Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - May 28, 2001
Aphaluck Bhatiasevi and Anit Sanubboon
Surapong Suebwonglee, the deputy health minister, has ordered the Medical Science Department's director-general to ensure the pill is not being misused since it has been registered as a food supplement.
Further examination and medical information is needed before the ministry can decide whether or not to support production of these pills.
Dr Anupong Chitvarakorn, director of the Aids Division, said there were two matters of concern here. The first had to do with the clinic's work, and the Medical Council and Medical Registration Division must determine if what the clinic was doing was legally permitted.
The second concern was drug quality. Dr Anupong said the sub-committee on vaccines had earlier decided that the drug was merely a food supplement, not a vaccine, and if used for medical treatment, would miss its purpose.
He warned patients to be more careful with such treatment, as psychologically they may feel they are cured, but in the long-term their condition might not be any different.
Ban Bang Phakong clinic in eastern Chachoengsao province has, in the past week, attracted hundreds of Aids sufferers hoping for a miracle cure.
An HIV-infected couple who came from Sakon Nakhon said they have been taking V-1 pills from the clinic since 1998, and their latest HIV test had proved negative.
An American patient from San Francisco said he heard about the drug while on a visit to Bangkok. "I think I will stay longer in Thailand to see how the treatment turns out," he said.
Dr Montri Settabutr, who treats Aids patients at the clinic, said one problem was that the use of V-1 Immunitor pills had yet to be supported by the state, even though a large number of patients were awaiting treatment.
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