RFI: References of African antiretroviral research efforts
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Does anyone know of papers describing the effect and/or side-effects
of the antiretroviral agent MM-1 (vide infra)? I would appreciate
references of other antiretroviral agents that were discovered as
part of African based university research efforts during the last two
decades.
Christian Labadie, MS
mailto:CLabadie@t-online.de
http://nucwww.chem.sunysb.edu/prevges
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Source: http://aids.org/immunet/atn.nsf/page/a-057-03
Article: MM-1: Secret Drug Tested in Egypt and Zaire
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS No. 057 - May 20, 1988
by John S. James
MM-1 is an antiviral drug developed and tested by a team of physi-
cians in Egypt and Zaire. Several hundred people so far have received
the drug, which is given as a series of 20 intramuscular injections
over several weeks, and the results from several dozen persons have
been reported.
The developers have made impressive claims for efficacy, and wide-
spread news reports have generated much interest. But "MM-1" is only
a code name; the developers have not revealed what the substance is.
Therefore other physicians and scientists have been unable to evalu-
ate the treatment. Most observers have kept a healthy skepticism,
while agreeing that MM-1 is certainly worth a closer look.
The Claims
A one-page report from four physicians (reference below) outlined re-
sults of a test with 49 patients. MM-1 was given as one intramuscular
injection every other day for 10 injections, followed by one every
third day for the remaining 10.
No side effects were reported. Nine of the 49 patients died, mostly
from advanced opportunistic diseases, which they had before beginning
treatment. The other 40 "were considered as cured and are conducting
a normal life since completion of the treatment six to 10 months ago.
Meanwhile, all of the 40 control patients died during the first six
months."
Other Published Information
Wire-service reports published in newspapers last Fall quoted one of
the physicians who developed MM-1 as saying the drug is inexpensive,
and should cost about $10. per injection. The developers have not re-
vealed what the code name "MM-1" stands for. Rumors in Zaire were
that the abbreviation stood for "Mobutu-Mubarak-1", named after the
leaders of Zaire and Egypt.
Unpublished Information
We heard the following from confidential sources which seem credible,
but is not well known to us. We have not been able to confirm this
information independently.
We have heard:
* That there is one side effect--a high fever, 102 to 103 degrees, 20
minutes after each injection.
* That the developers are so concerned about secrecy that patients
remain in a hospital throughout the treatment, lest someone get their
blood analyzed and learn what the chemical is.
* That the "cure" may not be permanent; no one knows how long it will
last. Apparently at least one person has received the treatment
twice.
Speculation
It is widely believed that MM-1 is a commonly available substance.
The reason for secrecy may be that the secret is all the developers
have to sell. The fact that the one alleged side effect--the fever--
was not reported in published material suggests that it might be an
important clue. It is even conceivable that the drug works by induc-
ing a fever. Perhaps the fever, or the body's reaction which produced
it, had a beneficial effect. This speculation is consistent with the
"honeymoon" period which often follows a first attack of pneumocys-
tis, which causes high fevers. Fevers induced by drugs could be ad-
justed and scheduled for optimum benefit, without the antigenic
stimulation and other disadvantages of fevers produced by a serious
disease. A number of experimental treatments for AIDS do in fact
cause fevers; could that be responsible in part for their benefit?
This possibility deserves a closer look.
Attempts To Learn More
NIAID (the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease) has
committees to seek AIDS drugs for testing. It sent a letter to one of
the African physicians, but had not heard back yet. The buyer's clubs
in New York and San Francisco raised the money to send a physician to
Africa, if such a trip will be productive. At least one U.S. health-
care worker has already traveled to either Egypt or Zaire to learn
more about MM-1. More information may be released at the Stockholm
AIDS conference, June 12-16.
References:
Z. Lurhuma, A. Shafik, M. Diese, and J. Wane. Role of MM- 1, an Anti-
viral Agent in the Treatment of Patients with AIDS. (This one-page
summary has the latest information we have seen.) An earlier article
with the same authors and title was published in The Egyptian Medical
Journal, Volume 4 Number 3, October 1987.
About Prof. Lurhuma:
http://www.monochrom.at/segal/iii.htm
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