Doesn't it seem like this whole cure for AIDS thing should have been a bigger deal?

[joephant]

http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/news/2...ews-conference

I spoke to a bunch of people who had never even seen this story, which is crazy I think. I grew up in the early 90's, and I remember them telling us in like 4th grade to use condoms cause we were all so petrified of Aids.

[aprilian]

I think the circumstances of this guys case are pretty unique. It would be irresponsible for anyone to go around say they have the cure for AIDS based on this outcome.

[LibertyHarkness]

Money .... all the time their vast amounts of money for the pharms to make from treatments you wont see a cure/vaccination etc for a long time ...

[Prospero]

Money .... all the time their vast amounts of money for the pharms to make from treatments you wont see a cure/vaccination etc for a long time ...

There speaks a cynic. But I think she is right.

[BigDF]

There speaks a cynic. But I think she is right.

I know she is right, at least here in the US. If Big Pharm can't make money on it, then no cure. Also in the US there is little tolerance for saving victims of a disease that most associate with homosexuality.

[danthepoetman]

There speaks a cynic. But I think she is right.

I don’t. As much as I respect your opinion, Prospero, and as much as I love Libby, in body and wit, I think they will find a vaccine (not a cure), they will circumscribe the disease and eradicate it. Yes, it will cost a lot of dough and we will be the ones to pay, but they will make much more money by making everybody pay, which is what they will do by instituting state programs when they get the vaccine. It won’t be the first time modern medicine eradicate a wide spread disease, and it won’t be the last. Let’s not give in this actual tendency to mistrust medicine and research: it’s still the best warrant of our well being, whatever way we possibly can look at it.

[LibertyHarkness]

nahhh they make millions from retrovial treatments ...once your viral load is undectable you will live a normal life basically and they also claim people are living into old age with it ...

i think the vacines will come over a staggered approach .. or perhaps they will price the vaccine at an extremely high cost as an opt in ....

who knows .. personally all governments are init for money ..having sick people makes money , lots of money ...

[danthepoetman]

We do have the feeling that researches have slowed, ever since they’ve found the right formula for people to live on. But in most western countries, it’s the State that ultimately pays for such medication. I don’t know how long it will last until they pressure themselves the pharmaceuticals to get rid of the problem. Besides, everywhere the medical bill is becoming overwhelming. Will they tolerate such a thing for much longer?
Then again, how much influence can they exert? I don’t know: maybe you’re right, Liberty…
Or maybe they will wait for the arrival of the next, great epidemic.

[Fancy fancy]

hence generics.....?

nahhh they make millions from retrovial treatments ...once your viral load is undectable you will live a normal life basically and they also claim people are living into old age with it ...

i think the vacines will come over a staggered approach .. or perhaps they will price the vaccine at an extremely high cost as an opt in ....

who knows .. personally all governments are init for money ..having sick people makes money , lots of money ...

[freedom]

on behalf of the physiologists, HIV is a tricky virus. But i can assure that there are many very active research programs looking for a cure. I know that "Big Pharma" does a lot of things that earn the public's ire but it is silly to say that they, as an industry, ignore "cures" in favour of "treatments".

Think about the millions of people with HIV, think about the fact that no one will pay for "treatment" when a "cure" becomes available. These pharma companies compete ferociously and the one who can patent cure will tear a huge hole in all the others.

As to the case cited, Aprilian is correct. We have seen a bunch of unique individuals who have fought off the infection and they have proven a very fertile source of research ideas. However, the "cure" is not here yet and may not be for 5, 10 or 20 years. Biol research is a tough bitch, but we are making important discoveries and personally i'd bet on 10 rather than 20 years.