.:..:104--'------NEWS------N_A_I_l'_RI_·_v_o_J._](_14_14_Jt_·I_Y_I___c~x3 Hepatitis B vaccine fugation and chemical treatment (ending with formaldehyde), M. Prunet claims. Formaldehyde "denatures" nucleic acid, Pasteur Institute in AIDS fracas he says. Another, enzymatic test, detects ACQUIRED immune deficiency syndrome vaccine to be based in part on American reverse transcriptase, the signal for retro­ - AIDS - is raising strong emotions in plasma (3 per cent of the total), there was a viruses (like HTL V). So if AIDS is due to a France, particularly at the Institut Pasteur small lesion of the liver. Two French and virus with properties biologists under­ in Paris. The institute is still perhaps the one American expert concluded it was stand, the IPP process eliminates it, Prunet most prestigious institution in French "nonspecific" and the vaccine was says. If it is not, he has "no answer". But biology, so there was strong reaction there marketed (some to West Germany) with no case of AIDS has yet resulted from to the newspaper headline "Institut the approval of the French Ministry of IPP's use of the vaccine on over 10,000 pa­ Pasteur, sick with gay cancer'' (Liberation, Health, says M. Prunet of IPP. However, tients, and a follow-up study with the 27 June). The supposed problem was not there had been "some disagreement" (says similar Merck vaccine in the United States with the research institute itself, but with its Dr Netter) among the experts about the has shown it causes no incidence of AIDS independent commercial offshoot, Institut nature of the lesion. When a kit for detec­ in low AIDS-risk patients and no signifi­ Pasteur Production (IPP) which was ac­ ting human T -cell leukaemia virus (HTL V) cant change (in fact, a slight decrease) in cused of clandestine importation of - a suspected AIDS agent- arrived from high risk patients. American blood plasma (automatically the United States, the ministry requested a Liberation is left with one substantial suspected of AIDS contamination) to help new test. Marketing was stopped for a point: that confusion over the origin of with manufacture of hepatitis B vaccine. A while but the test proved negative and sales IPP's plasma, and an early lack of infor­ chimpanzee was also said to have died in were resumed. mation about the chimpanzee, which testing the first batch of such vaccine: it Moreover, IPP's production process resulted in the facts being "discovered" by was an apparent scandal. seems to be thoroughly safe, at least in the journalists, indicate a lack of "clarity" in So last week the Institut Pasteur proper elimination of known infectious agents. In IPP's affairs; and that it would have been came to the aid of its offspring, while still tests, viruses such as polio introduced much better for the company if the con­ keeping a little distance from it. Fran~ois deliberately into the initial plasma are fusion had not been allowed to arise. IPP Jacob, Nobel prize-winner and doyen of reduced by factors of 1020 by centri- might heartily agree. Robert Walgate the Institut Pasteur, described the Libera­ tion headline as "scandal-mongering". Whaling Liberation should also have distinguished between the Institut Pasteur and IPP, he said. (The institute has a 45 per cent share­ Norway this year's villain? holding, but little influence over IPP.) And THE outlook seems stormy for next week's mittee's evidence this year includes a strong in an official press statement, it was said annual meeting of the International criticism of the extrapolation procedure; that "The Institut Pasteur is used to Whaling Commission (IWC) in the English some scientists believe it significantly over­ criticism. But cannot accept slander." south-coast town of Brighton. Delegates estimates whale stocks. IPP is itself about to sue Liberation for from Norway, in particular, are steeling There is likely to be another big argu­ FF1 million for defamation and for pos­ themselves for a difficult time. And at the ment over stocks of Bryde's whale off the sible loss of business in a fierce competition back of everyone's mind is the question of coast of Peru. Peruvian delegates will be in with its American rival, Merck Sharp and what is likely to happen to last year's an embarrassing position: last year they Dohme. Both companies are seeking lucra­ resolution that zero catch quotas should be unilaterally increased their catch quotas tive contracts in Asia, and particularly in imposed for all commercial whaling from but then failed to catch anything approach­ China where IPP had foreseen a market of the end of 1985. ing the figure. El Nino, the South Pacific "dozens of millions of doses of vaccine", After that resolution was passed last current that has been behaving oddly this and order of magnitude larger than its pre­ year, four countries (Japan, Norway, Peru year, may be used to provide an explan­ sent sales. IPP expected the vaccine soon to and the Soviet Union) lodged formal ation. The Peruvians can in any case expect become its major product. However, IPP's objections and so are not bound by it. market position may have been com­ Japan considered pulling out of IWC alto­ promised by the press attacks, IPP gether, but has not yet done so. IWC itself research director M. Prunet said on Friday. is powerless to enforce the resolution, so it As for some of Liberation's accusations, will be up to individual countries to provide the truth now seems a little difficult to the teeth. Only the United States is bound 1 establish since French Health officials who to impose sanctions, but they will not be . earlier were said to have been "furious" used until the resolution is actually 1 about not having been informed by IPP infringed. about the use of American plasma now Norway's problems concern stocks of have to accept a Ministry of Health state­ Minke whales in the North Atlantic. Last full support from the Japanese delegation, ment that the ministry was, in fact, in­ year the commission was unable to agree on since Peru's whaling effort is in large part formed, and had granted authorization a catch quota, but Norway diplomatically run by Japan. This, together with Japanese from the first date of importation in March adopted a figure of 1,690. New evidence proposals to build a whaling station in the 1982. It must be remembered, said Dr Jac­ from IWC's scientific committee suggests Philippines, should ensure that Japan is ques Netter, responsible for the National that stocks are substantially lower than the not kept entirely out of the spotlight. Health Laboratory which monitors testing Norwegians assumed, so there will be Subsistence whaling by Eskimos in of the IPP vaccine, that when the authoriz­ strong pressure this year for a very much Alaska has been the subject of much ation was given, AIDS was not so impor­ smaller quota. attention. Last year a quota of 45 Bowhead tant. The real question is whether the vac­ Minke whales are also taken in the whales over three years was agreed, but US cine is good and safe, and it is. Antarctic, by Japan and the Soviet Union. officials have been under severe pressure to On other matters, things are clearer. The Last year a quota of 7,072 was agreed, increase this total. At this year's Brighton chimpanzee was one of a colony treated based on estimates of stocks extrapolated meeting, the United States will try to with vaccine, on which a liver biopsy is from visual sightings. The sightings, increase the quota but scientists are arguing done each month. In this particular healthy however, are made only in a small part of for a total ban on catches of the chimpanzee, treated with the first lot of the Minke's range, and the scientific com- Bowhead. Tim Beardsley

IXJ28-0836/8J/28011)4-02$0I.IMJ II:) 1983 Macmillan Journals Ltd