-T cells, crucial for a robust immune response. Research is also being considered for collaborative clinical tests with the United States National Institutes of Health, highlighting the potential for international research partnership in the fight against A.I.D.S. The gravity of the A.I.D.S. epidemic is underscored by the latest statistics from the World Health Organisation (W.H.O.), which reported nearly 120,000 cases globally by the end of September 1988. Officials, however, suggest that the actual number of infections may be double that figure, with projections estimating that 3 million people could contract A.I.D.S. by 1996, according to Jonathan Mann, who leads W.H.O.'s anti-A.I.D.S. initiatives.
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