The Unbelievable Speed
“The symptoms have improved?!” Lee In-hae, who was just about to take her seat, jumped up as if her knees had been spring-loaded. It looked as though her body had been launched into the air.
“Yes! Look at this!” Lyudmila flipped through the test records she had brought with her. Since Lee In-hae had also been an obstetrician, she could read the charts well enough. A moment later, her hands began to tremble.
“Oh, my god…!” Lee In-hae knew all too well how terrifying a disease AIDS was. And yet, the test results clearly showed that the viral load in Irina’s blood had decreased. Furthermore, the levels of the various ‘AIDS syndromes’ that naturally follow the virus had also dropped, making it clear that the medication was working.
“President, it’s not a complete cure. But even just slowing the progression of the symptoms is a monumental discovery!”
In reality, there wouldn't be a complete cure for AIDS until well into the 2010s. However, YK Pharmaceuticals had effectively achieved an invention that pushed the history of global AIDS treatment forward by five years.
“What about side effects?”
“None discovered as of now. There might be long-term side effects, but frankly, if you just leave AIDS alone, you don’t even get the chance to experience ‘long-term side effects’!”
Lyudmila bounced with excitement like a young girl who had just been praised, and Lee In-hae joined her, clapping her hands and jumping up and down as well.
“Lyudmila! You’ve done great so far, but keep observing Irina even more closely! If this goes well, this is an invention that will change the history of world medicine!”
“Yes, President!”
Lyudmila quickly dashed out of the office again. A short while later, Yoon-gi, having received a message from Lee In-hae, returned to the office.
“It’s going to be hard to confirm long-term side effects, isn’t it?”
At Yoon-gi’s question, Lee In-hae nodded.
“Yeah. Usually, once you catch AIDS, you die before reaching your natural lifespan due to immune system failure.”
“That’s what they call ‘AIDS syndrome,’ right?”
“Right. AIDS is essentially the destruction of the immune system, leading to countless diseases that eventually kill the patient. So, if you can slow the progression of the AIDS virus itself, you can secure more time for the patient.”
As she spoke, Lee In-hae seemed to recall something and continued her explanation.
“Oh, and if you’re really worried about side effects, you probably don’t need to stress too much.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. There are tons of drugs used even when they have side effects. Just look at steroids, for example.”
“Ah…”
Yoon-gi realized he had been too obsessed with the idea of side effects.
“It would be great if medicine had no side effects, but there are times when you have to use them even while accepting the risks. The best examples are cases where the benefits far outweigh the side effects. The steroids I just mentioned are exactly that kind of case.”
Using steroids for skin or kidney diseases was more common than one might think. Among the side effects of ‘cortisol’ steroids are things like ‘moon face,’ where the face swells up, and bone weakening, but doctors still prescribe them. Why? Because if they don’t use them, something much worse will happen. Of course, doctors agonize over the decision before prescribing them, but the point is that prescribing medication while accepting side effects is a reality of medicine.
“The more incurable the disease, the more side effects you’re willing to accept. I can’t think of them off the top of my head right now, but there are many palliatives used for rare diseases that have side effects, but are used anyway. Because the priority is to keep the patient alive.”
Even though she didn't seem entirely comfortable with it herself, Lee In-hae stated the facts calmly.
“I see.”
“In that sense, this drug is quite reasonable since it slows the patient’s primary disease progression and improves the syndrome symptoms. Congratulations, Yoon-gi! You’re sitting on a gold mine… wait, you’re already sitting on one, aren’t you…?”
Yoon-gi chuckled at Lee In-hae’s struggle to find the right words.
“Oh, but honestly, I’m still amazed. How did you choose the 5th and 6th proposals? If this were a normal pharmaceutical company, this would have been absolutely impossible… Did you really pick them based on a hunch?”
“Yes.”
“…My god.”
It was a brazen lie from Yoon-gi, but Lee In-hae had no choice but to believe it. Choi Yoon-gi. He was the name of the world’s greatest drug salesman.
November 1987. Although it had only been a few weeks, Irina’s symptoms began to improve steadily. While it was certain that she would suffer from various aftereffects due to the AIDS syndrome that had already progressed, it meant that she had at least overcome the situation where she was on the verge of death.
The skin that had been cracked in various places was slowly healing, and because the endless diarrhea—one of the syndromes—had stopped, she was slowly starting to regain weight.
“Sob… Thank you, Uncle… Thank you…”
Irina shed tears as she bowed her head to her uncle, Slava.
“It’s nothing, Irina. You are my precious niece. What kind of politician would I be if I couldn’t even protect my own family? I’m just glad, so glad…”
Irina had lost her parents early, and Slava had raised her from a young age. Therefore, their relationship was effectively that of father and daughter.
“But, Uncle. You must have pushed yourself too hard because of me…”
Slava shook his head.
“No, I didn’t push myself at all. It’s all something I can handle.”
Just then, Gorbachev appeared in what had been the sterilization room. Since the researchers had concluded days ago that the sterilization room was no longer necessary, Slava had been able to stay with Irina. There was no reason Gorbachev couldn’t come.
Gulp. Slava, upon spotting Gorbachev, swallowed hard without realizing it. He had pretended to be strong in front of his niece, but seeing Gorbachev in person, he couldn’t help but be nervous.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
The sound of Gorbachev’s shoes echoing in the room sounded to Slava like the gavel of a judge delivering a death sentence.
“Listen, Slava.”
Gorbachev placed one hand on Slava’s shoulder.
“G-General Secretary! My uncle did nothing wrong! It was all because I was sick…”
Irina tried to defend her uncle. However, Gorbachev shook his head. And before Gorbachev could say anything else, Slava squeezed his eyes shut and held out both his hands, as if asking to be handcuffed.
“I am already prepared. I will go to the Gulag.”
“Uncle!”
Irina was shocked, but Slava remained firm. And a moment later.
“Pfft.”
At the sudden sound of laughter, Slava opened his eyes. Gorbachev was standing there, chuckling.
“Well… I did think about sending you to the Gulag at first, but the results were good, weren’t they? Thanks to you and your niece, clinical trials on other patients are currently underway.”
“G-General Secretary. Then…?”
Gorbachev nodded.
“I won’t send you to the Gulag. But you’ll have to take on some night shifts for a while. And your niece will have to be mobilized for propaganda to help develop the AIDS treatment.”
Hearing this, Slava looked back at his niece. He saw Irina nodding.
“I, I’ll do it! I’ll do it, so please don’t send my uncle to the Gulag!”
Satisfied with the answer, Gorbachev smiled and nodded.
“I’m not saying you have to do it right this second. I mean you should do it once her condition improves further. As long as we don’t know where or how AIDS is transmitted, we need to gather AIDS patients in one place. For that, I need your niece’s help.”
“Understood, General Secretary.”
The fact that an AIDS treatment had been developed at YK Pharmaceuticals was now on the verge of spreading to the entire world.
Choi Deok-bae’s assessment was one of pure awe. It was his evaluation of the ‘Vibrator’ (the device Yoon-gi used to ‘test’ substances).
“Indeed. It really produced results beyond imagination.”
Yoon-gi shared the same sentiment as Choi Deok-bae. It was only natural, as the clinical trials for the AIDS patients gathered in one place were proceeding very smoothly. It was almost at a level where it couldn’t even be called a clinical trial anymore, because all the symptoms were improving.
Among the isolated patients, many had volunteered for clinical trials themselves after seeing Irina’s improvement. Gorbachev approved all of them, and YK Pharmaceuticals, following their wishes, administered the treatment to those in the most serious condition first. The results were a green light. Afterward, they began to expand the prescriptions to the next group of people, and soon, everyone who received the treatment showed improvement.
“To sum it up, the development of the AIDS treatment is a success.”
As he said this, Choi Deok-bae nodded as if he had realized something. Yoon-gi nodded as well.
“That’s right. It’s not that there weren’t large-scale clinical trials ‘led by someone’ like in modern times, but in fact, the science of medicine is a collection of clinical trials based on all of humanity.”
“Hey, the second person to eat it is the bravest one.”
The first person might have eaten it without knowing the pufferfish was poisonous, so that wasn’t exactly bravery. But the second person was truly brave, seeing as they ate it even after the first person died. Of course, there is a theory that the second person fed it to livestock or slaves first, but still.
“That’s true.”
Regardless, Reagan had called for Yoon-gi.
Currently, YK Pharmaceuticals was accelerating the development of the second and third substances. Since the AIDS virus is fundamentally prone to mutation and resistance, a ‘cocktail therapy’ that uses multiple drugs together is the standard. Because the researchers had suggested this, Yoon-gi hadn't concluded the AIDS project, which led to the discovery of new substances. Of course, he had used the Vibrator to screen them.
While research into the second and third substances was underway, Yoon-gi visited the White House at Reagan’s invitation. An invitation from none other than the President of the United States. The moment he refused this, the blueprint he had drawn up so far would be ruined, so it was an invitation he absolutely could not refuse. Besides, the fact that Reagan had called him was a positive sign in itself.
“Welcome, Yoon-gi.”
Reagan welcomed him in the Oval Office with his arms wide open. Yoon-gi bowed 90 degrees toward him.
“Mr. President, it’s been a while.”
Guster was also in the office, looking at Yoon-gi with a very proud expression.
“I heard the news. You developed an AIDS treatment at YK Pharmaceuticals in the Soviet Union?”
“Since it hasn’t received FDA approval yet, I don’t consider it a ‘treatment’ just yet. It was merely the result of an unwanted clinical trial forced upon me by Gorbachev, who was terrified of AIDS.”
Yoon-gi deliberately belittled Gorbachev in front of Reagan. Because of that, Reagan could look at Yoon-gi with eyes full of intimacy.
“Still, if people are being cured without side effects, that is a treatment. Don’t you agree?”
Reagan continued to praise Yoon-gi’s achievements. It was as if he had some ulterior motive. Yoon-gi went straight for the jugular.
“I’m truly grateful that you think so. That’s why I’d like to ask you one thing.”
“What is it?”
“If I were to give you 10 percent of the net profit from selling the AIDS treatment in the United States, would that be considered a bribe?”