Greater control over Virodene is behind the=20 premature interest of the Cabinet in the=20 Aids drug, writes Marion Edmunds =20
THE government is eyeing a direct financial=20 stake in “Aids wonder drug” Virodene to=20 guarantee it a say in its development,=20 production and sales.
Cabinet insiders told the Mail & Guardian=20 this week that it would be better for=20 government to “own” the drug so it could be=20 used cheaply and quickly in state=20 hospitals, rather than to allow=20 pharmaceutical companies to develop it=20 overseas for sale at a high price. The=20 Trade and Industry Department, which offers=20 funding for such projects, received the=20 Virodene dossier this week.
The government’s interest in a financial=20 stake may go some way to explain why the=20 discovery of the compound was kept secret=20 until the Cabinet briefing last week. The=20 medical and scientific community have=20 expressed outrage that ministers were=20 briefed on the discovery before it was=20 submitted to the science world for peer=20 review.=20
When asked if government was considering=20 signing a contract with scientists,=20 President Nelson Mandela’s spokesman Parks=20 Mankahlana, said: “The government is=20 awaiting the outcome of the investigation=20 into procdure and ethical questions, and in=20 the event of these being cleared up would=20 wish to give the neccessary encouragement=20 to deserving efforts at combating HIV and=20 Aids.”
Mankahlana said it was premature to=20 speculate under what sort of conditions=20 “encouragement” would be given.
Numerous scientific and ethical questions=20 about Virodene remained unanswered this=20 week as medical researchers and analysts=20 battled to explain Cabinet’s premature=20 interest in the drug, and the secrecy=20 surrounding the trumpeted breakthrough by=20 Pretoria University scientists, Professor=20 Pieter du Plessis, Olga Visser and Dr=20 Callie Landauer.
Certainly Health Minister Nkosazana Zuma=20 did not consult senior officials in her=20 department. The department’s chief director=20 of research Dr Mohammed Jeenah said he had=20 not been consulted.=20
The head of the department’s HIV/Sexually=20 Transmitted Directorate, Rose Smart, was=20 only briefed on the matter this week. =20
Zuma has gagged her department and the=20 Institute of Virology, and all queries have=20 been directed to her empty office. She is=20 currently in Cuba.
Meanwhile, the Virodene dossier has been=20 handed to the Department of Trade and=20 Industry, which is showing an interest in=20 funding further research.
Alan Hirsch, the chief director of=20 industrial and development technology=20 strategy, said it was possible that Cryo- Preservations Technologies would apply for=20 funding through a programme called Support=20 for Industrial Innovation (SPII). He said=20 SPII released funds for product development=20 which would benefit the nation. Under this=20 scheme, funding is given with certain=20 strings attached to ensure its benefits are=20 not lost to the nation.
“It’s not so much that government owns the=20 product, but, in the case of Virodene, it=20 would be about making it available cheaply=20 and quickly to state hospitals,” he said.=20 “The idea is to develop the product=20 locally. Government might support the=20 company if the product is proved to be=20 effective, by investing in it, probably=20 through a government investment=20 corporation.”
Cryo-Preservation’s newly-appointed=20 American public relations officer Larry=20 Heidebrecht said the group had not “at this=20 time” applied for the SPII funding. He said=20 the company had not approached the Medical=20 Research Council for funding as the company=20 was a ” private research foundation”.
He declined to comment on whether the=20 company had signed any contract or=20 agreement with the government.=20
He said Cryo-Preservation Technologies’=20 four board members were Professor Dirk Du=20 Plessis, Dr Callie Landauer, Olga Visser=20 and her husband Ziggy.
According to McGregor Information Services,=20 the company – which owns the Virodene=20 patent – was only registered in the past=20 two weeks.