Chinese scientists have never let up in their quest to find a cure for AIDS. Now a Shanghai drug firm is being hailed as a pathfinder in the development of a new and cost-effective drug to treat HIV sufferers.

The firm, backed by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is working with an Australian company to co-develop the revolutionary drug.

According to an agreement signed on Sunday, the Shanghai Targetdrug Pharmaceutical Company and Avexa, a Melbourne-based drug-research company, will jointly develop Nifeviroc for global distribution.

"Through cooperation with Avexa, we hope to bring our brainchild into the world market in an efficient way," Pei Gang, a chief scientist of Targetdrug, who also leads the Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences under the CAS, said yesterday.

Nifeviroc is a small molecular compound whose anti-HIV capacity was proved by Pei and his colleague Ma Dawei in 2003 when the Targetdrug company was founded.

Supported by the central and city governments, researchers of Targetdrug have completed pre-clinic research work on Nifeviroc and received endorsement from the National Food and Drug Administration for clinical research to begin early this year.

So far, Targetdrug has applied for patents for Nifeviroc in 14 countries and regions, including the United States, Japan and the European Union.

Following the agreement with Avexa, Targetdrug will possess the rights for developing Nifeviroc in China. Avexa will take charge of post-research expenses, develop it in the international marketplace and share global benefits with Targetdrug.

Officials from Targetdrug said they expect the new drug to be more affordable than the existing HIV drugs in Western countries.

Scientists said a key means of HIV therapy is similar to making a cocktail - using a combination of compounds and disease inhibitors at the same time. Nifeviroc is regarded as a catalyst to upgrade the effect of the "cocktail." Pre-clinic tests showed Nifeviroc had less side effects than similar HIV drugs.

By the end of last year, China had 191,565 HIV carriers on the mainland. There were 47,713 AIDS patients and the death toll was 13,632.

Nifeviroc is expected to spark even further international interest in China's home-developed drugs.

Targetdrug said it owns the patents on another two potentially ground-breaking products.

One drug has been shown to stop cancer cells from shifting in the human body, and the company is looking for a partner to carry out pre-clinic research.

The other one is expected to aid in the treatment of senile dementia. The preliminary work for its development has started, Targetdrug said.

Editor: Yan