An Australian pharmaceutical company said on Tuesday a naturally occurring chemical extracted from oranges can be used to treat HIV/AIDS, influenza, SARS and the common cold.
Citrofresh International Ltd. said Europe’s Retroscreen Virology Laboratory had found its Citrofresh bioflavanoid compound to be effective against the HIV-1 virus, the human influenza A virus including Avian influenza or bird flu, the Urbani SARS virus and the human rhinovirus.
It did not say whether the results had been independently verified or whether they would be published.
Shares in the anti-virus treatment developer, with a market value of A$20 million ($15 million), more than tripled to A$0.70, prompting a trading halt in its shares as it prepared more information, expected to be released before the market opens on Thursday.