HIV drug pioneer Raymond Schinazi honoured by industry

Dr Raymond F Schinazi has been awarded the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award by the American Liver Foundation.

Dr Schinazi, an alumni of Bath University, has been recognised for his contributions to science and to human health, particularly for developing treatments for HIV/AIDS, the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV).

In the early 1980s, Dr Schinazi set up the first HIV laboratory at Emory University in Atlanta to develop antiviral drugs.

Four different drugs that his group discovered and developed have since been approved by the FDA for the treatment of HIV-1 infections, as well as three for HBV and one for HCV.

It is estimated that over 94 per cent of people infected with HIV take one of the drugs developed by Dr Schinazi and that his work has saved over 6.5 million lives. His contributions related to HCV are expected to have a profound positive impact on more than 80 million people worldwide suffering from chronic infection.

The Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award is the American Liver Foundation’s most prestigious award honouring a scientist who has made a major contribution to liver disease research in basic science or in its application toward the prevention, treatment or cure of liver disease. Dr Schinazi was involved in the discovery and development of lamivudine and telbivudine for the treatment of HBV and Sofosbuvir for HCV infections.

The award was presented in Boston on Saturday 8 November at the Foundation’s annual meeting during the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) meeting.

Dr Raymond F. Schinazi received his BSc (1972) and PhD (1976) in Chemistry from the University of Bath, along with an Honorary DSc in 2006. He worked with the University to create The Schinazi International Exchange Programme in order to recognise the common areas of research interest between Bath and Emory University, his alma mater and his current academic home in the US. Since its conception in 2009, the programme has supported faculty and postdoctoral exchanges to further research and education in key areas of scientific excellence.

Dr Schinazi said: “Drugs like Sofosbuvir can cure HCV infections in less than 12 weeks, providing for the first time a drug that can eradicate a viral disease globally. I am grateful for my early training at the University of Bath where my passion for developing treatments and cures for cancer and viral diseases started.”