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UNIBEN says Prof Ibeh did
not carry it along in his research and cannot authenticate his AIDS cure claim
The
University of Benin has disowned claims its researchers have found a cure for
HIV/AIDS, a day after one of its professors, Isaiah Ibeh, announced a new drug
which he said was capable of wiping out the virus from a patient in 30 days.
Mr. Ibeh, who
is the Dean of the School’s Basic Medical Sciences, said he has conducted
trials on five HIV patients, and the outcome showed the drug, Deconcuction X
(DX)–Liquid or Bioclean 11, has the potency to destroy the virus.
He said more
volunteers were undergoing treatment and that the efficacy of the medication, a
herbal product, has been reviewed by US Toxicologists.
But the
school’s Provost, College of Medical Science, Vincent Iyawe, said on Wednesday
the school was not “consulted’ or “carried along” in the research, and said
protocols for such studies were also not followed.
“The school
will like to take credit for a breakthrough, but the school cannot align with
the breakthrough because the university college was not consulted and the
university was not consulted, Mr. Iyawe, a professor, was quoted as saying.
He said the
findings needed to be presented to the federal ministry of health and exposed
to more comprehensive clinical trials.
“We are going
to take it (drug) to the clinical laboratory; we are going to take it to the
Federal Ministry of Health because they have a procedure there,” he said.
“We’ll probably take it to NAFDAC because it is a unit or department of
the ministry.
“We’ll take
it for clinical trial, and many things we’ll have to do before we can announce
that we discovered something. In fact, we have to take it to the
World Health Organization. So these are the things we are discussing.”
A full
statement conveying the university’s position will be issued later, officials
said.
But earlier
media reports quoted a spokesperson for the school as admitting knowledge of
the success of the new drug.
Many had
welcomed Mr. Ibeh’s announcement that the drug developed by his team could cure
AIDS with guarded optimism, and outright rejection.
Critics
queried the depth of Mr. Ibeh’s trial, and why the work had not been properly
peer-reviewed and well exhibited before international experts and health
organizations, and listed in renowned scientific journals.
Mr. Iyawe,
the provost for medical sciences, said the clarification was to protect the
name of the institution, and Mr. Ibeh.
Later, Mr.
Ibeh told PREMIUM TIMES he was aware of the procedures and was willing to go
through them, partly faulting media reports for underplaying the aspect of his
remarks which made clear the work was inconclusive.
“Some of the
publications are not taking note of that,” he said. “What we said was that the
preliminary results are very encouraging. Some even mis-spelt sero.”
He said he
was still working to get “all answers to all questions”.
He said he
was satisfied with the position of the university and was confident he could
count on the support of the school. He said part of the work he did was funded
by the university.
“When we are
making the announcement, it will be in the name of the university and I will be
by the side,” he said.