Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia, Inc. - 9 July 1996
Paul Eckert / Reuters
"We must move pharmaceutical firms in the direction of developing useful products for the world -- in the manner which Japanese electronics companies have done," Naoto Kan, minister of health and welfare, told a news conference.
"Japanese pharmaceutical firms do not have the adequate capacity to develop AIDS drugs," he said.
Kan earlier this year played a pivotal role in forcing his ministry to accept responsibility for a tainted blood scandal that infected some 1,800 hemophiliacs with the HIV virus, which can cause AIDS.
Kan spoke as the 11th International Conference on AIDS in Vancouver projected that by the turn of the century, about 44 million people will fall victim to the HIV virus, up from an estimated 21.8 million currently.
The Health Ministry estimates the number of HIV and AIDS patients in Japan at just under 5,000.
Kan sparked controversy in February when he broke his country's bureaucratic code of silence and admitted his ministry was at fault in a 1980s tainted blood scandal.
Although resented as a troublemaker by the bureaucracy and drug companies affected by the scandal, the lifetime political activist gained fame as a rare example of an elected politician taking control of a ministry.
Kan led an investigation that found documents that showed the ministry responsible for letting drug companies sell HIV-tainted blood products in the 1980s, even after the dangers of untreated blood products had begun to be reported in the United States.
He apologized to hemophiliacs, some 1,800 of whom were infected with the HIV virus through unheated blood products. About 400 of those patients have died, activists say.
Kan's move cleared the way for an out-of-court settlement to a seven-year-old legal battle between victims and the state and five pharmaceutical firms that sold the tainted products.
960709
RE960765
Copyright © 1996 - Reuters, Ltd. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Contact Reuters.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1996. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1996. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .