Dianne Feinstein: “As a nation, we must do everything we can to find a cure for HIV/AIDS. However, until we have a cure for this urgent…”

“As a nation, we must do everything we can to find a cure for HIV/AIDS. However, until we have a cure for this urgent health priority, we need to find effective treatments and put them in the hands of people with needs. I rise today to introduce legislation, joined by my colleague Senator Boxer, to eliminate the tariff for several chemical compounds. These compounds are required for the manufacture of an AIDS drug, nelfinavir mesylate, which has produced promising test results. Protease inhibitors Nelfinavir is one of a new class of AIDS drugs called protease inhibitors. The drugs are designed to block an enzyme, called protease, that appears to play a crucial role in the replication of HIV. As the Wall Street Journal reported in its coverage of the recently concluded 11th International Conference on AIDS in Vancouver, BC, researchers have evidence that protease inhibitor drugs, when taken in combination with existing therapies, can reduce levels of the AIDS-causing virus in blood to levels so low that the virus is undetectable by even the most sensitive tests. AIDS researchers at the conference describe this new drug therapy as a major and unprecedented step in combating AIDS, one that may represent a treatment approach that may delay the onset of AIDS, extend patients' lives, and transform AIDS into a long-term, manageable disease. Mr. President, HIV/A is a critical public health issue, requiring the Nation's full attention.”