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PIP: The statement made by Health Minister Mantho Tshabalala-Msimang on the cause of the death of trial participants evoked a contradictory response from the South Africa's Medicines Control Council (MCC). In his speech, the minister attributed the cause of these deaths to nevirapine, whose trial has been suspended but the study still continues. Opposition parties have accused the minister of trying to demonize nevirapine as justification for not providing free antiretroviral treatment to pregnant women with HIV. The trial in question, FTC-302, is a combination therapy in the long-term treatment of adult HIV infection. The trial compares Triangle's emtricitabine with lamivudine when combined with stavudine and nevirapine. Two days after the statement was made public, MCC responded that evidence is still inconclusive while, at the same time, points the cause of these deaths to drug interaction. Furthermore, Tshabalala-Msimang's comments irritated AIDS activists, who had already expressed outrage at the exclusion of top AIDS researchers from the controversial panel of experts being set up to advice President Thabo Mbeki on AIDS. Despite the controversy, AIDS activists had some cause to celebrate when Pfizer announced the donation of free fluconazole that is used to prevent relapse of cryptococcal meningitis.
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