HIV and AIDS: Questions of Scientific and Journalistic Responsibility

1 8

HIV AND AIDS

After he spoke out clearly challenging the dogma about HIV being "the
cause of AIDS", and supporting the drug hypothesis, he lost his grants.
In 1992 he applied to the Department of Public Health for funding for
experiments to test the drug hypothesis on animals (for instance, "feed
poppers to mice" as he once said in picturesque language).
Duesberg's application was supported by the editor of Science, Daniel
Koshland, who wrote to the Study Section of the National Institute on
Drug Abuse to urge the funding (26 August 1993), stating in part: "As an
observer, I have in the past been critical of Duesberg for not suggesting
experiments to resolve this controversy. However, he has now
answered my call with a proposal to test the role of nitrite inhalants as
a cofactor in AIDS...Duesberg's proposal is a specific, workable one
that will be done in collaboration with an inhalation toxicologist at
the University of California, Davis. I believe this research would add
much to our understanding of AIDS, and I have told Duesberg that I
would consider such data important material for readers of Science if it
develops appropriately." In fact, Koshland iterated his support for
funding Duesberg's experiments a year later, in a letter dated 24 August
1994.
Duesberg was not funded. He received a notice stating (13 December
1993): "The Initial Review Group (IRG) has recommended that NO
FURTHER CONSIDERATION BE GIVEN TO THIS APPLICATION.
[Capital letters in the original.] Applications so designated cannot be
funded in their current form; therefore they are not routinely scheduled
for second-level review by the National Advisory Council/Board..."
(See my essay "To fund or not to fund..." for details.) Science did not
report on the situation, despite the interest expressed by its editor.
A Meeting sponsored by NIDA; report in Biotechnology.
On 23 and 24 May 1994, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA,
Rockville MD) sponsored a meeting on the toxic effects of nitrite
inhalants. This meeting was not covered by Science and the New York
Times, for example. The 12 August 1994 issue of Biotechnology reported
on this meeting under the headline: "NIH reconsiders nitrites' link to
AIDS". A displayed conclusion of the article stated: "A consensus is
developing that the connection between nitrites and AIDS goes beyond
their promoting of HIV transmission and that understanding nitrite
toxicity should be a priority of AIDS research."