P.M. BRIEFING : Japanese Testing AIDS Drug
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TOKYO — A Japanese consortium said today it has developed an agent that may be useful in destroying cells infected by the AIDS virus.
In test-tube experiments, the agent destroyed 90% of cells infected by the acquired immune deficiency syndrome virus, said a spokesman for Sumitomo Chemical, one of the partners in the consortium.
The other partners are soft-drink maker Calpis Food Industry and Hokkaido University.
The agent is composed of ribosome, made from phosphorus liptide and cholesterol, and a peptide of the protein film CD4.
A scientist at Hokkaido University said the agent was designed to destroy only AIDS-infected cells and would not affect normal cells.
Sumitomo is in charge of further development and hopes to start clinical tests in the United States within the year, the spokesman said.
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