CORRESPONDENCE

your own journalist, regardless of how AIDS and The Sunday Times misleading and irresponsible his article may have been? If so, I would ask you to SIR - I was astounded by your two-page known to affect the progress of the disease give serious consideration to the consequ­ leading article attacking The Sunday and already approved for human use. ences of this action. Times for having the temerity to publish a Eight years later, it is now probable that All indicators suggest that the incidence series of articles that run counter to the although AZT changes the early develop­ of HIV infection in the United Kingdom is accepted theory of the causative agent of ment of symptoms, it has no favourable relatively low at present, but its high AIDS. I am a reader of both The Sunday effect on the long-term prognosis. It was prevalence elsewhere in the world should Times and Nature (and a microbiologist), always known that it had harmful side­ guard us against complacency. You will be so feel qualified to give a dispassionate effects, but its long-term success in treat­ aware of the government money that has view. ing the disease could not have been asses­ already been spent to inform the public on In my opinion, it is quite probable that sed until recently. this issue, and that Hodgkinson is under­ HIV infection is an important factor that It is wrong to criticize the trust for mining this message. Can this really be leads to AIDS. However, this does not supporting research on AIDS. Other justified as a public service, or even a excuse the behaviour of a respected scien­ medical research agencies in the United legitimate use of press freedom? Scientists tific journal in devoting precious space to States and the United Kingdom have and doctors involved with AIDS know attacking a leading exponent of a different rightly assigned large resources to the just how nonsensical Hodgkinson's arti­ view. To say that the "public interest study and treatment of this important cles are, but are powerless to dispel the requires that The Sunday Times should epidemic. As the largest source of medical confusion he has created among those less not follow its perverse line on the causa­ research funding in the United Kingdom, aware of the facts. tion of AIDS" is outrageous. There are the trust has a clear obligation to take part As a personal acquaintance of the too many examples in the scientific litera­ in this effort. Like other similar organiza­ original "HIV doesn't cause AIDS" guru ture of the then-accepted scientific dogma tions (including the research councils (Dr Peter Duesberg), I know all the being overturned by a few individuals with which dispense government research false premises and bogus arguments only the courage and intelligence to question it. funds), it invites scientists contemplating too well. The arguments are a rerun of the Surely the point of The Sunday Times large research proposals to discuss them tobacco companies' favourite old chestnut articles is not to discourage 'safe sex' by before making a formal application: but "smoking doesn't cause cancer", are teenagers, but to discourage a completely such applications are always evaluated by equally futile and potentially just as blinkered scientific approach that is 100 the traditional method of peer review and damaging to public health. per cent certain that there is no other decided by an expert committee. Is it your intention to seek advice from possible explanation for AIDS than HIV. Research necessarily deals with uncer­ more reputable sources and to try to set Richard James tainty, and is undertaken because know­ the record straight in future Sunday Times University of East Anglia, ledge is lacking. To criticize trust support articles on this important issue? Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK for Professor Anderson's epidemiological James C. Neil studies of the spread of the disease, or (Member of MRC AIDS Directed Programme • The followi ng letter was subm itted to The Professor Pinching's AZT trials, because Steering Committee), Sunday Times on 3 June 1993 but was not they are alleged to have helped the sales of Department of Veterinary Pathology, published. AZT, defies logic and betrays ignorance University of Glasgow, SIR - The front-page piece about Well­ about the way medicine advances. If Mr Glasgow G61 lQH, UK come ("Fears over the drug giant's fund­ Martin Walker believes the Wellcome ing of Aids research", 30 May 1993) Trust has used its power of patronage "to • The following letter was submitted to The muddles the very clear separation of the open doors for the company at the highest Sunday Times on 14 December 1993, but pharmaceutical company (Wellcome level" (in the words of his article), he will was not published. Foundation Ltd) and the charity (The have to prove it in the face of strong SIR - Following last Sunday's edition of Wellcome Trust). Even though your re­ evidence to the contrary. The Sunday Times (12 December 1993), I port says there is no suggestion that the David Blow feel compelled to write to you about the trust has distorted its funding to benefit Imperial College of Science, bizarre stance adopted by your Scientific the company, it is full of implications that Technology and Medicine, Correspondent, Neville Hodgkinson, on confuse the two, creating unjustified cri­ London SW7 28Z, UK the subject of HIV and AIDS. ticism of the trust. Over the past 15 years I have been In my research on components of the • The following letter was written to The involved in several contentious issues AIDS virus, I received useful assistance, Sunday Times in September 1993, but was which, on occasion, have brought me into in the form of experimental material, but not published. conflict with the scientific establishment no money or research resources from the SIR - I am writing to ask you to consider and members of my own profession. Dur­ pharmaceutical company - this research the manner in which your newspaper is ing this time I have always based my case was funded by the Medical Research treating the issue of HIV and AIDS. on the scientific data available and, to this Council's AIDS-Directed Programme. I In response to the 29 August article by end, have organized conferences and have also regularly acted as a referee on Neville Hodgkinson, I wrote to your let­ edited books so that the data available can research proposals made to the Wellcome ters section. I received an acknowledge­ be properly evaluated. In addition, I have Trust, but I have never received any grant ment and an apology that there was in­ always invited co-editors who are re­ from it. Therefore I believe my comments sufficient space to publish. Naturally, you garded as pre-eminent in their field. are unbiased. I have personally observed cannot print all the letters you receive, but Many of the contentious issues in these the great emphasis in the trust on dis­ I was surprised that last Sunday's edition different fields (biological effects of low­ tancing itself from the pharmaceutical gave equal weight to correspondence sup­ level lead, ionizing radiation, ozone de­ company. porting and deploring Hodgkinson's pletion, global warming) have been re­ When AIDS first became a disease of article. solved through communication, and com­ concern in the United States, the phar­ I cannot believe that the balance of mail mon ground has been found between maceutical company was in the enviable was reflected by the selection of letters campaigners and the established experts. position of owning the only drug (AZT) you published. Is it your policy to back up I am sad to say that none of this applies NATURE· VOL 367 . 13 JANUARY 1994 109 © 1994 Nature Publishing Group