A South African court has banned unauthorised trials of vitamin therapies for Aids, which some say are a health risk.
The High Court in Cape Town ruled against German physician Matthias Rath and US doctor David Rasnick, a former advisor to President Thabo Mbeki.
The case was brought by the pressure group the Treatment Action Campaign and the South African Medical Association.
They accused Dr Rath of conducting illegal trials among poor communities.
"It is declared that the clinical trials conducted in South Africa are unlawful," Judge Dumisani Zondi said in his ruling.
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But critics say Dr Rath's work has led to unnecessary deaths when HIV-positive people stopped using anti-retroviral drugs.
TAC and SAMA accused the South African government of not doing enough to stop the trials and failing in its duty of care to the public.
Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, who has controversially advocated garlic and beetroot instead of anti-retroviral drugs, denied the allegations.
South Africa has one of the world's highest incidences of HIV. One in five adults are reported to be infected and an estimated 500,000 people are infected each year.
(BBC)
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