Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2002; 7: 409
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has warned the distributors of the V-1 Immunitor pill not to exaggerate its effectiveness against HIV infections. The Salang Bunnag Foundation, which refers to the product as a vaccine, had distributed it free of charge to thousands of people, but controversy erupted because of advice to stop taking their prescribed drugs. The product is registered as a dietary supplement and cannot be legally marketed as a drug. One press report describes it as a mixture of calcium, magnesium and a ‘crystal carrier’ said by its originator to ‘contain a model of the HIV virus that conveys a message about the virus to immune cells’. Another report said that it contained HIV antigens from the blood of patients that had been heat-treated to render it safe. As demand for the product rose, the Foundation launched a commercial company, Immunitor Corporation, which now charges $20–30 for a month’s supply, although some people reportedly still get it free. The manufacturer claims that short-term studies have shown positive results, but the Medical Council has concluded that V-1 Immunitor is not effective.
