Armenicum and anti HIV/AIDS drug

HIV-infection is a slowly but inevitably progressive immunodeficiency state developing in the result of the contamination with HIV-causative agent and leading to a number of fatal complications. The later clinically manifested stage is referred to as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

HIV-infection pandemy has left the borders of one country, one profession and even the medicine in whole within the last two decades. According to the assessments of the UNAIDS experts by the end of 2001, the statistical quantity of children and adults with HIV/AIDS will be 40 million (according to unofficial data - 150 million) among them 2.7 million are children and 17.6 million are women. Initiating unprecedented epidemic, the disease has been registered in more than 200 countries, 25million people have died. During the first months of the current year approximately 14000 new cases of HIV-infection were registered daily in the world, at that, more than 95% of which were registered in developing countries.

There is a serious risk in AIDS spreading in Armenia, too. As per the first of January 2004, 251 cases of HIV-infection were registered. 51 females and 3 children were among the registered HIV-infected patients.

Current HIV-infection treatment regimens include combination therapy with several antiretroviral drugs, administered orally, and last indefinitely long. Therapy monitoring first of all is based on the viral load (VL) parameters. To reach and keep VL non-detectable level isn't always possible. Moreover, there is a classification of therapeutic failure types. At last, HIV VL decrease up to non-detectable level is not accompanied with the inhibition of virus replication, causative agents of associated/opportunistic pathologies, and unfortunately does not suppose immune system normal functioning.

In compliance with the contemporary rules of clinical trials conduction, viral load, CD4+-T lymphocytes count, and patient's quality of life must be present among anti-HIV drugs efficacy criteria by all means.

By sponsorship of Mr. Levon Gevorgyan, Honorary Doctor of NAS of the RA, Head of "Armenicum" project, a creative scientific-research group at the head of academician Emil S. Gabrielyan, the scientific supervisor of "Armenicum" project, Director of Drugs and Medical Technologies Agency, was established in the Republic of Armenia with the aim of elaboration and study of a new antiviral drug which displays pronounced non-specific activity towards a wide spectrum of DNA- and RNA- containing viruses, including HIV1 and HIV 2.

In 1998 the drug "Armenicum" was elaborated and declared as a concentrate for intravenous infusion, possessing a wide spectrum of antiviral, antibacterial and immune-modulating activity and displaying pronounced activity towards HIV-infection.

The drug "Armenicum" is an iodine-lithium-organic polymers complex in water solution of electrolytes. Iodine exhibits bactericidal, fungicidal, protozoacidal and cysticidal activity. However, due to its high toxicity the spheres of iodine solutions usage are limited. Iodine, available in the molecules of bio- and synthetic polymers, both keeps and strengthens its anticeptic, antiviral and fungicidal properties completely. The complex of lithium-iodine-organic polymers provides the low toxicity, controlled diffusion of active components, prolongation of action systemic immune-modulating effect on the activation processes, differentiation, apoptosis and production of cytokines by lymphocytes and monocytes.