HIV drug may prevent cancer

Tuesday February 18th, 2014

A drug used to treat HIV could also be used to protect women from developing cervical cancer, researchers have revealed.

This is because the HIV drug can also eliminate the cancer-causing human papillomavirus, HPV, researchers have found.

The possibility of using the HIV drug, lopinavir, has emerged from a study in Nairobi, Kenya.

Researchers say a short course of the drug led to a large number of women being cleared of infection with HPV.

The study also found that most of the women were cleared of pre-cancerous cervical disease - with smears finding no evidence of concern.

The treatment was given to 40 women, of whom 23 had high-grade disease - and out of these 23, 19 had returned to normal three months after treatment.

The women took a capsule of the drug twice a day for two weeks.

Researchers Drs Ian and Lynne Hampson, from Manchester University, UK, are due to present their findings at two international conferences.

Ian Hampson said: “For an early stage clinical trial the results have exceeded our expectations. We have seen women with high-grade disease revert to a normal healthy cervix within a comparatively short period of time.

“It is our hope that this treatment has the potential to revolutionise the management of this disease most particularly in developing nations such as Kenya."

Tags: Africa | Cancer | Flu & Viruses | UK News | Women's Health & Gynaecology

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