David William Rasnick (born 1948) is an American biochemist known for his association with the AIDS denialist movement, which denies the fact that HIV is the cause of AIDS,[1] and for his involvement with clinical trials in South Africa promoting vitamins for the treatment of AIDS, which were later ruled illegal by the South African judiciary.[2]
David Rasnick | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1948 (age 75–76) |
| Alma mater | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Scientific career | |
| Thesis | Affinity labeling of metalloendoproteases (1978) |
Education and body of work edit
David Rasnick received a PhD in chemistry from Georgia Tech in 1978; his thesis was entitled "Affinity Labeling of Metalloendoproteases."[3] Rasnick studied proteases in rats and has also written a book about the aneuploidy theory of cancer.[1][4]
Rasnick was a prominent member of the AIDS-denialist movement, which claimed that HIV either did not exist, or did not cause AIDS. He claimed that HIV was a harmless "passenger virus" incapable of causing any disease.[5] In association with Matthias Rath, Rasnick traveled to South Africa, a country with one of the highest incidences of HIV/AIDS in the world, where they discouraged HIV-infected individuals from using antiretroviral drugs and instead promoted the use of proprietary vitamin mixes which were claimed to fight AIDS. Rasnick also advocated a complete ban on HIV testing in South Africa, and denied that there was "any evidence" of an HIV epidemic in South Africa.[5] In 2008, a South African court ruled that the trials conducted by Rath and Rasnick were illegal, and barred them from conducting clinical trials or advertising vitamin supplements in the country.[2][6][7]
References edit
- ^ a b Steinberg, Jonny (June 17, 2009). "AIDS Denial: A Lethal Delusion". New Scientist.
- ^ a b "Anti-AIDS vitamin advertising banned". Nature. June 18, 2008.
- ^ Rasnick, David William (1978). Affinity labeling of metalloendoproteases (electronic thesis or dissertation). OCLC 638449874. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
- ^ Rasnick, David William (2011). The Chromosomal Imbalance Theory of Cancer: The Autocatalyzed Progression of Aneuploidy is Carcinogenesis. CRC Press. ISBN 9781578087372.
- ^ a b Schoofs, Mark (July 4, 2000). "Debating The Obvious". Village Voice.
- ^ Rice, Xan (June 13, 2008). "South African court bans trials of vitamin treatments for Aids". The Guardian.
- ^ "South African court bans AIDS vitamin trials". Reuters. June 13, 2008.