X-Message-Number: 9966 Date: Thu, 02 Jul 1998 20:18:51 -0400 From: Jan Coetzee <> Subject: Virodene July 2, 1998 Virodene phase-1 protocol submitted to MCC Afrikaans Thalyta Swanepoel Johannesburg - Earlier this week the Virodene PO58 researchers submitted a protocol for phase 1-studies on healthy volunteers to the Medicines Control Council (MCC). If the board approves the protocol, the process has been set in motion to test the remedy on people who are HIV positive. Larry Heidebrecht, spokesperson for Virodene Pharmaceutical Holdings (VPH), did not want to pass any further comment on Thursday, apart from confirming that the protocol had been submitted. He could not say when the MCC would consider it. Dr Helen Rees, Chairperson of the Board, was not available for comment on Thursday. The board's next meeting will be on July 23 and 24. Rees had earlier said that the MCC has to decide within approximately three months whether there is sufficient scientific proof that Virodene works. The remedy has to be tested on healthy people first to determine its capacity of absorption, and whether any toxins are visible. This is normal practice for any clinical test. A method for the detection of Virodene in the bloodstream has still to be finalised. VPH was established after a huge consortium of black businessmen, businesses and other investors bought out the majority share for R20 million in Cryoperservation Technologies, the closed corporation which owns Virodene. Joshua Nxumalo, Interim Manager of VPH, earlier said he has a lot of confidence in the researchers and was certain the remedy would be on the market shortly. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=9966