One of the most promising of these “street drugs” was AL 721, an antiviral that was far less toxic than AZT. Two of Dr. Fauci’s top scientists, Robert Gallo and Jeffrey Laurence from NCI, had found AL 721 effective in reducing HIV viral loads—but, under pressure from his phalanx of Burroughs Wellcome PIs, Dr. Fauci refused to follow up.

