Indigenous AIDS vaccine in controversy:

[Guest guest]

Indigenous development of HIV/AIDS vaccine in controversy:

[Health India]: New Delhi, Feb 20 : A senior faculty of the

prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences here complains

that indigenous development of HIV/AIDS vaccine has been a casualty

of political " laziness " and red tape.

A fortnight after India tested on human volunteers HIV/AIDS vaccine

made abroad, the scientist claims the indigenous rDNA/rMVA vaccine -

made from select genetic sequences of HIV - was ready for clinical

trials in December 2003 itself.

" Government was promptly informed at that time. But nobody seems

interested in the clinical trials anymore, " Professor and Head,

Department of Microbiology at All India Institute of Medical Science

(AIIMS), Dr Pradeep Seth, said.

" Even after three high-powered committees had submitted their

reports to the authorities concerned, there has been complete

silence from the Government side on giving a green signal for phase

I clinical trials of the indigenously developed vaccine, " he said.

Seth's passion can be gauged from the fact that he tested the

vaccine on himself.

" I had tested the vaccine on myself for immune response and the

results were far better that I personally thought of, " he told PTI

ruing the current fate of the project with the potential to save

millions from the pandemic.

The Union Ministry of Science and Technology has spend about six

crore rupees on the project but now it seems to have slipped down in

the priority list, Seth, whose is retiring this April, added. PTI

http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?

action=fullnews & id=74954

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

This is not to comment anything about the controversy regarding red tape and

laziness. This is also not to comment anything upon the 'passion of the senior

resercher'.

I was just amazed at the mention of the fact that the researcher injected

himself with the 'vaccine'. Is it scientific? Is it not about 'a human trial'

without necessary ethical committee sanctions and clearences?

Was there not a 'case' of a crusader doing a trial on a vaccine in Mumbai and

then landing in trouble? Should there be not some discussion on these issues

too?

I am just commenting from the jist of the press note released and do not have

the complete details though.

Vinay Kulkarni

E-mail: <prayashealth@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

It is a fact that money moves the world and increasingly so in the

integration of the Indian economy with the global one that the powers

that be want to see happen. In that scheme of things it is often money

that becomes the determining factor in most things while the nurturance

that domestic talent needs falls on the wayside.

It would be really sad if what the report says turns out to be true, for

we all know that the 'foreign' vaccines when tested on Indian Guinea

pigs, also bring with it huge amounts of money that ultimately becomes

the factors that move the whole game. Even a part of that money is often

either willingly, or negligently, or by sheer lack of foresight is not

available for testing of indigenously developed vaccines, which have the

potential to cause another revolution with vaccines for HIV as happened

when Indian manufacturers started producing generic versions of ARVs,

making international prices crash and ARVs accessible to millions across

the globe.

If the allegations made in this article are true, NACO and the

Government of India has an obligation to answer why it neglected to

pursue this matter after spending so much effort and money on developing

it.

Aditya Bondyopadhyay

E-mail: <adit@...>