Brigham Young University announced this month that researchers believe they have found a compound that kills the HIV virus, unlike current medications that simply slow it down. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, as opposed to the expensive drug cocktails 25 years of research have produced, the compound actually hunts down and kills HIV and mimics agents produced naturally by a healthy human immune system.

Assuming that these early test-tube studies prove successful in animals and eventually in human trials, Steven Porter, CEO of Ceragenix, the pharmaceutical company supporting the study, believes the new compound, known as CSA-54, could be available for prescription in three to seven years – or sooner if the Food and Drug Administration decides to fast-track the drug.

Critics are quick to warn against celebrating too soon, however, saying potential cures and miracle drugs have come and gone since HIV first hit the scene more than two decades ago.

It’s hard not to be optimistic, though. The recent Conference of Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), which took place in Denver earlier this month, touted the speedy rate of developing new drugs to treat HIV. According to the conference, 10 drugs have been approved over the last decade, with more coming down the pike, making progress in treating HIV unparalleled in the area of disease treatment.

Making its debut at the Denver conference was the integrase inhibitor, which stops HIV from inserting itself into the DNA of the cell, making it impossible for HIV to replicate – and making the integrase inhibitor the next major advance in HIV therapy. About to kick off its phase III trial, the integrase inhibitor could be ready by 2007.

Not all recent news is good news, however. A major focus at the CROI was the Strategies for Management of Anti-Retroviral Therapy (SMART) trial. While great strides have been made in treating HIV, side effects and toxicity from medications can be daunting for experienced patients. The study attempted to minimize therapy by interrupting treatment for a period of time – essentially giving the body a break. When viral load numbers begin to increase and T-cell levels drop below 250, treatment is then continued. SMART ended abruptly Jan. 11 when researchers found that disease progression increased significantly in trials where patients interrupted treatment.

Closer to home, San Diego County has become embroiled in a debate over the use of medical marijuana – this week’s cover story. Research shows that marijuana benefits people living with any number of diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Hence, voters approved Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act, granting doctors the right to legally prescribe marijuana in California. The state then passed SB 420, which requires counties to establish a medical marijuana identification card system for people who possess a doctor’s recommendation for the drug.

The Board of Supervisors – with the exception of Supervisor Ron Roberts, who supports the use of medical marijuana – recently filed with the state to overturn Prop. 215, arguing that federal law prohibits the use of medical marijuana, and federal law trumps state law.

The bulk of the GLBT community has always taken a very pro-pot stance due to the large percentage of GLBT people battling HIV/AIDS, for which marijuana – unlike any other drug – has the ability to treat specific symptoms.

But support for medical marijuana extends well beyond the gay community. Prop. 215 passed with the support of nearly 57 percent of California voters back in 1996. In a recent KPBS poll, 61 percent of county residents said that local officials should cooperate with the state and allow for the use of medical marijuana. A poll commissioned by the Marijuana Policy Project found that 67 percent of county residents support medical marijuana use, and that 80 percent believe suing the state is a waste of taxpayers’ money.

We’ve come a long way in our fight against HIV, but we still have some fighting left to do. Playing politics or pushing a conservative agenda on the backs of sick people is, well, sick! The county may not be financially strapped like the city, but it’s not rolling in the dough, either. Shouldn’t the supervisors listen to their constituents, who overwhelmingly support medical marijuana, and drop this money-wasting and cruel lawsuit?