Dr. Constable inquires about the progress of a CALM consortium's research into conocurvone as a potential HIV treatment and requests details about the consortium's members. The Minister's response outlines early progress but notes a shift to synthetic versions of the compound.

AnsweredQoN 281Legislative Assembly
Asked
9 August 2000
Portfolio
Environment

QuestionView source ↗

281. Dr CONSTABLE to the Minister for the Environment:
I refer to an article in CALM News in February 1994 titled World Exclusive Conocurvone Contract and the Minister's answer to question on notice No. 2062 of March 2000 and ask -
(a) what progress, if any, was made by the consortium on the development of 'the compound ... has shown promising results in initial tests for treatment for the HIV virus'; and
(b) who were the chemists, ecologists, biologists, virologists, horticulturalists, medical researchers, botanists and remote sensing specialists who made up the consortium formed by CALM 'to develop conocurvone to a marketable product'?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
14 November 2000
Response time
97 days
The Minister Replied:
(a) The consortium was active in early research, developing several new procedures for extracting conocurvone, and studying its location and concentration in the target plant species. However, the results of subsequent pharmacological work changed the focus of the project from the natural compound to synthetic versions.
(b) The CALM consortium consisted of scientists from different disciplines within the Department, from the Chemistry Centre (WA), and from Perth universities.

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