12/19/2004
First Bush, then Sharpton, now Jackson?
The NIH has released for use in Africa Nevirapine, an AIDS drug that failed to pass US standards. Reverend Jackson in his attempt to remind people that even clocks set to military time are right every once in a while has decried this as further marginalization of Africa. Among the problems with the drug's release are:
• The reports that allowed it be released at all were doctored.
• The drug itself has high instances of death.
• It can interfere with other drugs causing them to be processed to fast by the liver.
• Liver problems.
This does not sound like a reasonable drug especially not given that Africa has most of the worlds AIDS cases.