The Shocking Truth about Studies: Scientists' Love/Hate Relationship with AZT

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1995. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

The Shocking Truth about Studies: Scientists' Love/Hate Relationship with AZT

Men's Fitness (11/95) Vol. 11, No. 11, P. 100
Gower, Timothy

It often seems as if scientific research "flip-flops," with studies contradicting each other for such reasons as flawed data or differences in scientific methodology. For example, a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the safety and efficacy of AZT was stopped early for ethical reasons in 1986 because the death rate in the placebo group was nearly 20 times greater than in those who received AZT. The results of the study led to the drug's 1987 approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in people with full-blown AIDS. However, the trial sparked controversy. John Lauritsen, author of "Poison by Prescription: the AZT Story," claimed that the Phase II AZT trials were rife with violations of protocol that influence the results. Nevertheless, the drug's reputation rebounded, supported by 1990 research by Paul A. Volberding, who concluded that AZT prolongs life in HIV- infected asymptomatic individuals. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, however, discovered that Volberding's study ignored the fact that AZT delayed disease progression by only about two weeks and that the people who took it experienced many unpleasant side effects. Overall, although AZT is still a popular choice for controlling HIV infection, it was recently further attacked by a British study which found that AZT delayed AIDS progression, but did not extend life.

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