Shark Oil for HIV Shot Takes Cue From Hemingway's Old Man, Novartis AG Reveals

The aging fisherman in Ernest Hemingway’s novel “The Old Man and the Sea” swilled shark liver oil to ward off colds and flu. Now Novartis AG (NOVN) is betting it can help protect against AIDS. Novartis is teaming up with Sanofi (SAN), adding a boosting agent to the French drugmaker’s earlier attempt at making an AIDS vaccine. That first effort lost its punch over time. The new combination represents the most advanced attempt to develop an effective shot against the deadly pathogen. Human tests are scheduled to start next year or early in 2014.