Anti-HIV agent

A method of killing HIV-infected cells in vitro which comprises administering an effective amount of a complex of a plasma protein or a chemically modified plasma protein and a porphyrin derivative to HIV-infected cells in vitro, wherein said chemically modified plasma protein is a protein obtained by a modification whereby polarity of the amino acid side chain is made negative(-), and said porphyrin derivative is the reaction product of a porphyrin compound and a carbodiimide compound;

• said porphyrin compound having a carboxyl terminated side chain at the 13 or 17 positions of said porphyrin compound, said carboxyl group including a carbonyl carbon atom;
• and said carbodiimide compound having a carbon atom double bonded to two nitrogen atoms which are reactable with said carboxyl group whereby said nitrogen atom of said carbodiimide compound is chemically bonded to said porphyrin compound via a chemical bond between said nitrogen atom and carbonyl carbon atom.

A composition for killing HIV-infected cells which comprises an effective amount of a porphyrin derivative wherein said porphyrin derivative is the reaction product of a porphyrin compound and a carbodiimide compound;

• said porphyrin compound having a carboxyl terminated side chain at the 13 or 17 positions of said porphyrin compound, said carboxyl group including a carbonyl carbon atom;
• and said carbodiimide compound having a carbon atom double bonded to two nitrogen atoms which are reactable with said carboxyl group whereby said nitrogen atom of said carbodiimide compound is chemically bonded to said porphyrin compound via a chemical bond between said nitrogen atom and carbonyl carbon atom.

A composition for killing HIV-infected cells which comprises a carrier and an effective amount of a complex of a plasma protein or a chemically modified plasma protein and a porphyrin derivative, wherein said chemically modified plasma protein is a protein obtained by a modification whereby polarity of the amino acid side chain is made negative(-), and said porphyrin derivative is the reaction product of a porphyrin compound and a carbodiimide compound;

• said porphyrin compound having a carboxyl terminated side chain at the 13 or 17 positions of said porphyrin compound, said carboxyl group including a carbonyl carbon atom;
• and said carbodiimide compound having a carbon atom double bonded to two nitrogen atoms which are reactable with said carboxyl group whereby said nitrogen atom of said carbodiimide compound is chemically bonded to said porphyrin compound via a chemical bond between said nitrogen atom and carbonyl carbon atom.