Medicine Men

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Medicine Men

Advocate (12/24/96) No. 723, P. 31
Gallagher, John

Abstract: The biotech company CytoDyn has produced a new HIV therapy called Cytolin. The company is dedicated primarily to treating HIV; financial concerns are secondary. Unlike any other HIV therapy, Cytolin is an antibody designed to bolster the immune system. Allen D. Allen, the Los Angeles physicist who developed the idea for Cytolin, explains that the drug is designed to block the region of the CD8 cell that is responsible for killing the body's infection-fighting CD4 cells. CytoDyn medical director David Hart says, "Most researchers and doctors practicing HIV medicine believe we will never poison the virus out of existence," but he notes that by targeting the mechanism that destroys the immune system, anti-viral treatments could be more effective. The Food and Drug Administration approved a preliminary clinical trial of the drug in October, and if it is successful, Cytolin could be on the market in two years.

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