Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - March 2, 2002
Anjira Assavanonda
Deputy Health Minister Surapong Suebwonglee said yesterday if it is proven that the product's Aids-fighting abilities have been exaggerated, the ministry would be left with no choice but to take legal action against its distributors.
The pill producers, widely criticised for trying to boost their free handouts through advertisements, are also being strongly opposed by NGOs who believe Aids sufferers could become guinea pigs of the unresearched product.
The Medical Council recently ruled that V-1 Immunitor was not an effective treatment for HIV/Aids.
The deputy minister insisted that so far there has been no scientific research to prove that V-1 Immunitor could even reduce the virus load in the blood.
Those who have been consuming the V-1 should be aware that the product can only serve as a food supplement. Aids patients suffering from other diseases are still required to take appropriate medicines as V-1 Immunitor alone cannot be effective against these diseases, he said.
Regarding further research of the product, Dr Surapong said it is up to its inventor to make proposals to the national research committee.
He explained that in principle, the research must comprise basic and clinical studies, physical examination as well as blood testing of volunteers.
If a product's qualities are exaggerated without a proper supportive study, it can cause more harm than good to consumers, he said.
What the government is most concerned about, said Dr Surapong, was that patients might quit using the anti-retroviral drugs after taking the V-1 Immunitor.
If the patients considered V-1 as a food supplement without quitting their on-going HIV treatment, that would be all right, he said.
Dr Surapong vowed that the Public Health Ministry would never allow any manufacturers to exaggerate the qualities of their products, including V-1 Immunitor.
They would face legal action by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) if they did so.
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