Barry, how about>>> Reticulose: Wonder Drug? . . . Maybe Not!
Barron's (05/20/96) Vol. 126, No. 21, P. 24; Savitz, Eric J.
The recent release of a study showing the promise of Reticulose, an AIDS drug made by Advanced Viral Research, sparked investor interest in the company. Reticulose, Advanced Viral's only drug, has not been approved in any country, and the Food and Drug Administration has refused to let the drug be tested in human trials. The study found that Reticulose inhibited HIV replication in the laboratory and stimulated the production of gamma interferon. Although Advanced Viral is optimistic about the drug's potential, Reticulose has a problematic history. It was marketed in the 1940s as a treatment for a variety of illnesses but was banned in 1962 when new FDA laws required proof of a drug's efficacy not just its harmlessness. The FDA also rejected in 1984 the company's request to test the drug in AIDS patients. Other difficulties include two additional rejected bids for human trials in 1992 and 1995 and a Securities and Exchange Commission civil suit alleging that unrealistic claims were made about the drug. A distributor in the Cayman Islands currently markets the treatment on the Internet, claiming the drug is effective against a range of infectious diseases, including AIDS, but AIDS experts remain skeptical of Reticulose's potential. |
