Health Education AIDS Liaison, Toronto


A May 10th Toronto Star article on vaginal and rectal microbicides to prevent HIV transmission portrayed Dr. Mark Wainberg as an activist, but his interest in these products might actually be more capitalist. European patent EP910366A1 is for the "Use of Thiocarboxanilide derivatives for...preventing the transmission of HIV to uninfected cells and contraceptive compositions comprising the said derivatives" (http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?pn=EP00910366A1). This patent, and one related Canadian and three related US patents list Mark Wainberg as inventor.

As head of the International AIDS Society, Mark Wainberg is in a powerful position, able to influence HIV/AIDS policy around the world. There is nothing wrong with him owning patents or shares, but he should make his conflicts of interest public. It is especially troubling that he is anxious that governments and industry spend money developing products that he may be enriched from.

- David Crowe
President, Alberta Reappraising AIDS Society


P.S. Mark Wainberg's ownership of shares in AIDS-drug manufacturer 3TC can be verified at the Journal of the American Medical Association website (http://www.ama-assn.org/special/hiv/library/scan/nov98/hivcom38.htm), although he has not gone out of this way to ensure that this additional conflict of interest is well known.


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