I hadn't heard of obinaquine but have done a bit of online research. It appears to be a made up name for a complex chemical (probably not a coincidence that it is being promoted by Dr. Obi!). But Doctors Bashkin and Broker appear to be accomplished laboratory investigators, and although their research doesn't use the term "obinaquine", it appears they have studied it and found it to effectively inhibit HPV DNA replication in vitro (i.e. in laboratory studies), suggesting it could be effective as treatment. However, there are several other potentially active compounds which have such effects in the lab. Obinaquine apparently has not yet been studied in animal models of HPV infection or in humans. Until such studies are done, with proper scientific standards, it is not possible to predict whether obinaquine will prove to be effective, nontoxic, and safe in humans with warts or other HPV infections. As best I can tell, it is no more active against HPV than other compounds currently approved and in use, such as podofilox, imiquimod, and sinecatechins, all of which work in some patients but not others. So if obinaquine is another potential treatment, I see no reason to expect it to be more effective than currently available treatments.

The apparent effectiveness in a few patients reported on Dr. Obi's website doesn't mean very much. Almost all genital warts clear spontaneously, and if a product is used when improvement is about to occur anyway, it is not valid evidence of efficacy; and the website doesn't say how many other patients might have been treated with no observed benefit. And no information is available about the frequency or potential severity of toxicity of side effects. (Products that inhibit viral DNA could also interfere with human DNA, perhaps with serious toxicity as a result.) There are good reasons why medical treatments of any kind require extensive, sophisticated scientific study before coming to market.

I attempted to find a website for the virology meeting in Toronto so I could read Dr. Bashkin's abstract to learn a bit more, but was unsuccessful. If you can find it, please provide a link. But for all I can tell so far, obinaquine might be an effective future product for treatment of some HPV infections. Or it might be a total bust and never come to the broad market for general use. In the event it does, it will take several years.

Thanks again for this question. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD