Researchers' offices raided over banned AIDS drug

South Africa's drug regulatory authority, the Medicines Control Council, has raided the offices and home of two researchers who developed a controversial drug, Virodene, to treat AIDS. They were looking for evidence of the sale and manufacture of Virodene, which has been banned.

Although nothing was found, the council has asked the police to investigate the possibility of laying charges against the developers. Virodene hit the headlines earlier this year as a cheap possible cure to AIDS (8 February, p 450). Its active ingredient is an industrial solvent known as P058. …