A.I.D.S. vaccine to take time

Press, 26 December 1987, Page 23

A.I.D.S. vaccine to take time

by

MELISSA SWEET

Dy »» X-*- A NZPA-AAP Sydney A vaccine for the -world’s cleverest virus” - probably would not be ■ *- developed before the end ~ of the decade, the - National A.I.D.S. task ' force’s chairman, Profes- ■- sor Tony Basten, has said. ! Professor Basten said a - recent international meeting to examine the latest developments in the fight - against A.I.D.S. had con- ' vinced him a vaccine for the virus was not near. Experts from the United States, Europe, Australia and the World Health Organisation (W.H.0.) attended the meeting in Washington, which was organised by the American National (•Academy of Science.

“More than $2OO million has been spent on research by biotechnology organisations in the United States alone but nothing to date has been shown to prevent infection with the A.I.D.S. virus, even in experimental animals.” he said. But Professor Basten said the enormous amount of research into A.I.D.S. had given scientists a great insight into the virus’s behaviour. “We now know a lot more about how devious the virus is and sooner or later that knowledge will lead to more anti-viral drugs like A.Z.T. or a vaccine,” he told reporters. “It is the cleverest virus which has ever infected mankind.”