Trials to find cure for HIV in final stage
By Sulok Tawie
stewie@nst.com.my
KUCHING: Sarawak and American scientists are in the final stage of conducting clinical trials on a compound from the Bintangor tree for the treatment of HIV, Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said yesterday.
The scientists have been conducting trials over the last 10 years in Seattle in the United States in a bid to find a medication for HIV/ AIDS.
They believe that the Calanolide compound could be the answer for the treatment of HIV, for which there is no cure yet.
The compound was extracted at the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) by the local scientists and sent for clinical trials in Seattle.
"The compound, if proven effective in curing HIV, will be a major discovery from Sarawak," Taib said at the opening of the centre's new administrative building at Km40, Jalan Penrissen, near here.
He, however, could not say when the compound could be finally distributed and commercially marketed worldwide.
Taib announced that the state government had set aside a piece of land in Bau district for the planting of Bintangor tree, and that RM10 million had been allocated to the centre for research purposes.
Any scientist from the centre who made discoveries on plant compounds that could cure illnesses would be given a share in the centre. The others who would be given the shares are research institutions that conduct clinical trials on the compounds and pharmaceutical companies which manufacture the compounds into medicines.
Taib also praised the centre for its Library of National Products, consisting of plants and microbes which had become the basis of screening for active compounds.
"Today, this library, which is supported by the state's legal and systematic approach to collaborative research work, has become the main attraction or draw for researchers and institutions to collaborate with SBC to screen for bioactive compounds."
With the setting up of the library, he added, the state had taken the initiative to enhance its own knowledge on indigenous biodiversity and its potentials, and to transform the discoveries into products by establishing partnerships with research institutions, biotech companies and local entrepreneurs.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan, meanwhile, said the centre was conducting research on a plant found in Ba'Kelalan that had the potential to be developed as an anti-cancer agent.
The plant, known as "segera" to the Iban and "kelabuno" to the Orang Ulu, contains a potent compound called silvestrol which has been patented worldwide by the Sarawak government, covering 16 countries.
"Silvestrol has drawn intense attention from a number of high-profile international research groups.
"For example, the National Cancer Institute in the United States, a leading agency in cancer research and clinical trials, has teamed up with the prestigious Ohio State University to work with SBC in conducting pre-clinical and clinical trials on silvestrol.
"Furthermore, there are several renowned universities and commercial companies enquiring on the availability of this compound," Dr Chan said at the event yesterday.
He added that the state government was reviewing future agreements, and once these collaborations take off, the biodiversity centre would be the main agency to coordinate the supply of this drug candidate.
Read more: Trials to find cure for HIV in final stage http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/09staw/Article#ixzz18FHSGtu8
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