Owensboro HIV Prevention Drug

A Kentucky crop used to feed a worldwide addiction may soon help prevent a worldwide epidemic. A protein from the tobacco leaf could be the key ingredient in an HIV prevention drug for women, and the technology is only found in Owensboro, Kentucky. To the average person, a few lab stations, plants in a greenhouse, and an unknown chemical in a jar may not mean much, but to scientists like those at Kentucky Bioprocessing, inside this small jar could be a half a million doses of an HIV preventative solution using the protein Griffithsin found in tobacco leaves. The Owensboro Cancer Research Programs Dr. Kenneth Palmer says this technology could save womens lives around the globe, "In many developing countries women dont have the power to negotiate whether their partner wears a condom or abstains...they need female-controlled intervention methods to protect themselves." The drug is a gel, to be used like a spermicide. Palmer says besides condoms, this may be the only other way to prevent sexually transmitted HIV, and they hope to find a way to produce a lot of it - as cheaply as possible. He says thats the glory of plant-based pharmaceutical, "We can plant acres and acres of greenhouses and farm fields, such as we know how to do in Kentucky." KBPs Hugh Hayden also says this breakthrough gives validation to Owensboros scientific community, "Its groundbreaking because it publicises the development of an important product, its also groundbreaking to have peer reviewed validation of a system we developed here. Palmer and his colleagues are also exploring turning the drug into a film -- dissolving quickly and being less obvious to the womans partner. Scientists say, in preliminary tests the drug has not caused any inflammation in animal subjects nor in human cervical tissue grown in the lab. Researchers say its likely the drug will be into phase one clinical trials within the next few months.