The San Francisco Examiner - Wednesday, April 23, 1997
Lisa M. Krieger of the Examiner Staff

The action, if followed by other states, would pave the way to an economic resolution of the tragedy.

But hemophiliacs in California say that the sum doesn't begin to recoup taxpayer-funded health care costs for HIV-infected hemophiliacs covered by the state program. With about 700 infected hemophiliacs living in the state, most of them dependent on MediCal, the settlement represents a mere $770 per person. AIDS treatment is enormously expensive: about $1,000 a month for anti-viral drugs alone.

"Taxpayers are getting ripped off," said hemophiliac David Powell of San Mateo. "That amount of money doesn't cover the cost of care."

The drug companies say that hemophiliacs should be happy with the agreement, no matter how small, because it protects them from the possibility that MediCal might come back and stake a claim to the victims' money.

"The object is not to provide money for the state, to compensate for its expenses," said Guy Esnouf, spokesman for Alpha Therapeutic Co, Armour Pharmaceutical Co., Baxter International Inc. and Bayer Corp. "The object was to close the settlement."

In a tentative agreement put put together by U.S. District Judge John F. Grady of Illinois, 6,200 hemophiliac plaintiffs would be awarded more than $650,000, or about $10,000 each. But the accord was threatened by the rights of 50 state Medicaid programs, private insurers and the federal government to demand recovery of their expenses from the sick patients.

Under the settlement, California became the first state to waive its right to a piece of this larger accord. Other states have been less compliant. For instance, Virginia and New Jersey, are considering lawsuits against the companies. Massachusetts is investigating allegations of fraud, which could lead to legal action.

Private insurers already have accepted the waiver condition. The same is expected from U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno. So only the states are left.

The case grows out of the 1980s, when blood concentrates used by hemophiliacs allegedly contained HIV, leading to a massive number of AIDS cases.

News briefs

*AIDS patients are increasingly vulnerable to an emerging drug-resistant bacteria, Streptococcus pneumoniae, warns the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Until 1987, Strep bacteria was susceptible to penicillin. Since then, it has developed a resistance not just to penicillin, but to other anti-microbial drugs, including tetracycline, erythromycin, the cephalosporins and chloramphenicol.

*Gay and bisexual men who were sexually abused as children are more likely to engage in unsafe sex as adults, reports Dr. William Lenderking of Massachusetts General Hospital. These men were twice as likely to participate in unprotected anal sex than gay men who did not have a history of abuse. Previous studies found that abused children frequently develop emotional problems later in life, such as depression, low self-esteem and social isolation, he writes in the April issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

*A clinical trial of the drug thalidomide, called Synovir, suggests that the drug may have promise against HIV-associated weight loss. Dr. Morris Schambelan of UC-San Francisco reports that patients on placebo gained 0.7 pounds over eight weeks, compared to 4.5 pounds in those who took the drug. Synovir is made by Calgene of Warren, N.J.

Events

*There will be a forum on many important HIV issues - dual protease inhibitor therapies, opportunistic infections, viral resistance and back-to-work issues - from 6 to 9 p.m. this Wednesday at Davies Medical Center Auditorium, B Level, Castro and Duboce streets. Speakers include doctors Steven Deeks and Lisa Capaldini, as well as Daniel Fortuno of AIDS Benefit Counselors.

*Experts from around the world will convene at the National Institutes of Health April 28-30 to present new findings on AIDS-related cancers such as Kaposi's sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and cervical cancer. About 40 percent of all AIDS patients may eventually develop cancer. Daily on-line summaries of abstracts and presentations will be available electronically at www.healthcg.com / NCIconference. Mother's Day events

When customers order flowers from FTD this Mother's Day, the flower-by-wire company will deduct 5 percent from the bill and make another 5 percent donation to Mothers' Voices, a national nonprofit group of mothers working to combat AIDS. To receive the offer, customers must provide the Mothers' Voices number, 4247, with each order. Call 1-800-SEND-FTD to place an order.

Mothers' Voices is also mounting a "card campaign," where mothers all over the country sign with family and friends hundreds of thousands of special anti-AIDS Mother's Day cards that will be forwarded to President Clinton, Congress and governors.

The toll

Dean Knutson, 29, an activist with ACT UP / Golden Gate who tried every existing anti-viral drug, but they failed him. None of the drugs awaiting approval was available because his T-cells were too low to qualify for trials. He died of an unidentified drug-resistant lung infection . . . Les Cason, 43, whose hugely successful basketball career as a teenager at East Rutherford High School in New Jersey captured the nation's imagination - and signaled achievements he never fulfilled. In 1971 and 1972, Cason scored 2,871 points and was offered scholarships by 320 colleges. But as pressures from college recruiters and his low test scores intensified, his skills on the court eroded. The rest of his life was plagued by drug abuse and poverty. He ended up at the Bowery Mission in Manhattan.

Date

reported / Cases / Deaths

S.F. 4/1 23,974 16,692

Calif. 4/1 99,908 64,137

U.S. 4/1 548,102 343,000

WHO(rprtd) 4/1 8,400,000 6,400,000

Figures are cumulative since June 1981. Government officials now compile and release statistics quarterly, not monthly.

To contribute to AIDSweek, call (415) 777-7867. AIDSweek columns are available on the Internet at http://www.examiner.com/aidsweek/aidsweek.html
970423
SE970405

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, 1997. 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. .