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AIDS Daily Summary
December 7, 1994
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS
Clearinghouse makes available the following information as a public
service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement
by the CDC, the CDC Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction
of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC
Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information.
Copyright 1994, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD
************************************************************
"A Chance to Talk Openly"
"On the Fridge"
"Hunt in Forests of Borneo Aims to Track Down Natural Drugs"
"Dr. David E. Rogers, 68, a Leader in Medical Education and the
Fight on AIDS, Dies"
"AIDS-Day Reports Dodged the Truth"
"Viagene Initiates World's First Efficacy Study of a Gene
Transfer Product"
"Medarex Receives Approval to Begin AIDS Study in France"
"Phase I/II Trial Results of Immunogen's Oncolysin (R)B in AIDS
Lymphoma Reported at Am. Society of Hematology--Subsequent Study
Under Way"
"Randomised Trial of Thiacetazone and Rifampicin-Containing
Regimens for Pulmonary Tuberculosis in HIV-Infected Ugandans"
"Protease Inhibitors--Task Force Proposed"
************************************************************
"A Chance to Talk Openly"
Washington Post (12/07/94) P. A1; O'Harrow Jr., Robert
Critics say that Virginia Gov. George Allen's proposal to make
sex education an option for local school systems would give the
state one of the most conservative sex education policies in the
country. There would also be a great difference in what school
districts teach. Many parents, students, and teachers are
worried that the plan--to be considered by the General Assembly
next year--will lead to an information gap among teenagers at a
time when AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, and
pregnancy are rampant. In announcing his plan, Allen said he
wanted to put more focus on core subjects and he wanted to give
parents a hand in preventing children from being taught values
that are different from their own. The plan would not eliminate
health classes, but critics are worried that without a state
regulation, the most controversial topics would not be presented.
In defense of the current sex education program--which some say
imposes too many questionable values on students--one father
noted that many parents are not comfortable talking about topics
such as AIDS or sex. The children are often just as
uncomfortable, he added.
"On the Fridge"
Washington Post (12/07/94) P. E3
Quartermaine's in the Washington, D.C., area will donate all
proceeds from the sale of its Jamaican eastern Blue Mountain
coffee to two local charities: the D.C. Central Kitchen, which
prepares food for the homeless, and Food & Friends, which
provides free fresh meals to homebound people with HIV/AIDS.
"Hunt in Forests of Borneo Aims to Track Down Natural Drugs"
New York Times (12/06/94) P. C4; Shenon, Philip
Reports from the National Cancer Institute indicate that a
substance found in a Malaysian tree called Calophyllum lanigerum
destroys HIV in a test tube without killing healthy cells. The
material is now being tested on mice at the institute. Extracts
from a gum tree in the Borneo jungle, a vine found in West
Africa, and a shrub native to western Australia are also being
tested on animals for their potential as anti-HIV agents. To
date, the institutes natural-products program has identified two
cancer agents, both from the sea.
"Dr. David E. Rogers, 68, a Leader in Medical Education and the
Fight on AIDS, Dies"
New York Times (12/06/94) P. D23; Altman, Lawrence K.
Leading scientist, medical educator, and co-chairman of the
National Commission on AIDS, Dr. David E. Rogers, died of colon
cancer at age 68 on Monday. Despite his illness, Rogers left the
hospital last Friday to receive an award from the Visiting Nurse
Service of New York for his national leadership role in fighting
AIDS and other infectious diseases and for the innovations in the
way foundations made health grants. Rogers was a strong advocate
for protecting the confidentiality of AIDS patients. As head of
the $1.2 billion Robert Wood Johnson Foundation from 1972 until
1987, he was credited with creating the most systematic
evaluation of projects of any foundation and brought new
standards of accountability and evaluation to the programs.
Rogers is survived by his wife and three children.
"AIDS-Day Reports Dodged the Truth"
Toronto Globe and Mail (12/05/94) P. C2; Coren, Michael
While many stories on World AIDS Day spoke of how hard AIDS has
hit the artists of the world, for an overwhelming majority, their
sexuality was neglected, writes Michael Coren in an editorial.
Coren questions why this important aspect was omitted because the
media are not unaware of the fact; they do not assume that the
readers already know of it; and it is not because they believe
sexual inclination is irrelevant. Although ad campaigns, health
activists, and news organizations repeatedly state that AIDS is
not confined to any one group, the reality in North America and
Europe is that gay men are the one community that has been
devastated. There is a fear of stereotyping or marginalizing,
but it is journalism's duty to report the truth. It is doubtful
that avoiding mentioning the homosexuality of the artists who
have died of AIDS will spare the artist's memories, their
relatives, and the public from grief. The truth is fundamental,
concludes Coren.
"Viagene Initiates World's First Efficacy Study of a Gene
Transfer Product"
PR Newswire (12/05/94)
Viagene, Inc. has initiated the world's first phase II study of a
gene transfer product, HIV-IT (V), which is used to treat HIV
infection. "This is the largest and the most clinically advanced
gene transfer study ever to be initiated and should clearly
signal that gene therapy is today's, rather than tomorrow's,
technology," said Robert T. Abbott, president and CEO of Viagene.
The placebo-controlled triple-blinded study of approximately 190
HIV-infected participants will use a random dose of HIV-IT (V),
which will be randomly assigned within three treatment levels
based on CD4 cell counts. Expected to lead to a cytotoxic
T-lymphocyte response, HIV-IT (V) is a non-replicating murine
retrovector designed to deliver the env and the rev genes of
HIV-1 to healthy non-HIV-infected cells. Thus far, the product
has been used in four phase I studies without any adverse
product-related effects.
"Medarex Receives Approval to Begin AIDS Study in France"
Business Wire (12/05/94)
Medarex Inc. announced on Monday that France's Agence du
Medicament has given it permission to commence Phase I/II studies
of its AIDS Bispecific MDX-240 in France. The French studies,
under the direction of Jean-Louis Pasquali, will join ongoing
studies in Brussels. Pasquali is a professor of clinical
immunology at Hopital Universitaire in Strasbourg. Pre-clinical
studies have shown that MDX-240 triggers the killing function of
immune cells, causing the destruction of HIV and infected cells.
"Phase I/II Trial Results of Immunogen's Oncolysin (R)B in AIDS
Lymphoma Reported at Am. Society of Hematology--Subsequent Study
Under Way"
PR Newswire (12/05/94)
Results of Phase I/II studies of ImmunoGen Inc.'s Oncolysin B
were reported on Monday at a meeting of the American Society of
Hematology. The data showed that Oncolysin B was well tolerated
as an adjunct to conventional chemotherapy in patients with
AIDS-related lymphoma. The principal investigator in the Phase
I/II studies was David T. Scadden of Deaconess Hospital, Harvard
Medical School. ImmunoGen has now launched a pilot study to
further examine the drug in this application and other studies
are currently underway to test the drug against lymphoma and
leukemia.
"Randomised Trial of Thiacetazone and Rifampicin-Containing
Regimens for Pulmonary Tuberculosis in HIV-Infected Ugandans"
Lancet (11/12/94) Vol. 344, No. 8933, P. 1323; Okwera, A.;
Whalen, C.; Byekwaso, F. et al
In a randomized clinical trial of HIV-infected patients with
active pulmonary tuberculosis, researchers studied the safety and
short-term efficacy of thiacetazone and rifampicin-containing
regimens. Thiacetazone has been associated with cutaneous
hypersensitivity and recurrent tuberculosis among HIV-positive
patients receiving treatment for active tuberculosis. A total of
191 HIV-positive adult Ugandan participants with acid-fast
bacilli sputum smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis received
isoniazid, rifampicin, and pyrazinamide for two months followed
by isoniazid and rifampicin for seven months (a regimen known as
RHZ) or streptomycin, thiacetazone, and isoniazid for two months
followed by thiacetazone and isoniazid for 10 months (a regimen
called STH). The overall one-year rate of survival for the two
regimens was similar but the relative risk of death for STH
compared to RHZ--when controlled for baseline differences in
Mantoux reaction size and absolute lymphocyte count--was 1.57. A
greater percentage of RHZ patients compared to STH patients had
sterilized their sputum within two months. The researchers
recommend that rifampicin-containing regimens be given to
HIV-infected patients in developing countries to reduce drug
toxicity and to extend survival.
"Protease Inhibitors--Task Force Proposed"
AIDS Treatment News (11/04/94) No. 210, P. 1
While attending October's meeting of the National Task Force on
AIDS Drug Development, New York AIDS activist Jules Levin
proposed the establishment of a high-level task force on protease
inhibitors. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner
David A. Kessler and Philip R. Lee, Assistant Secretary for
Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, both
strongly supported the suggestion. Dr. Kessler proposed a
special meeting of the National Task Force in early 1995 devoted
solely to protease inhibitors and said that their development is
the most important work the National Task Force can do now. Some
of the issues that Levin suggested for the Protease Task Force
include potential drug interactions between the protease
inhibitors and other medications used by AIDS patients, what
markers of safety and efficacy will be used in trials, and the
need for expanded access for those with more advanced HIV.