GeoVax Labs Inc (GOVX)

[olico ™]

RE: GOVX

Our Opinion: Emory Steps Up the Fight
By The Emory Wheel
Posted: 12/06/2007

The respective stories of AIDS and Emory have been intertwined since the beginning. A narrative of the disease’s development would reference characters from Emory at the introduction, when HIV was first discovered in 1981. As the tale continues, people associated with Emory would figure prominently in the discussion of treatments. Now we hope the University will also play a major role in writing an end to the saga.

Emory’s decades-old AIDS research program garnered international attention in 2005 when Emory sold the rights to a major new AIDS drug, Emtriva. This drug has led to a new medicine that allows AIDS patients to reduce the cocktail of drugs they must take every day to keep the infection at bay, alleviating the suffering of many living with the disease. Much of the royalties the University received from the sale of Emtriva have been reinvested into research efforts. These will hopefully result in even more treatments for those living with AIDS.

Meanwhile, another corps of researchers has been working tireless in search of the so-called holy grail of AIDS research — a vaccine that would prevent further spread of the disease. The quest for an AIDS vaccine is fraught with technological challenges. Work at Emory, spearheaded by Harriet Robinson of the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, has shown remarkable promise and entered the human trials testing phase in 2004.

The depth of Emory’s participation in the battle against a global killer is simultaneously sobering and exhilarating. It is sobering to consider the virulence of the disease and the devastating impact it has had and continues to have on people around the world. By now, the ravages of AIDS are well known, but still worth repeating. One out of every 300 people in America is living with HIV or AIDS, and one-fourth of those infected are unaware they are carrying what could be called the world’s deadliest virus. Across the Atlantic, an estimated 2 million people in sub-Saharan Africa died of AIDS in 2005. In addition to the human toll, the epidemic’s economic impact in developing countries is catastrophic. Studies have revealed that lower life expectancies due to AIDS are decreasing economic growth in African countries.

It’s exhilarating, however, to think that efforts by people at Emory could have a significant impact on a truly global and historic crisis. We applaud the University for the commitment it has shown to AIDS research through financial support, and we hope that commitment will continue until the battle against AIDS is won. This is an opportunity for Emory to do good in a great and global sense.

People associated with the University have already played tremendous roles in the unfolding story of the AIDS pandemic — how incredible would it be to see them craft a happy ending to the tale as well?

The above staff editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel’s Editorial Board.