text_1: Chinese herb may yield drug for AIDS
text_2: This story is about bevirimat, a new drug for late stage HIV. While there is interesting background on the current stage of HIV/AIDS drug development in the story, it has several important flaws. The story provides no evidence on the safety or efficacy of this drug, despite the drug company president’s comments that bevirimat “. . .looks potent and has a great safety profile”. What is the evidence? The story does not discuss the potential side effects of this new drug, and it does not provide a caveat that the drug may not live up to its predicted effect in humans. The story mentions that this new drug would be taken in combination with current antiretroviral therapies. But there is no discussion of any possible negative interaction(s) with other HIV drugs, or with drugs for co-existing medical conditions. Researchers and physicians who work with HIV/AIDS therapies are cited to provide perspective on this potential new treatment in the context of current therapies. Sources who are also paid consultants for Panacos Pharmaceuticals are appropriately noted. Some appropriate attempt at balance is provided by the concluding quote from Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health. There is one error in the article: “People who started AIDS therapy in 2003 lived an estimated 13 years longer than people diagnosed with AIDS in 1988.” Presumably they meant that people starting treatment in 2003 are EXPECTED to live 13 yrs longer. The story provides appropriate prevalence and incidence data on Americans living with HIV. If anything, the story under-reports HIV prevalence worldwide. The story might have aked the question: If this therapy is approved, would it be made available to the millions infected with HIV in developing countries? Finally, the story does not provide any projections of what the drug might cost. But the story was able to estimate annual sales of the drug for Panacos Pharmaceuticals. If you can give the latter, you should be able to provide the former.