HKU Researchers Have High Hopes For New HIV Drug

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong say they have come up with a new drug that could be used to treat HIV, and without the side effects of existing treatment.

They say the new drug, containing proteins similar to antibodies, has already proven to be effective in containing HIV viruses in mice.

In 42 percent of the mice tested, HIV viruses were completely eliminated after one injection, and no relapse was found in the next three months.

The study also found that one injection of the drug, called BiIA-SG, was able to prevent 100 percent of the mice from getting HIV for one week.

Professor Chen Zhiwei, the lead researcher and Director of the university's AIDS Institute, said they will next test the drug on larger animals.

He said if the new drug ultimately proves to be effective in humans, it may be a better alternative to the current cocktail therapy for treating HIV.

"Chemical drugs always lead to a lot of side effects, toxicity to our body's organs. But antibody drugs are relatively safe," Chen said.

"Another advantage is antibodies maintain a longer time in the body, we do not have to give the antibody drug very frequently. The current cocktail therapy is every day. You have to take it otherwise the virus will emerge very quickly in the body."