Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - March 8, 2005
Supoj Wancharoen
Deputy city clerk Pitinan Natrujirote said the trial is to determine tenofovir's efficacy in preventing the spread of HIV.
The trial has been approved by the Public Health Ministry, he said. About 1,600 volunteers will be recruited for the three-year programme at Taksin Hospital.
The potential subjects are people who are vulnerable to contracting HIV, especially intravenous drug users, he said.
The BMA is considering recruiting inmates convicted of drug offences for the research programme, he said.
Mr Pitinan said the drug trial was proposed by the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) via the BMA's Aids vaccine research centre, chaired by Dr Khachit Choopanya.
He said the drug, produced by California-based Gilead Sciences, is being tested at various sites including in the United States and Africa.
"They plan to extend their research to Asia and have chosen Thailand for the programme," he said. The US would be solely responsible for expenses, while the BMA would supply personnel and facilities.
As of December last year, the number of people infected with HIV/Aids in Bangkok stood at 87,010.
The death toll from HIV/Aids from 1984 to the end of February, was 7,591 while 28,270 had developed symptoms.
The drug drew bad publicity last year when activists protested against its trial during the 15th World Aids Conference in Bangkok.
The Cambodian government previously allowed its trial among commercial sex workers.
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