Chinese herb may
fight HIV

A common Chinese herb may be useful in treating HIV, say scientists at Panacos Pharmaceuticals, The Boston Globe reports. The herb, syzigium claviflorum, is commonly used in Taiwan to treat diarrhea and promote blood clotting. Panacos is developing it as a potential anti-HIV drug called bevirimat, which aims to interfere with maturation step in HIV's replication process, in which new copies of HIV are packaged and released into the bloodstream. Bevirimat hampers the assembly of viral copies, leaving resulting viruses unable to infect other human cells. Studies have shown that bevirimat can reduce HIV viral levels in the blood by as much as 90%. The drug is currently in early stage human trials. Panacos officials say it will be at least three years before bevirimat receives Food and Drug Administration approval. (The Advocate)