AIDS TREATMENT NEWS No. 116 - December 7, 1990
Denny Smith
A campaign to find safer and truly definitive treatments, within a year and a half, for five of the most lethal AIDS-related infections has been inaugurated by ACT UP/New York. This project, dubbed "Countdown 18 Months," was formally launched November 12 during the latest session of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG).
The idea was first proposed by Garance Franke-Ruta, and developed by her with fellow members of ACT UP/New York's Treatment and Data Committee. Motivating the campaign are two well-founded assertions:
* A dramatic advance in controlling HIV progression is inevitable, but it may develop too far in the future to prevent many currently asymptomatic seropositives from progressing to symptoms. And it is not of immediate use to thousands of people already battling secondary opportunistic infections.
* The resources now exist with which to replace the haphazard "aim and wince" handling of opportunistic infections, and 18 months is not an unrealistic span in which to mobilize these resources.
A crucial condition for the success of this project will be the development of effective working relationships with persons in pharmaceutical companies and government agencies. The five infections targeted by Countdown 18 Months are pneumocystis pneumonia, CMV retinitis and colitis, toxoplasmosis, MAI, and the fungal infections -- cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis and candidiasis. A 44-page planning document distributed by ACT UP/New York describes the rationale and goals of the plan; it also includes an in-depth look at existing treatments for these infections, experimental treatments now being tried, ways to obtain experimental treatments, reference for more information, and a select contact list of persons involved in AIDS research.
Requests for copies of The Countdown 18 Months Plan can be sent, with a small donation if possible, to ACT UP/New York, c/o Countdown, 135 W. 29th St., 10th floor, New York, NY 10001. Information regarding how to work on the Countdown project can be obtained from Garance Franke-Ruta, 212/532-0280 or 212/675-5170, or from Derek Link, 212/529-2368 or fax, 212/529-5997.
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