China tests homemade AIDS drug

cctv.com 02-21-2006 18:10

China's Military Academy of Medical Science has announced a possible breakthrough in the fight against HIV-AIDS. Researchers have just finished clinical trials of a new AIDS and Hepatitis B treatment on monkeys, which has proved effective in fighting the diseases. If trials on humans have the same effect, the drug could be on the market within two years.

Dong Junxing, Researcher, Military Academy of Medical Science, said, "We have applied for patent rights for the new drug and associated synthesizing techniques in a number of countries, including China and the United States."

The drug, named IBE-5, is China's first domestically developed anti-AIDS drug. Its main ingredients are extracted from plants, and have been proven to noticeably reduce the HIV count of AIDS-infected monkeys. The drug seems to work more effectively than the cocktail therapies currently on the market. Clinical trials on animals have also shown that the drug helps immunize subjects against hepatitis B.

Editor:Chen Zhuo  Source:CCTV.com