BBC Worldwide Monitoring
04/07/99

Source: Snark, Yerevan, 06 Apr 99

Text of report by Armenian news agency Snark

Yerevan, 6th April: Thirty-one people suffering from AIDS are
undergoing treatment in Yerevan using the "Armenikum" medicine
developed by Armenian scientists, Armenian Health Minister Ayk
Nikogosyan said today.

He said that the majority of patients were Russian citizens. "We
have no more clinical material in Armenia ", i.e. there are no
more [Armenian] AIDS patients.

The minister added that four more patients had arrived in Armenian
recently. According to Nikogosyan, they had arrived under an
agreement reached in mid-March during a visit to Armenia by
regional director of the international clinical centre (?Timothy
Meed). Under the agreements reached, these patients' blood is
tested by other foreign centres prior to their arrival in Yerevan.

The newly-arrived AIDS patients are undergoing tests in Armenia.
Treatment with Armenikum will begin after the tests. Both Armenian
and foreign experts will exercise control over the treatment
process.

Nikogosyan added that a closed-type joint-stock company, Armenikum,
had been set up to deal with all issues and problems relevant to
the Armenikum drug.

The minister stressed that all foreign citizens wishing to undergo
treatment with Armenikum in Yerevan arrived in the republic via
diplomatic channel; under the Armenian law "On AIDS" passed by
parliament in 1995, HIV-infected foreigners arriving in Armenia are
subject to deportation. The Armenian Health Ministry is drafting a
package of amendments to the law.