-----===[[[ A I D S w i r e  D I G E S T  08.16.93 ]]]===-----


Severity of Sentence Questioned After HIV Carrier Infects Women *
Toronto Globe and Mail (Canada) (08/13/93) P. A4
Mickleburgh, Rod

Raymond Mercer of Newfoundland was given an 11-year prison
sentence for transmitting the AIDS virus to two women. The
decision has fueled the controversy over the role courts should
play in policing behavior of HIV-positive citizens. Both sides
of the debate have expressed outrage over the severity of the
sentence. AIDS Action Now!'s Glen Brown calls the jail term
"extraordinarily severe, much longer than many truly violent
and non-consensual sexual crimes." The 11-year term is indeed
the harshest sentence ever handed out by the courts in the
handful of cases involving the transmission of the HIV virus to
unsuspecting sexual partners. Brown and others argue that
criminal charges are not the way to curb the spread of AIDS,
and that such actions ignore the responsibility of sexual
partners to practice safe sex. Brown had earlier been sentenced
to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of
criminal negligence causing bodily harm. Alan Whitten, chairman
of the criminal justice section of the Ontario branch of the
Canadian Bar Association, expects that there will be more cases
similar to Mercer's.


Diet, Vitamins May Protect Against AIDS, Study Shows *
United Press International (08/16/93)

Berkeley, California--The results of a recent study, described
by one researcher as "exciting," show that a proper diet
supplemented with multivitamins may delay the onset of AIDS in
men infected with HIV. Begun in 1984, the study, the findings
of which were published in the Journal of Immune Deficiency
Syndromes, revealed that almost one-third of the 296 HIV-
positive participants, maintaining strict diet and vitamin
treatments, were protected from the onset of AIDS over the
course of six years. Researcher Barbara Abrams, while
acknowledging the need for further research, called the study's
conclusions "the most important indication that good nutrition
may delay [AIDS] in susceptible individuals."


Burmese Warlord's Army Hit by Killer Epidemic *
Reuters (08/16/93)
Hepinstall, Sonya

Ho Mong, Burma--About 125 soldiers from Burmese warlord Khun
Sa's rebel army have been treated for meningitis at a hospital
in Ho Mong. Historically, meningitis has been an epidemic that
hits groups of people living in close quarters -- especially
military communities -- but improved preventative care has
reduced the problem. The hospital in Khun Sa's mountain
stronghold cannot afford disposable hypodermic needles, and
doctors are reusing syringes to inject patients with procaine
penicillin, the treatment for meningitis. The hospital is also
unable to afford the equipment to test for HIV.


Russian Alarm as Deadly Diseases Spread *
Reuters (08/14/93)
Trevelyan, Mark

Moscow--The economic crisis in Russia is causing a resurgence
of infectious diseases, including diphtheria, tuberculosis,
cholera, and even bubonic plague, say Russian officials. The
government is urging people to get vaccinations, but many
Russians are afraid of contracting AIDS from contaminated
needles. Malaria-bearing mosquitoes are also on the rise, and
60 people were admitted to a hospital in the Altai region after
eating meat infected with anthrax. A 1992 government report
said that two-fifths of Russia's hospitals had no hot water and
twelve percent had no water at all.

Increased Recurrence of Tuberculosis
in HIV-1-Infected Patients in Kenya *
Lancet (08/07/93) Vol. 342, No. 8867, P. 332
Hawken, Mark et. al

Tuberculosis patients generally respond well to a standard
regimen of thiacetazone treatments, although a study of 196 TB
patients in Kenya indicates that patients infected with HIV-1
are 34 times more likely to suffer a recurrent TB infection
than those not infected with HIV-1. Approximately 70 percent of
the HIV-1-positive patients who showed TB recurrence exhibited
cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to thiacetazone treatments
and were switched to ethambutol-based therapies. For the HIV-1-
positive patients, TB recurrence rates did not vary between
those whose conditions met the WHO definition of AIDS and those
whose conditions failed to meet the WHO definition. Also,
initial drug resistance and total white-cell counts had no
bearing on TB recurrence rates. Researchers Dr. Mark Hawken et
al. concluded that HIV-1-infected "patients with a history of
cutaneous hypersensitivity reaction to thiacetazone were at
particular risk of recurrence." They suggested that because
cutaneous hypersensitivity occurs in 20 percent of HIV-1
patients, "ideally, thiacetazone-containing regimens should be
avoided in HIV-1-positive patients and regimens containing
rifampicin in both initial and continuation phases should be
used." However, the researchers acknowledged that "rifampicin
is too expensive for many countries" and suggested an
alternative treatment using "two months' isoniazid, rifampicin,
pyrazinamide, and ethambutol (2HRZE/6HE)."


Rational Suicide and HIV Disease *
Focus (07/93) Vol. 8, No. 8, P. 5
Jones, James R. and Dilley, James W.

Suicidal inclinations among AIDS patients are extremely common
as the patients constantly reevaluate the quality of their
lives. One recent study indicates that people infected with HIV
may be up to 40 times more likely to consider suicide than
members of the general population, although other surveys have
reported levels of suicide risk among AIDS patients at similar
levels as those for the general public. Experts say factors
that may influence the suicide risk for HIV-infected people
include the stage of the disease and characteristics of groups
at high risk of contracting AIDS. In a survey conducted by the
AIDS Health Project, 44 percent of the HIV-positive respondents
showed no signs of depression, while 32 percent exhibited mild
depression and 24 percent showed moderate depression. Eighteen
percent said they knew someone "who planned and successfully
completed a rational suicide," and 67 percent said they had
considered committing rational suicide at some time after they
learned they were HIV positive. Also, 64 percent of the
respondents said they approved of rational suicide in some
cases, while 33 percent said they were uncertain about it and 3
percent said they were opposed to it.


Sexual Behavior and Exposure to HIV *
American Journal of Public Health
(08/93) Vol. 83, No. 8, P. 1139
Campostrini, Stefano and McQueen, David V.

Although numerous mass-media reports have stated or implied
that members of the general public do not face a particularly
high risk of contracting HIV, a study by researchers Stefano
Campostrini and David V. McQueen indicates that approximately
85 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 50 engage in
sexual activities that may put them at risk for exposure to the
AIDS virus. The survey considers the self-reported sexual
habits of 7,269 British citizens and uses the Delphi technique,
a flow-chart-based method of measuring infection-exposure
risks, to determine whether or not test subjects were in danger
of coming into contact with the virus. Of those surveyed, men
aged 18 to 24 living in the London area were most likely to
have a high risk of exposure to HIV; women aged 35 to 49 living
in the London area were most likely have no risk. The
researchers conclude from their findings that "those who argue
that the general population is at little risk of AIDS are
misguided."


HHS Orders Probe of Hemophilia, HIV *
American Medical News (08/02/93) Vol. 36, No. 29, P. 15

Donna E. Shalala, secretary of the Department of Health and
Human Services, said she will instruct the National Academy of
Sciences' Institute of Medicine to investigate cases involving
the contamination of blood products in the early 1980s.
Numerous hemophiliacs who used the products have contracted
HIV. Sens. Robert Graham (D-Fla.) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.)
and Rep. Porter Goss (R-Fla.) had asked for Shalala to
authorize a probe into the matter by HHS' inspector general.
Shalala said in a letter to Graham last month, "I agree that it
would be useful to gain a more complete understanding of the
events that occurred in that period regarding the use of blood
and blood products for transfusion and for treatment of those
with hemophilia." A number of hemophiliacs and their families
have alleged that pharmaceutical firms marketed products that
they knew where contaminated with HIV between 1982 and 1984.
Since 1985, all blood used in the production of blood clotting
factor has been screened for HIV contamination.


Key Statistician Ousted as Waxman Enters gp160 Fray *
Nature (07/29/93) Vol. 364, No. 6436, P. 374
Macilwain, Colin

The Jackson Foundation has apparently forced AIDS researcher
and biostatistician Bill McCarthy to resign after he publicly
criticized U.S. Army Lt. Col. Bob Redfield's research on the
gp160 vaccine and allegedly leaked data concerning a gp160
trial to the press. McCarthy has accused the foundation and the
Army of a "cover up" designed to protect Redfield and his
gp160-related work. The Jackson Foundation is a nonprofit
research center that does substantial work for the U.S. armed
forces. Redfield has promoted the use of gp160 as a treatment
for patients infected with HIV. However, McCarthy claims
Redfield's data presented at a conference in Amsterdam conflict
with test results attained in the Army's Phase 1 gp160 trial.
McCarthy said that his own work on the Phase 1 gp160 test
indicates that if the trial is "done properly, you could not
get the results given by Redfield in Amsterdam or
subsequently." In related news, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.)
has asked Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala to
report on the status of a proposed $20 million gp160 trial.
Over the course of several months, the government has
transferred responsibility for the proposed trial from the
Department of Defense to the National Institutes of Health and
back to the DOD.


August 17, 1993

City Funds Will Shore Up AIDS Group *
Philadelphia Inquirer (08/17/93) P. B1
Collins, Huntly

Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell has agreed to give the Blacks
Educating Blacks About Sexual Health Issues (BEBASHI)
organization $200,000 in city funds. BEBASHI, which provides
AIDS education in the city's black communities, recently lost
$218,000 in funds from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
This loss had threatened to drastically curtail the group's
activities. Rev. James Littrell, executive director of the
Philadelphia AIDS Consortium, applauded the mayor's move,
explaining that it keeps the Health Department's promise "to
keep BEBASHI whole" in the advent of its most recent funding
setback. Both BEBASHI and the AIDS Community Education Project
received federal funding for AIDS education in the fiscal year
that ended June 30. However, under a new competitive bidding
program that utilizes outside evaluators, both groups failed to
be recommended for continued funding. To make matters worse,
BEBASHI was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
protection, after accumulating $1.4 million in debts. Richard
Scott, director of Philadelphia's AIDS Activities Coordinating
Office, says that city lawyers are currently in negotiations
with BEBASHI for a new contract.


AIDS in Africa -- It's a Different Story *
Washington Post (Health) (08/17/93) P. 7
Okie, Susan

While the World Health Organization estimates that more than 8
million Africans have HIV, researchers report that the majority
of this number suffer and/or die from common infections. Unlike
North American and European AIDS patients, who suffer from
unusual infections like Kaposi's sarcoma, African patients are
dying from tuberculosis and enteric fever, which are easily
treated in developed countries. Charles Gilks, a physician at
the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, attributes this to
overworked hospital staff, inadequate laboratories, and a
scarcity of antibiotics. The competition for these medical
resources is also increasing the mortality rate for patients
not infected with HIV.


Tuberculosis on the Rebound *
Chicago Tribune (08/16/93) P. 8-4
Thomas, Jerry

Following a period of near extinction, tuberculosis is back on
the rise in Illinois' Lake County, as well as nationwide. In
1992, instances of TB rose 20 percent from 1952, with more than
26,000 people across the county testing positive for the
disease. Health experts in Lake County report that this
increase may be caused by the constant flow of immigrants;
however, the AIDS virus may also be to blame. Tuberculosis is
an "opportunist" disease and settles into weak immune systems,
which are characteristic of AIDS patients. Although TB is
treatable with such medications as Isoniazib and Rifadin, it
can be deadly if left untreated.


Felons No More, Russian Gays Fight Bias, AIDS *
Washington Times (08/17/93) P. A9
Rubin, Julia

Russian homosexuals have announced the creation of an advocacy
group, Triangle, through which they will seek equality for gay
men and lesbians and will fight the spread of AIDS. The group
will act as an information center for homosexuality and AIDS,
and will be involved in political activities. Triangle was
formed three months after the country decriminalized
homosexuality. Group leaders say it is important for them to
organize support for gays during a period of political
upheaval. According to activists, treatment of gays has
improved since the law against male homosexuality was repealed.
There are reportedly now hundreds of homosexual groups across
the country, along with openly gay bars and cafes. Also, say
leaders, people are increasingly willing to be tested for AIDS
because they no longer have to worry about being arrested.
Nonetheless, homosexuals still fear social censure, and still
worry about discrimination in the workplace. The number of AIDS
cases is Russia is officially placed at 600 to 700, although
homosexual activists say the figure is substantially higher.
Editor of a Moscow gay newspaper, Dmitri Lychov, placed the
number of Russians infected with HIV at 35,000. Lychov said he
is seeking to broaden awareness of AIDS among gays. "Our AIDS
centers remain rudimentary, and the issue doesn't interest
representatives of the gay movement as much as we'd like," said
Lychov.


Vaccine for Hepatitis B *
Washington Post (Health) (08/17/93) P. 15
Siwek, Jay

Like the AIDS virus, Hepatitis B can move from person to person
via sex with an infected partner, contact with contaminated
blood, and needle injections.  Unlike HIV, however, one can
contract the virus through extraordinarily small amounts of
blood -- from a tiny cut, for example.  Because the amount of
blood is often too small even to be seen, many people become
infected but do not even realize how.


World Wire: Postscripts *
Wall Street Journal (08/17/93) P. A10
Anantharaman, Krishnan M.

One out of every eight people in Uganda is infected with HIV.
Most of the population is at risk of dying from the epidemic,
according to the head of the Ugandan AIDS control program.


Malaysian Latex Company to Export Condoms to Thailand *
United Press International (08/17/93)

Kuala Lumpur--Malaysia-based Sidax Latex Industries will export
45 million condoms to Thailand under a contract awarded under
the government's campaign against AIDS.  Three years ago,
Thailand began a campaign against the disease, allotting 10
percent of the national Food and Drug Administration
Department's budget to distributing free condoms and conducting
HIV tests among high-risk groups every six months.


Hemophiliacs Sue *
Toronto Globe and Mail (Canada) (08/16/93) P. A

The Alberta branch of the Red Cross and the provincial
government are being sued by five Edmonton hemophiliacs who are
seeking damages for contracting HIV through blood tainted with
the virus before 1985.  Before Canada's national screening of
donated blood started on Nov. 1, 1985, approximately 700
hemophiliacs and 270 other Canadians were infected with the
AIDS virus through transfusions.


HIV Risk-Related Sex Behaviors Among Injection Drug Users,
Crack Smokers, and Injection Drug Users Who Smoke Crack *
American Journal of Public (08/93) Vol. 83, No. 8, P. 1145
Booth, Robert E.; Watters, John K.; and Chitwood, Dale D.

While it is commonly accepted that users of intravenous drugs
face a high risk of exposure to HIV because of their drug use,
research by Drs. Robert E. Booth, John K. Watters, and Dale D.
Chitwood indicates that IV-drug users and people who smoke
crack cocaine are also likely to engage in sexual practices
that put them at risk for exposure to the virus.  The
scientists evaluated the sexual risk factors for 246 drug users
from Denver, Miami, and San Francisco.  They determined that 71
percent of the subjects had engaged in sexual activity during
the 30 days prior to the study and 44 percent had had multiple
partners during that time.  Of those who only injected drugs,
44 percent had engaged in unprotected sex during the 30 days
prior to the study, compared to 51 percent of those who only
smoked crack and 74 percent of those who both injected and
smoked.  People who both injected and smoked drugs were also
more likely to have exchanged sex for drugs or money and to
have had sex while on drugs than those who limited themselves
to a single method of drug use.


August 18, 1993


Houston Woman Claims Man Hid His HIV Status *
Reuters (08/17/93)

Houston--In what is believed to be one of the first cases of
its kind, authorities said that a 46-year-old man who allegedly
is infected with HIV has been charged in a Texas court for
deliberately exposing a woman to the disease. A 1989 state law
says that intentionally exposing another person to the virus is
a felony, and is punishable by as many as 10 years imprisonment
and a $10,000 fine. George Felix Sirls, a volunteer at the
People With AIDS Coalition Center, allegedly told the woman
that he had tested negative for the AIDS virus, but police
found medical records at a Houston clinic that indicated he had
twice tested positive. The woman claims that the same day she
first had sex with Sirls, she found evidence in his apartment,
including medical records, that he is indeed HIV-positive.
Court records said that there was no indication that the woman
had contracted the virus.


BRF -- Japan-AIDS *
Associated Press (08/17/93)

Tokyo--In hopes of directing attention to the alarming increase
of HIV in Asia, next year Japan will become the first Asian
country to host the International Conference on AIDS. The 10th
annual meeting, to be held Aug. 7-12 in Yokohama, is expected
to attract about 10,000 people. While AIDS shows promise of
stabilization in North America and Europe, the epidemic is
expected to continue its rapid growth in Asia. In May, the
World Health Organization estimated that over 1.5 million
people in South and Southeast Asia have the virus, with a
concentration of cases in India and Thailand.


Boulder County AIDS Project Combats Ignorance
About the Illness *
Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News (08/17/93)
Burrus, James

Boulder, Colo.--As the AIDS epidemic continues to grow,
businesses will need to confront issues surrounding employees
who are infected with the disease. According to the Centers for
Disease Control, most people with HIV are between the ages of
25 and 34 -- the age group that makes up the bulk of the work
force. Although one is more likely to encounter the virus at
work than in the general population, most businesses have not
established guidelines concerning AIDS. The Americans with
Disabilities Act, passed this year, states that employers may
not discriminate against employees who, although they may be
sick or injured, are still capable of doing their jobs. The ADA
includes AIDS as a sickness; however, only businesses with 25
or more employees must comply. Unfortunately, legislation is
not likely to allay the public's fear of such a deadly disease.
Indeed, a 1992 survey by the National Leadership Coalition
showed that half of the 2,000 employees who participated said
that AIDS was their primary health concern, ranking higher than
even cancer and heart disease.


Cape Aid Fundraiser *
United Press International (08/18/93)

AIDS activists and members of the 11 Rotary Clubs in Cape Cod,
Mass., are uniting to raise and distribute money for housing
and health services for local residents infected with the AIDS
virus. According to the Cape Cod AIDS Council, there are 321
people in the community with full-blown AIDS and have been 190
deaths resulting from the disease. It is believed that there
are more than 300 undiagnosed cases of HIV on the Cape. The
Cape Aid fund-raising campaign will end with a concert
featuring the Smothers Brothers and Dennis Miller on Aug. 26.
The organizers hope to raise $500,000. Although President
Clinton will be on vacation at Martha's Vineyard during the
effort, he is not scheduled to appear at any of the events.


In Red Cross Class, AIDS Care-Givers Learn All
They Can, Hope for the Best *
Philadelphia Inquirer (08/18/93) P. G1
Herndon, Lucia

The Red Cross in Center City, Philadelphia, Pa., offers free
home-nursing training programs to providers who care for
persons with the AIDS virus. The 14-hour sessions focus on
pharmacy, nutrition, economics, and law. Participants also
spend time in a hospital, where they learn essentials such as
making a bed with a person in it, moving a person from bed to
chair, proper cleanliness procedures, and precautionary
measures. A $100,000 grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts funds
the classes. Edith McCall, the AIDS home care training
specialist at the Red Cross, said that the goal of the program
is to educate 1,200 caregivers.


Top Brands Lend Ads to French AIDS Effort *
Adweek--Eastern Edition (08/09/93) Vol. 34, No. 32, P. 14
Tilles, Daniel

Joker, a small agency in Paris, is using advertising to promote
anti-AIDS, pro-condom messages. The campaign has caught
attention through its use of well-known French ads from
Benetton and Elle which have been slightly adapted to promote
condom use. Francois Trabelsi, Joker's principal, hopes to team
with international advertisers to focus on the anti-AIDS issue.
Although the campaign was received with some reluctance, the
agency has found other advertisers willing to lend their ads,
as well as periodicals and billboard companies that have
donated free advertising space.


Prophylaxis: New One-Day Sulfa Desensitization Procedure *
AIDS Treatment News (08/06/93) No. 180, P. 6
James, John S.

New research and improved procedures have made it possible for
some HIV-infected persons to receive a treatment that was
previously considered unsafe due to adverse reactions by the
patients. More than half of HIV patients react negatively to
oral trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) , a prophylactic
treatment that is effective in preventing pneumocystis and
toxoplasmosis, two conditions common to those with the AIDS
virus. Researchers have been developing desensitization
procedures to conquer this problem. Recently, Dr. Brian Lipson,
an allergist/immunologist in California, improved his 12-hour
procedure by pretreating his patients with prednisone and
antihistamines. Of 20 patients, only one failed to desensitize;
that patient had not been pretreated. Dr. Lipson hopes to
conduct a formal trial for the procedure soon.


AIDS Risk Reduction Among a Multiethnic Sample
of Urban High School Students *
Journal of the American Medical Association
(08/11/93) Vol. 270, No. 6, P. 725
Walter, Heather J. and Vaughan, Roger D.

AIDS-prevention instruction by teachers in inner-city high
schools with multiethnic student bodies may lead to a reduction
in the spread of the disease, according to a study by
researchers Heather J. Walter and Roger D. Vaughan. The
scientists compared students from two similar inner city high
schools, one of which provided students with a curriculum
including AIDS-prevention information and the other of which
offered no such program. The students in the study were in the
ninth and 11th grades, averaged 15.7 years of age, and were
overwhelmingly black or Hispanic (72.1 percent). A survey prior
to the study indicated that approximately 5 percent of the
students believed they would eventually contract HIV, and 50
percent believed that preventative actions such as monogamy,
condom use, abstinence and avoidance of high-risk partners
could reduce the risk of acquiring AIDS. Approximately 33
percent of the students said they had engaged in sexual
activity during the 3 months prior to the study, and of these,
only 50 percent said they regularly used condoms. Following the
study period, students who received AIDS-related education
seemed less likely to engage in sexual intercourse with high-
risk partners and more likely to use condoms and practice
monogamy. The educational intervention program apparently had
no effect on whether or not students abstained from sexual
activity. Walter and Vaughan conclude, "The findings from this
and other investigations add to the growing empirical evidence
that well-planned curricula...can have a favorable impact on
teenagers' involvement in sexual risk behaviors. However,
because the effect of such curricula may be limited, they may
need supplementation by a broader-based prevention effort."

Fullerene Bioactivity C60 Derivative Inhibits AIDS Viruses *
Chemical & Engineering News
(08/02/93) Vol. 71, No. 31, P. 3
Baum, Ruddy

Water-soluble buckminsterfullerene may prove to be an effective
component of drug treatments for HIV-1 and HIV-2, according to
separate studies by two different AIDS research groups.
Scientists from the University of California--San Francisco
reasoned that the C60 water-soluble derivative has physical
properties that will enable it to inhibit the activity of HIV-1
protease by blocking the viral enzyme's active site.
Experimentation and modeling indicate that C60 at a 5.3M
concentration inhibits the protease competitively. Meanwhile,
researchers at Emory University discovered that C60 has a
number of common properties with polyoxometalates, a class of
large inorganic clusters that inhibit the expression of a
different HIV enzyme known as reverse transcriptase. The Emory
group reported that a fullmeroid derivative in concentrations
of 7M and 11M may block HIV reproduction in patients with acute
and chronic cases of HIV infection, respectively. Neither group
has developed any fullmeroid-based HIV treatments, but the
discoveries could lead to future pharmaceutical developments.


August 19, 1993

AIDS Marriages *
Associated Press (08/18/93)

Salt Lake City--Officials in Utah asked a federal judge to
overturn a 1987 state law banning individuals from marrying
AIDS-infected partners. Last month, Attorney Brian Barnard sued
for two married couples, both with wives carrying HIV, whose
children would be considered illegitimate should the marriages
be voided. Barnard said that the law is unconstitutional and a
violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Although in
agreement, the state asked the women to postpone litigation,
allowing the Legislature time to repeal the statute during the
January session. The women refused, however, because they were
afraid that insurance companies would not pay health benefits
if they died.


AIDS Scare Hits South African Orange Sales *
Reuters (08/18/93)

Johannesburg--Many South Africans will not buy oranges from
hawkers due to hearsay that the fruit is tainted with AIDS-
infected blood, said Lawrence Mavundla, chairman of the African
Council for Hawkers and Informal Business. He claimed that shop
proprietors spread the rumors to hurt the hawkers, their
competition. Mavundla and Sheperd Mayekiso, spokesman for an
AIDS awareness campaign, said that the pink color in the flesh
of two kinds of oranges caused people to believe the rumor.
Mayekiso said his organization will campaign to convince the
public that it cannot contract AIDS by eating fruit.


AIDS Agencies Agree to Coordinate Funding *
Philadelphia Inquirer (08/19/93) P. B2
Collins, Huntly

After months of struggle between local Philadelphia AIDS
agencies and Robert K. Ross, the city's health commissioner,
the two parties have finally agreed on a plan to coordinate the
distribution of more than $20 million in public funds for AIDS
services. Under this new allocation system, the Philadelphia
Health Department has the last word on how much money goes to
specific AIDS agencies. The department must base these
decisions on the recommendations of a 12-member committee, half
of whom are infected with HIV and all of whom are free of
conflicts of interest. Decisions will also be based on a study
of community needs. The plan
will go into effect in October.


Third Phase of AIDS Vaccine Study Nears Start *
Reuters (08/19/93)

Washington--MicroGeneSys Inc., a biopharmaceutical company
working on an AIDS vaccine, said that the third phase of its
study will begin before the end of the year. The company will
donate its vaccine VaxSyn to the trial, which will involve
5,000 to 10,000 HIV-positive patients nationwide who will be
measured for progress for up to four years. The trial will
evaluate the vaccine's ability to prevent clinical illness and
increase longevity. The first two phases have established
safety and tested for stimulating antibody and cellular immune
response against HIV. Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
will conduct the trial under a $20 million appropriation from
Congress.


Receptagen Sponsors AIDS-Lymphoma Drug Research
at University of British Columbia *
Business Wire (08/18/93)

Seattle, Wash.--Receptagen Corp., a biotechnology company,
signed a multi-year research agreement with the internationally
known Biomedical Research Centre at the University of British
Columbia. Under the agreement, Receptagen will develop "growth-
blocker" drugs, based on antibodies, to treat AIDS-related
cancer. Because they lack the typical side effects of
chemotherapy, growth blockers may be very effective in treating
not only AIDS lymphoma, but other diseases in which the immune
system is weakened as well.


"A Better Life" Is Another AIDS Play With a Difference *
United Press International (08/16/93)
Cole, Gloria

New York--Author Louis Delgado, Jr. has chosen AIDS as the
theme of his first play. "A Better Life" features two main
characters -- one a Black drug addict, the other an Oriental
homosexual. Both are men who have been diagnosed with the AIDS
virus, and are designated to share a hospital room. The plot
explores the impact of HIV on their personal relationships and
unfolds the friendship that is slowly blooming between the two
patients, who initially share only contempt for one another.
The play is being presented by the Theatre Row Theatre through
Aug. 29 by Hospital Audiences, Inc. HAI performs for disabled,
homeless, elderly, and sick audiences, including AIDS patients.



Research, Political Leaders Plan Future Directions *
AIDS Treatment News (08/06/93) No. 180, P. 1
James, John S.

Top health officials convened July 30 and 31 in Madison, Wis.,
to discuss "Future Directions in AIDS Research." Among those
attending the meeting were Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Kristine
Gebbie, the White House AIDS Policy Coordinator; Dr. David
Kessler, Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration;
as well as over 40 other scientists and representatives. Much
of the focus of the meeting centered on how to move ideas from
the lab to the clinic, and nine consensus points were the
specific topics of discussion. Those points included the need
for more resources, expansion and creation of research
programs, and the roles of government, Congress, and the
president. The participants plan to meet again in about two
months to talk in more detail about scientific directions.


Harvard Group Makes a Splash--Twice *
Science (08/06/93) Vol. 261, No. 5122, P. 678
Cohen, Jon

Last winter, researchers at Harvard Medical School attracted
plenty of media attention by reporting that a combination of
three drugs appeared to be effective in stopping HIV from
replicating. However, critics believed the study was flawed and
said anything can kill HIV in a test tube. Those that
criticized the study proved to be correct, leading to a second
round of media stories trying to fix the mistake reported.
"It's unfortunate that the whole thing has made a big splash
both times," noted Nick Short, biology editor for Nature.
Because it recommended a way past the drawbacks of HIV drugs,
the Harvard study attracted so much media attention. From
mutations, the virus eventually becomes resistant to all drugs
used to fight it. In the Harvard study, the scientists tried to
use the ability to mutate against the virus. All the drugs aim
for the essential HIV enzyme, reverse transcriptase (RT). The
researchers tried to convey the message that the combination of
known mutations stemming from the three drugs injured the RT,
preventing HIV from replicating. Although the theory may have
worked, the Harvard personnel accidentally introduced a
mutation not sparked by the three drugs.


Cost Analysis Questions Value of Routine HIV Testing *
AIDS Alert (08/93) Vol. 8, No. 8, P. 120

 Voluntary routine HIV testing of hospital patients is not cost
effective as far as preventing secondary transmissions to
health care workers, indicated a recent analysis by the Center
for AIDS Prevention and the Institute for Health Policy Studies
at the University of California at San Francisco. The analysis
was presented at the Ninth International Conference on AIDS in
Berlin after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in
Atlanta suggested that any hospital with an HIV diagnosis rate
higher than one per 1,000 should conduct voluntary testing. The
CDC made these recommendations without considering the cost of
implementation or that of pre- and post-test counseling, the
analysis said. The CDC's other recommendation that hospitals
with a seroprevalence rate of one percent or greater test
patients was still expensive, but justified and much more well-
received. The study estimated that 54 percent of all HIV-
infected patients could be identified in the earlier stages of
the virus, and be treated at an average of two years earlier.


August 20, 1993

Army to Test AIDS Vaccine Early in 1994 *
Washington Post (08/20/93) P. A20

With intense opposition from officials at the National
Institutes of Health, large-scale testing of an AIDS vaccine
will begin early in 1994. The vaccine, called VaxSyn, is a
product of MicroGeneSys, a Connecticut pharmaceutical company.
Scientists at NIH studied the results of previous, smaller
studies and concluded that the vaccine did not demonstrate
enough promise to warrant a large-scale trial. Officials at the
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, however, disagree,
claiming that they had encouraging results from the earlier
tests. MicroGeneSys lobbied Congress and was rewarded with a
$20 million appropriation to conduct the trials, which may take
up to four years and will directly study 5,000 to 10,000 HIV-
infected patients.


Soldier With AIDS Virus Accused of Unsafe Sex *
Chicago Tribune (08/19/93) P. 1-4

A possible court-martial awaits an HIV-infected soldier who is
charged with violating a "safe sex" order. The mandate requires
enlisted persons to inform their partners if they are infected
with the AIDS virus. Spec. Quincy Mason, 22, who is stationed
at Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs, Colo., refuses to disclose
the number of people with whom he had unprotected sex.


Chronicle: Award in Memory of Ashe *
New York Times (08/19/93) P. B11

The Commonwealth Fund, one of the oldest philanthropies in the
nation, presented $175,000 in memory of Arthur Ashe to the New
York Junior Tennis League. Tennis star Ashe, who died of AIDS
in February, helped found the league, which was established so
that poor city youths could learn the sport and compete
successfully. The donation will go toward the building of an
$800,000 indoor tennis facility.


TB Resurgence Seen in U.S., Western Europe *
United Press International (08/20/93)
Taylor, Charles S.

Atlanta--A rebound in tuberculosis, already observed in the
United States, is now evident in several Western European
countries, according the World Health Organization. The trend
since the 1970s has been a steadily declining rate in cases of
the respiratory disease; however, that trend now seems to be
reversing. Similar to the United States, much of the resurgence
of TB occurs among immigrants born in countries with high rates
of the disease, and many of the TB cases involve HIV-infected
people. WHO clarified that, in Europe, the primary factor was
not AIDS,
but immigration


Tom Fuccello Is Dead; Actor on TV Was 56 *
Washington Post (08/20/93) P. B7

Actor Tom Fuccello, whose roles included everything from soap
operas to Shakespeare, died of AIDS at a hospital in
California. The veteran actor appeared on Broadway, the daytime
soap "One Life to Live," the nighttime soap "Dallas," and other
television programs and commercials. He is survived by his
mother and brother.


French AIDS Tests Get the Hook *
Science (08/06/93) Vol. 261, No. 5122, P. 679
Flam, Faye

Nine of the 31 HIV blood tests marketed in France were quickly
pulled off the market by the French Health Ministry, causing
anxiety in people who tested negative and are now uncertain
about the validity of those results. According to Phillippe
Douste Blazy, Deputy Health Minister, the kits did not perform
well in a recent evaluation. The abrupt manner in which they
were removed, however, caused disapproval in some industry
sources, including the scientist who initially evaluated the
tests.


Drug-Resistant TB Ushers New Recommendations for Treatment *
AIDS Alert (08/93) Vol. 8, No. 8, P. 116

The Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET)
offers three recommendations to stunt the growth of the
disease, especially drug-resistant strains which are extremely
hazardous to HIV patients. One recommendation is to treat TB
with four drugs instead of just the accustomed three --
isoniazid, rifampin, and pyrazinamide. The additional drug of
either ethambutol or streptomycin would allow for intermittent
rather than daily treatment. A second ACET recommendation is
for directly observed therapy, in which someone is present to
ensure that the patient takes the medicine. Lastly, the Council
recommends drug-susceptability tests to identify drug-resistant
strains for all TB patients, and suggests that the results be
reported.


FDA Nutritional Supplement Regulations: Comments Due August 17 *
AIDS Treatment News (08/06/93) No. 180, P. 7
James, John S.

The Food and Drug Administration's regulation of the
nutritional vitamin supplement industry is sparking anxiety in
those representing persons with AIDS or other deadly diseases.
The FDA released a report, "Unsubstantiated Claims and
Documented Health Hazards in the Dietary Supplement
Marketplace," stating its position and identifying the dangers
of certain substances. Concerned parties such as the Consumer
Coalition for Health Choices, however, are worried that in the
midst of greater FDA regulation some treatment options may be
removed without good cause. Fred Bingham of the above-mentioned
coalition expressed concern that the FDA houses an
institutional bias against supplements and will not regulate
them fairly.


New HIV Guidelines *
American Druggist (08/93) Vol. 208, No. 3, P. 14

A panel of health experts assembled by the National Institutes
of Health is recommending that not all HIV patients be treated
with AZT. The new guidelines stem from a recent study in Europe
which indicates that the drug does not delay the onset of AIDS.
Based on the infected person's level of CD4 T cells, use of AZT
is left to the discretion of doctors and their patients. The
guidelines suggest AZT for CD4 counts below 500, but the drug
is not recommended for those with counts above that amount.


NOTE:  Compilation by Michael Tidmus : AIDSwire. All rights
reserved. Permission is granted to republish on electronic
media for which no fee is charged, provided the complete text
of this notice is attached to any republished portion or
portions.

* From the AIDS Daily Summary. The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS Clearinghouse has made this
information available 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. Copyright
1993, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD.

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