Scepticism over Aids 'cure'
Tuesday, 14 December, 1999, 16:44 GMT
BBC Online
Photo: Millions are being spent worldwide on Aids research
Western Aids experts have poured cold water on reports from Armenia of
a possible cure for the killer disease.
The treatment, Armenicum, is under development in Yerevan in Armenia,
where there are claims that even very ill patients have been
cured. But no results from rigorously monitored clinical trials have
been published.
However, the rumours of a cure have been enough to prompt dozens of
Americans and others from the West to travel to Armenia.
An investigation for the BBC World Service's Discovery programme found
no clear evidence that the drug was a success.
Experts sceptical
And western experts who have examined patients returning from Armenia
following treatment are also highly sceptical.
Dr Manfred Dietrich, of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Hamburg,
carried out blood tests on Armenicum patients.
He told the BBC: "Since we saw high numbers of virus in the blood, it
did not have any retroviral effect. I would not recommend at all to
take such a drug."
He suggested that Armenicum might actually make patients more
susceptible to the HIV virus.
Dr Sergei Litvinoff, the Director of Infectious Diseases for the World
Health Organisation in Europe, said virtually nothing was known
outside Armenia about the drug.
He said: "My question is whether their treatment with this Armenicum
was also undertaken by other institutions or laboratories in different
countries.
"I repeat and repeat again we have not enough information - I would
like to know more."
Armenicum is a deep brown solution given by injection to the patients.
Staff at the Yerevan clinic have been declaring the effectiveness of
their creation.
Dr Levon Makhatarian said: "Armenicum is highly effective in improving
the patient's quality of life.
"In particular, it improves the most common symptoms like fatigue,
weakness, malaise, sweating, itching, pain in the liver and gall
bladder area."
He did stop short of pronouncing it a cure for HIV.
Claims about drug
However, others in Armenia have not been so reticent about the powers
of the drug.
Press reports from the country suggest that all patients using
Armenicum "say they feel great changes after receiving injections so
they feel a strong desire to walk, run and simply live on".
The only side effects, they claim, are soreness at the injection site
and an initial fever and headache.
In the UK, Aids charity the Terrence Higgins Trust said that the
evidence produced so far on Armenicum was "anecdotal".
"We cannot comment until we have seen the results of some proper
randomised controlled trials," said a spokesman.
The investigation can be heard on BBC World Service on Tuesday
December 14 at 1905 GMT and Wednesday December 15 at 0030 GMT