Call for standardised clinical trials in Cameroon-The case of VANIVAX

I share the call for caution when we carry out new non-standardized treatment on patients because very often we cannot say with any significant degree of certainty what has happened and we run the risk of doing some harm to a patient we intended, in good faith, to help. The reason for standardization in clinical trials is the need to eliminate the occurrence of outcome by chance and to prevent or mitigate harm. People will still get cured even without treatment. This phenomenon is experienced when doctors give placebos or "sugar pills" to patients and succeed to affect diseases and benefit patients or even effect cure. This partly explains why stringent measures are put in place and best practices expected of experimenters by regulatory authorities before any treatment is approved for public consumption in the civilized societies; this in a bid to make sure that claims of effective treatment are not just a result of chance.

When it is alluded that sero-conversion [from HIV positive to negative] may occur without treatment, this is insinuating the phenomenon of 'chance' which is common. For example, viral infections are said to be 'self limiting' because a good immune system may be adequate to deal with them in the absence of any treatment. If Professor Anomah Ngu could raise the immune system significantly above the patient's baseline and succeed to sustainably eliminate the virus then cure it is. 'Sugar pills' are known to heighten our faith, stimulate the brain and have a tremendous effect in patients and positively affect the course of diseases by improving the way our body functions to re-instate good health.

I am not saying that Professor Anomah Ngu, whom I highly respect, for his achievements and as a senior colleague, has discovered treatment for HIV/AIDS nor am I refuting his claims, given that I have no data on which to base an objective judgment. I have simply presented my modest professional input which I hope will shed more light on the issue of treatment claim. What we need to do is to look at his research protocol, fund him if possible to allow him produce enough data that will warrant us to make any public pronouncements on his findings. If the outcome is good, we will all be happy to tell the success story to the whole world without fear of any contradiction or ridicule. I believe that the Cameroon Academy of Science is aware of this and has taken the necessary steps in the right direction. What I know is that we need to get the necessary facts before we can engage in more enlightened discussions .Especially, let our scientists and clinicians get to work. It's my fervent wish that we discover the cure for HIV/AIDS sooner than later.

Dr. Oliver Verbe Birnso ( B.Sc.;M.Sc.;MBBCh)
Medical Doctor/Clinical Pharmacologist-Toxicologist, Reg. No. 5541 Cameroon Medical Council.

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