Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1988. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Newsday - November 22, 1988
Laurie Garrett
The drug, known as alpha interferon, diminishes, and in some cases eliminates, Kaposi's sarcoma skin tumors that often accompany AIDS, according to a study conducted by Dr. Clifford Lane of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Although the details of Lane's study are being held in embargo by the British medical journal Lancet until Saturday, Lane said that patients with advanced AIDS were not helped by the drug, but patients who had no symptoms other than the purple Kaposi's lesions responded extremely well.
In a statement released yesterday, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the institute, said that "Dr. Lane's study also found evidence that alpha interferon may, to some extent, diminish AIDS virus activity."
Lane is conducting further studies to determine whether the drug can slow the spread of the AIDS virus throughout the body.
To be effective against Kaposi's sarcoma, the drug must be taken in very high doses - doses that are both dangerous and expensive. According to Lane, alpha interferon's side effects "were substantial," and included flu-like symptoms, suppression of bone marrow production of blood cells, and cardiovascular problems. Because patients rarely die of Kaposi's sarcoma, and the side effects are so serious, Lane said, "it's a real question that remains to be answered" as to whether the drug is worth taking simply to eliminate the purple lesions.
Alpha interferon is a natural protein manufactured by cells in the human body. Two major American pharmaceutical companies, Hoffman-La Roche and Schering Corp., manufacture genetically engineered forms of it, marketed as Roferon and Intron-A, respectively.
Several thousand AIDS patients have undergone alpha-interferon therapy experimentally, and physicians have generally been enthusiastic about the drug's effect on Kaposi's sarcoma. Depending on the stage of AIDS the patient was in during alpha-interferon therapy, 30 to 50 percent witnessed a marked reduction in tumor lesions, or complete disappearance, the FDA said yesterday.
Hoffman-La Roche said a year's supply of the drug will cost AIDS patients $9,800, which it says is a bargain price.
(****The following appeared in C Edition: Most of the patients taking this drug would also take AZT, which typically costs $10,000 a year.)
881122
ND881101
Copyright © 1988 - Newsday. All rights reserved. All pages of newsday.com are copyright © Newsday, Inc. Other parties may also own rights to portions of newsday.com content. No portion of newsday.com content may be published, broadcast or distributed, directly or indirectly, in any medium without Newsday's prior written consent. Newsday, Inc. will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any content on newsday.com. http://www.newsday.com.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1988. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1988. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .