By Pennapa Hongthong
The Nation
Published on May 23, 2008
Develops test for anti-retroviral medicine that can be fatal to some
Thailand is a step closer to its dream of becoming the regional hub for life sciences as a project to develop a device for the detection of genetic traits responsible for certain reactions to an anti-retroviral drug used in the treatment of Aids is on the brink of success.
Ramathibodi Hospital associate professor Wasun Chantratita, who also heads the Thailand Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences' (TCELS) Pharmacogenomics Project, said he and his team had succeeded in identifying genetic traits that react to Nevirapine, a common first-line anti-retroviral drug prescribed for people living with HIV/Aids. It is now in the process of developing an instrument to detect these traits from patients' blood samples.
He said Labchips, which will be used as diagnosis test kits, and an instrument to read and interpret the result of the chip, are now under development at the Riken SNP Research Centre in Japan - one of the three collaborators. The other two are TCELS and Ramathibodi Hospital.
As recommended by the World Health Organisation, Nevirapine is widely used across the world as the first-line drug for Aids patients. There are approximately seven million people who need this drug. Unfortunately, about 20 per cent of patients who received the drug have developed adverse reactions and in some cases, the drug has proved fatal. Some patients did not respond to the drug at all.
"If successful, the project would benefit countries as well as patients because we can ascertain how patients will respond to the drug beforehand. Thus, they can take another drug without taking the risk of taking Nevirapine," he said.
In Thailand, there are about 70,000 people who have used Nevirapine, one of the three ingredients in GPO-VIR, a cocktail of anti-retroviral drugs developed and manufactured by the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation and sold in Thailand and its neighbouring countries at a cheap price.
Wasun said the National Health Security Office - which is responsible for the free distribution of the Aids drug - would be able to save a lot of money because the technology would help in decreasing chances of HIV patients becoming resistant to the drug.
Since this would be the world's first such test kit, Wasun expects it to be sold in the global market, especially to developing countries.
Aids Access manager Nimitr Thien-udom said such a product would save the lives of people who are allergic to the drug. Aids Access is a non-governmental organisation which works with HIV/Aids patients.
The progress of the project will be presented at TCELS Days, an event organised from May 28 to May 30 to commemorate three years of TCELS.
Set up in 2004 as an arm of the Office of Knowledge Management and Development, TCELS has tried to take Thailand to the forefront of the global life-science industry.
At a glance
n TCELS' team has succeeded in identifying genetic traits that react to Nevirapine, a common Aids first-line anti-retroviral drug.
n The test kits and an instrument to interpret the results are now under development at the Riken SNP Research Centre in Japan.
n This would be the world's first such kit and is expected to be sold in the global market, especially to developing countries.
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The Nation
Published on May 23, 2008
Develops test for anti-retroviral medicine that can be fatal to some
Thailand is a step closer to its dream of becoming the regional hub for life sciences as a project to develop a device for the detection of genetic traits responsible for certain reactions to an anti-retroviral drug used in the treatment of Aids is on the brink of success.
Ramathibodi Hospital associate professor Wasun Chantratita, who also heads the Thailand Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences' (TCELS) Pharmacogenomics Project, said he and his team had succeeded in identifying genetic traits that react to Nevirapine, a common first-line anti-retroviral drug prescribed for people living with HIV/Aids. It is now in the process of developing an instrument to detect these traits from patients' blood samples.
He said Labchips, which will be used as diagnosis test kits, and an instrument to read and interpret the result of the chip, are now under development at the Riken SNP Research Centre in Japan - one of the three collaborators. The other two are TCELS and Ramathibodi Hospital.
As recommended by the World Health Organisation, Nevirapine is widely used across the world as the first-line drug for Aids patients. There are approximately seven million people who need this drug. Unfortunately, about 20 per cent of patients who received the drug have developed adverse reactions and in some cases, the drug has proved fatal. Some patients did not respond to the drug at all.
"If successful, the project would benefit countries as well as patients because we can ascertain how patients will respond to the drug beforehand. Thus, they can take another drug without taking the risk of taking Nevirapine," he said.
In Thailand, there are about 70,000 people who have used Nevirapine, one of the three ingredients in GPO-VIR, a cocktail of anti-retroviral drugs developed and manufactured by the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation and sold in Thailand and its neighbouring countries at a cheap price.
Wasun said the National Health Security Office - which is responsible for the free distribution of the Aids drug - would be able to save a lot of money because the technology would help in decreasing chances of HIV patients becoming resistant to the drug.
Since this would be the world's first such test kit, Wasun expects it to be sold in the global market, especially to developing countries.
Aids Access manager Nimitr Thien-udom said such a product would save the lives of people who are allergic to the drug. Aids Access is a non-governmental organisation which works with HIV/Aids patients.
The progress of the project will be presented at TCELS Days, an event organised from May 28 to May 30 to commemorate three years of TCELS.
Set up in 2004 as an arm of the Office of Knowledge Management and Development, TCELS has tried to take Thailand to the forefront of the global life-science industry.
At a glance
n TCELS' team has succeeded in identifying genetic traits that react to Nevirapine, a common Aids first-line anti-retroviral drug.
n The test kits and an instrument to interpret the results are now under development at the Riken SNP Research Centre in Japan.
n This would be the world's first such kit and is expected to be sold in the global market, especially to developing countries.
Discuss
Add this link to...
Tell a friend
Bury
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