AIDS drug performs well in early test
By Nathan Seppa
A new drug that showed potential in laboratory tests against AIDS-causing human immunodeficiency virus has cleared another hurdle.
Researchers gave 63 HIV-infected patients, averaging 42 years of age, one or two daily injections of the drug called T-1249 for 2 weeks. One participant showed an allergic reaction and another developed a drop in the number of white blood cells called neutrophils. When researchers polled 45 of the patients regarding side effects, three-fourths reported having at least one. Most were minor, however, including rashes, mouth ulcers, and irritation at the site of injection.