Three Jewish scientists are leading the development of a new drug that may provide hope for people with AIDS.
Professor Raymond Dwek, 47, of Oxford University’s Exeter College heads the Oxford Glycobiology Unit, which developed the drug, dubbed Oxaid.
Dr. Gary Jacob, 41, of New York, is director of the Searle support group, which works with the unit. The research is supported by Searle Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of the Monsanto Co.
The third scientist is Dr. Abraham Karpas, 51, who holds dual Israeli-British nationality and is assistant director of research at Cambridge University’s clinical school.
Karpas, a virologist, was the first person to identify the AIDS virus in Britain. He is testing the new compound.
Dwek explained that Oxaid works by altering the coating of the virus that causes AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, an invariably fatal disease. “In a test tube, it’s a cure,” he told the Jewish Chronicle.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
