Governments and Investors are Guilty for not Funding HIV Cure Research
Trying to find an HIV cure is considered a taboo or a dream out of reach. We have to acknowledge with much disappointment, that this situation has been majorly due to the reluctance of Government agencies and Pharmaceutical organizations to take an active part in supporting researches for the cure.
Toulon, France--February 3, 2011--
They usually always finance the same teams and stay clear from innovative ideas and young investigators. Dead end has been the result of this kind of mindset
The World Health Organization has declared that HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infects more than 33 million individuals worldwide.
Epidemiological studies show that the number of infected persons is continuously increasing on a daily basis, with as much as 7,500 newly infected people per day, including children. Actually, there is an increase in infected children being born with the disease, but also in orphans who have lost their parents because of AIDS. They both live in pain with little hope to survive.
Regarding infected adults, two third of them live in resource poor countries and do not have access to current antiretroviral regimens for financial reasons. In developed countries, treated patients face problems of compliance and long-term toxicities, as this treatment is life-long.
Prevention and treatment are therefore no longer the only solutions to the HIV pandemic.
Researches have been conducted for the past 25 years but have failed to produce an effective vaccine against this disease. Conversely, trying to find an HIV cure was considered a taboo or a dream out of reach. We have to acknowledge with much disappointment, that this situation has been majorly due to the reluctance of Government agencies and Pharmaceutical organizations to take an active part in supporting researches for the cure. The only explanation for this is simply put misplaced interests.
There have been some researches conducted by certain laboratories that have put some light on how the virus persists in HIV reservoirs, and there is a possibility that an HIV cure can be found. But this is not enough any more as there is no coordinated effort to achieve this cure. Government Research Agencies must take an active role in this search. With proper funding there would be more chances of finding a cure to this disease, which is at an alarming rate, and claiming millions of lives worldwide.
It is understandable that due to political interference, most governments shy away from openly facing the magnitude of this problem, which has been part of almost every country in the world today.
But pharmaceutical companies are also guilty of investing mainly in areas able to rapidly bring a new product (drug) on the market and please their stakeholders. Scientific research for a cure needs important investments in basic science for an uncertain result. It is more advantageous for them to spend millions in marketing campaigns for gaining market shares with an antiretroviral, than to finance scientists.
Regarding non-profit organizations, some of them have invested a few funds in HIV cure research. However, they usually always finance the same teams and stay clear from innovative ideas and young investigators. Dead end has been the result of this kind of mindset.
All this will not help in any way. The number of people dying from this disease will keep rising. There are scientists who have been working on understanding the way HIV works, but they need to carry out more tests with properly set up research laboratories to complete their research. For this to be possible, we need dedicated research funding and a coordinated task force.
It is time to rethink our priorities and take the right decisions. We can save the lives of millions of HIV patients all over the world, and put an end to this deadly virus, if we work on a cure with proper research funding. This is both a call for help and activism: there is no time to waste, we cannot accept to be the passive witnesses of this global massacre.
Contact:
Alain Lafeuillade MD, PhD, Chief Department of Infectious Diseases, General Hospital, Toulon, France Chair of the International Workshop on HIV Persistence, Reservoirs & Eradication Strategies; Ph: +33-4-94616340 ; http://www.hiv-eradication.org
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Toulon, France--February 3, 2011--
They usually always finance the same teams and stay clear from innovative ideas and young investigators. Dead end has been the result of this kind of mindset
The World Health Organization has declared that HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infects more than 33 million individuals worldwide.
Epidemiological studies show that the number of infected persons is continuously increasing on a daily basis, with as much as 7,500 newly infected people per day, including children. Actually, there is an increase in infected children being born with the disease, but also in orphans who have lost their parents because of AIDS. They both live in pain with little hope to survive.
Regarding infected adults, two third of them live in resource poor countries and do not have access to current antiretroviral regimens for financial reasons. In developed countries, treated patients face problems of compliance and long-term toxicities, as this treatment is life-long.
Prevention and treatment are therefore no longer the only solutions to the HIV pandemic.
Researches have been conducted for the past 25 years but have failed to produce an effective vaccine against this disease. Conversely, trying to find an HIV cure was considered a taboo or a dream out of reach. We have to acknowledge with much disappointment, that this situation has been majorly due to the reluctance of Government agencies and Pharmaceutical organizations to take an active part in supporting researches for the cure. The only explanation for this is simply put misplaced interests.
There have been some researches conducted by certain laboratories that have put some light on how the virus persists in HIV reservoirs, and there is a possibility that an HIV cure can be found. But this is not enough any more as there is no coordinated effort to achieve this cure. Government Research Agencies must take an active role in this search. With proper funding there would be more chances of finding a cure to this disease, which is at an alarming rate, and claiming millions of lives worldwide.
It is understandable that due to political interference, most governments shy away from openly facing the magnitude of this problem, which has been part of almost every country in the world today.
But pharmaceutical companies are also guilty of investing mainly in areas able to rapidly bring a new product (drug) on the market and please their stakeholders. Scientific research for a cure needs important investments in basic science for an uncertain result. It is more advantageous for them to spend millions in marketing campaigns for gaining market shares with an antiretroviral, than to finance scientists.
Regarding non-profit organizations, some of them have invested a few funds in HIV cure research. However, they usually always finance the same teams and stay clear from innovative ideas and young investigators. Dead end has been the result of this kind of mindset.
All this will not help in any way. The number of people dying from this disease will keep rising. There are scientists who have been working on understanding the way HIV works, but they need to carry out more tests with properly set up research laboratories to complete their research. For this to be possible, we need dedicated research funding and a coordinated task force.
It is time to rethink our priorities and take the right decisions. We can save the lives of millions of HIV patients all over the world, and put an end to this deadly virus, if we work on a cure with proper research funding. This is both a call for help and activism: there is no time to waste, we cannot accept to be the passive witnesses of this global massacre.
Contact:
Alain Lafeuillade MD, PhD, Chief Department of Infectious Diseases, General Hospital, Toulon, France Chair of the International Workshop on HIV Persistence, Reservoirs & Eradication Strategies; Ph: +33-4-94616340 ; http://www.hiv-eradication.org
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