INTERNATIONAL researcher and co-discoverer of HIV Dr Robert Gallo says less money is being spent on researching the disease, with the advent of Antiretroviral (ARV) medication.

“There is not enough money for basic research anymore,” Dr Gallo told the Observer following a public lecture at the Hilton Kingston Hotel on Monday.

Citing an example, Dr Gallo, director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland, said five years ago 28 per cent of the grant for basic HIV research was pooled by the National Institute in Maryland, but today that figure has declined to eight per cent.

“This is definitely a huge drop, so it is not as much funding for research in AIDS anymore although they claim so,” he said.

Dr Gallo said while it was imperative that ARV therapy get to persons so they can live longer normal lives, there was another side to take into consideration. “Because of the success of therapy, there has been less urgency about AIDS research and fewer inroads to compare,” he said.

He added that if HIV was not kept up with through research, it could mutate and get enough circulating drug resistance viruses. “The other effect is that there will be inadequate basic research for preventative vaccine because less money is made available for research,” he said.

In the meantime, Dr Gallo said before a cure for HIV could be identified, a successful vaccine to prevent infection of the virus must be found.

“I believe the vaccine will come first and then we will get rid of the virus sooner or later,” he said, but added that people infected would have to remain under therapy “for as long as I can see in the future”.

As for a near breakthrough in finding the “right vaccine”, Dr Gallo urged caution in the use of words, telling the Observer that while he was not “very confident”, he believed that in the last six years researchers have had a much greater understanding of the detail of how HIV enters the cell.

“I believe such information is critical for a successful preventative vaccine to prevent HIV infection so based on the new information and some things I have seen around the institute in the past few years I remain quite hopeful,” he said.

But he said it would be premature to put a timeline on when the world could see a breakthrough vaccine.

Dr Gallo said there was always a need for new drugs as people became resistant to those available. This he admitted is not a problem as newer drugs are being manufactured to keep up with the virus.

These drugs, he explained have to be taken correctly so as to prevent serious side effects or reactive drug resistance. As such he said HIV infected persons should always be treated by specialist and not just any physician.

He also told the Observer that all ARV therapy should be regionally evidenced based. “What this means is that what is best for Kingston may not be best for some rural areas in Nigeria because the strain of the virus is different,” he said.

Dr Henry Lowe, chairman of the Environmental Health Foundation, which organised Dr Gallo’s visit to Jamaica, said the visit should provide a boost for plans to establish a state-of-the-art Institute of Virology at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies.

“We are hoping that some Jamaicans will be able to come to the Institute (in Maryland) for training purposes and that will allow us to work together and make some publication. because when you publish together it is visible proof that you are working together and then you can apply for grants,” Dr Gallo said.