This Thursday, drug maker Suven Life Sciences entered into a collaboration with US-based Minnesota University to develop new therapies to treat the life threatening disease Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1).
According to Suven Life Sciences, the company will co-operate in a research and test programme to explore clinical efficiency and make available to patients, under safe conditions, certain naturally occurring substances that are believed to have therapeutic value for HIV-1.
“HIV is a retrovirus that can lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It is estimated that 0.6 per cent of global population is infected with HIV, mainly in Africa and Indian sub-continent and the current antiretroviral therapy is not only costly, but also not accessible to many parts of the world,” Suven Life Sciences CEO Venkat Jasti said.
He said there is a desperate need worldwide for additional therapies to treat HIV-1 cost efficiently. “This collaboration would help us develop drugs to meet this requirement by using natural resources,” Jasti added.