Ethigen Corp. said it renamed its AL-721...

Ethigen Corp. said it renamed its AL-721 food supplement Altrigen in an effort “to end confusion created by bootleggers” selling purportedly similar egg lecithin products. AL-721 and its imitators are widely used by AIDS patients and others infected with the human immunodeficiency virus in the hope of slowing disease progression. Ethigen sells the product over the counter in selected pharmacies; the imitation products are sold through health-food stores and buyers’ clubs that have sprung up in the wake of the epidemic. Many AIDS experts are skeptical that the products work.