John, there are several points I would like to make. Please comment.
1. The treatments for AIDS have progressed much faster than those for most other diseases, if not all, during the past. AIDS is becoming managable, though not eracticated. Few, if any, viral infection can be eracticated. Most of us live a normal life carrying certain virus. As the current progress continues, we might actually see that happens in not so long a future.
2. The development of HIV drug resistance to Viracept might be slower & more difficult than other drugs:
(a). The drug was designed as a 'fit' inside the 'active pocket' of the protease. In tech term, it does not interact with a specific amino acid. The individual amino mutates easily, but the 3D-structure & chemical interactions of the pocket must remain stable in order to function normal. Still the pocket as a whole might change, but that requires a change on its substrate (HIV coat protein) too . Combinatorial changes required in this case make resistance development difficult comparing to AZT, even though not impossible.
(b). The rate of mutation (random mistakes in DNA synthesis) is totally dependent on the rate of viral-replication, quiescent HIV can't mutate.
3. AGPH is not a 'biotech' co as the the 1st post of this thread claimed., but a classical pharm (develops small/synthetic drugs). So it should be compared to Merck, Pfizer, Glaxo etc. Its success has been very closely observed & studied in other small pharms. As a biologist in drug development in one of this little guys, I hope them keeping on.
Best regards/james |
