Washington Blade - June 7, 2002

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- A yet-to-be approved impotence drug developed by Eli Lilly and Co. and Icos Corp. appears to be longer-lasting than Viagra, the companies said, citing a study being released at the American Urological Association conference in Orlando. Patients in the study reported success in achieving erections lasting from 24 hours to as long as 36 hours after taking a 20-milligram pill of Cialis, according to Lilly and Icos. The study did not compare Cialis' effect directly with those of Viagra, the four-year-old Pfizer drug that brings in $1.2 billion a year. "There are other studies that have looked at the length of the duration of Viagra's effects, and usually it's in the eight-to-12 hour range maximum," said Dr. Raymond Rosen, author of the Cialis study. Bayer Corp. also is awaiting FDA approval for another impotence treatment, called Vardenafil.

Lesbians left out of feds report on women's health

BETHESDA, Md. -- Health & Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson last week released "Women's Health USA 2002," the first comprehensive statistical report on women released by the government. "For the first time, we're giving people a single place to go to get a comprehensive look at the health status of women across the nation," Thompson said in a press release. The information was compiled by HHS' Health Resources & Services Administration and includes the most recent federal data available from HHS and the departments of Justice and Agriculture. The report includes data showing that most U.S. women 40 years of age and older in 1998 had received a mammogram in the previous two years and a Pap smear in the previous three years. A spokesperson from HRSA said lesbians were not included in the report.

Gene researchers discover way to 'turn off' genes that bolster HIV virus

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A form of RNA developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology silences genes that play a role in HIV infection, potentially showing a new way to combat the virus that causes AIDS. The team used a short form of RNA -- ribonucleic acid -- that turns off genes vital for the production of proteins used by the virus to enter and infect cells. RNA carries the blueprint for constructing proteins. "If many obstacles can be surmounted, this could be a basis for intervention in HIV treatment," said Dr. Phillip A. Sharp, who led the research. The work was conducted in the laboratory, and problems to be solved include finding ways to deliver the RNA cells in animals or humans to ensure it would not interfere with normal biological processes and would not have side effects, he said. The work, reported in the online edition of the journal Nature Medicine, is a "proof of concept," Sharp said. He won the 1993 Nobel Prize for the discovery of "split genes" that changed how scientists look at evolution and advanced research on hereditary diseases, including some cancers.

Study: Removing ovaries can prevent breast cancer

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Women who carry genes that increase their risk of breast cancer can sharply reduce that risk by surgical removal of their healthy ovaries, a less disfiguring alternative than preventive removal of both breasts, which has been the primary option until now, the Los Angeles Times reported. The operation also greatly reduces the risk of ovarian cancer, which is also associated with the same genetic condition. In the 173 women who had the genetic mutations, none who had their ovaries removed developed ovarian cancer. Four of the women who didn't have the operation developed the cancer. The surgery also reduced the risk of breast cancer by about two-thirds. While the strategy is not as effective at reducing breast cancer risk as preventive mastectomy, it may offer a less drastic option for women with defective BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. The study results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

$24.5 in grants to bolster substance abuse efforts for minorities with HIV

BETHESDA, Md. -- The Substance Abuse & Mental Services Administration has announced the availability of funds for grants to enhance or expand substance abuse treatment in conjunction with HIV/AIDS services in African American, Latino/Hispanic and other racial or ethnic communities that been highly affected by substance abuse and HIV/AIDS. Approximately $24.5 million on funding will be available to fund up to 50 grants. Some $15 million of that total will be used to fund up to 30 grants in metropolitan areas not previously funded under SAMHSA treatment grants. The remaining $9.5 million will be available for up to 20 grants in states and metropolitan areas with high rates of AIDS. All grants must target high-risk substance abusing populations in African American, Hispanic/Latino or other racial and ethnic minority communities. The average award is expected to range up to $500,000 per year on total costs. The grants will be awarded for a period of up to five years. For more information, visit www.samhsa.gov/grants/content/2001/0100assist2.htm.

From staff and wire reports
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