Poison by prescription: the AZT story

The DNA chain terminator AZT was designed over twenty years ago for the treatment of leukemia. Its antileukemic mechanism of action is to kill growing lymphocytes by termination of DNA synthesis. However, since AZT failed to prolong the lives of leukemic animals, it was not accepted for cancer chemotherapy.
In 1987 it was app roved to treat symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers of HIV to cure or prevent AIDS, based on the hypothesis that HIV causes AIDS. One year later, in 1988, the designers of AZT received a Nobel prize for medicine, although there was no evidence that AZT would cure or prevent AIDS.
This book contains my major AZT articles s from the New York Native, and some additional material.