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Click here for Full Issue of EIR Volume 16, Number 9, February 24, 1989 Medicine John Grauerholz, M.D. New viruses resist antibiotics has been administered under a "com More and more strains we can't cope with are now arising in immunodepressed patients. passionate plea" protocol which al lows the use of unapproved drugs. Since it is apparently effective in pre venting otherwise certain blindness caused by CMV infection of the eye, As if the spread of HIV infection with virus reproduction while not af were not enough of a nightmare in it fecting normal cells. This is much When the FDA refused to approve self, it appears to be contributing to more of a problem with viruses, since commercial sales until a new clinical another major problem. This is the they utilize the metabolic machinery trial was completed, there was an out emergence of antibiotic resistance on of the cell itself to reproduce them pouring of protest by doctors and ad the part of other viruses which com selves, than with bacteria, which have vocates for AIDS patients. The FDA monly infect immunocompromised their own independent metabolic ma is now reconsidering its decision, but, individuals. These viruses, members chinery. ironically, it now appears that CMV no controlled studies have been done. of the herpesvirus family, were among One of the first successful antiviral is beating FDA to the punch and be the first viruses for which successful, drugs which could be given by mouth coming resistant to the drug even be and relatively non-toxic, antibiotics or by injection is acyclovir, which is fore it is approved. had been developed. effective against herpes simplex vi Researchers from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Portland, Oregon and the England Journal olMedicine contains ruses and Epstein-Barr virus. System ' ic acyclovir is effective in treating dis a series of articles reporting on the seminated HSV infections in immu Triangle Park, North Carolina, re development The Feb. 2, 1989 issue of the New Burroughs Wellcome Co. in Research three different patients in which antibiotic-resistant nosuppressed patients and has become ported strains of two common herpesviruses, the drug of choice for treating these CMV resistance to gancicyclovir ap cytomegalovirus (CMV) and herpes infections. pears to have arisen by three different of simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Of the It now appears that acyclovir-re mechanisms. "One patient was infect 16 patients reported in the three arti sistant strains of HSV are developing ed with a resistant virus, another was cles, 15 had AIDS and one was an among AIDS patients. Researchers infected with a susceptible virus that elderly female with lymphocytic leu from Boston and San Francisco de became resistant, and the third was kemia. scribe a 12 cases of severe ulcerations infected first by a susceptible strain of the mouth, anus, and fingers in and later by a genetically distinct, re Infection with cytomegalovirus is a major cause of disability and death AIDS patients, which failed to re among transplant recipients and AIDS spond to acyclovir and from which they sistant one. " Ironically, Foscamet, a drug de patients. Over 90% of AIDS patients were able to culture acyclovir-resist ant HSV-2. to be effective in treating at least some are infected with CMV and evidence veloped to treat HIV infection, seems cases of acyclovir resistant HSV. of widespread infection is present in Acyclovir is structurally similar to 93% of autopsies on AIDS patients. another drug known as gancicyclovir. As the HIV epidemic continues its CMV can produce severe disease of Gancicyclovir, which is presently not spread, we can look forward to more the brain, eyes, lungs, liver, stomach, on the commercial market, is an ex and more antibiotic-resistant viruses and other organs. perimental drug which is active against arising in immunodepressed patients. HSV-2 is the virus which causes cytomegalovirus. It appears to be ef Considering the mutability of HIV it genital herpes. It, too, is highly prev fective in treating CMV infections of self, it is only a matter of time before alent in AIDS patients, especially the eye and stomach, which are a sig AZT-resistant forms of HIV emerge, homosexuals, and causes recurrent in nificant cause of disability in AIDS if they haven't already. As long as we fections, which may produce exten patients. refuse to confront the reality of the sive and persistent ulcers of the geni tals or the mouth. Gancicyclovir is at the center of a biological holocaust which presently controversy over a Food and Drug surrounds us, we are going to continue The problem with developing an Administration decision to require to find out that the microbes are one tiviral drugs has always been finding further studies before approving the step, or more, ahead of our ability to a drug which specifically interferes drug for general distribution. The drug cope with them. EIR February 24, 1989 Economics © 1989 EIR News Service Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission strictly prohibited. 21