A medical-office and research software system, developed over the last five years by the nonprofit National Community Research Initiative (NCRI) in Washington, D.C., is now available for community-based research organizations and for medical-records management in physicians offices and clinics. The system, called Medsy
A reform package that could lead to significant changes in the way the federal government conducts AIDS research at the U.S. National Institutes of Health is being given serious attention by the Clinton transition team. The reforms, which are still being developed before the convening of a new Congress in January, are
On December 7, Burroughs Wellcome Co. announced that it will cap the price of acyclovir ( Zovirax ) for patients who pay for the drug themselves. Those who use more than 730 grams (for which Burroughs Wellcome charges wholesalers about $2500) in a single calendar year
In October the HemaCare Corporation of Los Angeles announced preliminary analysis of its completed 12-month phase I/II trial of passive hyperimmune therapy (PHT, also known as passive immunotherapy or PATH). The blood products company claimed, in its statement and presentation at the National AIDS Update Conference in
With the fetal tissue controversy in the news, it is important for the AIDS community to understand why there is interest in fetal tissue transplantation in AIDS. Since 1988, the U. S. government, over the objections of leading experts, has banned Federal funding of research involving transplantation to humans of tissu
Since the mid-80 s activists have been calling for a Manhattan Project to accelerate research into finding treatments and a cure for AIDS, but only a few actually pursued the idea beyond the rhetoric. Now, with a new administration pledged to implement such a program, many are scrambling to see exactly what can be done
After six years of reporting on AIDS treatments and research, we believe that the biggest obstacle now to better treatments is in the early part of the drug-development pipeline -- getting promising antivirals through preclinical development and into their first test of biological activity in humans. As soon as a new d
A special panel set up by National Institutes of Health director Bernadine Healy, M. D., is advocating an extensive test of therapeutic HIV vaccines. The panel s unanimous recommendation on November 23 follows pressure from AIDS treatment activists to provide community access to these vaccines, one of the few new treat
On November 25, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration approved atovaquone (brand name Mepron; formerly known as 566C80) for mild to moderate pneumocystis, as a second-line treatment for those patients who cannot tolerate the existing treatment, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX). The drug should be in pharmacies
A directory of more than 50 AIDS/HIV clinical trials recruiting volunteers in the Baltimore and Washington areas has been published by AIDS Action Baltimore. The directory includes trials at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, Georgetown University, the National Institutes of Health, Walter Reed Army
The importance of malnutrition in AIDS progression is slowly receiving more attention. Specific micronutrient deficiencies have been found with HIV that effect immune system function or are related to brain and nervous system impairment. [See AIDS TREATMENT NEWS #134, September 6, 1991, Zinc and B Vitamins in HIV: Over
Note: A treatment activist asked us for a memo which he could provide to a meeting on the Clinton transition, and we drafted the following in response. Because we assumed a friendly audience that did not need the humanitarian case restated, we focused instead on fitting medical research into Clinton s economic and poli
Note: The following is our submission to the National Commission on AIDS, which is preparing recommendations for the new president and Congress. The Commission requested that these statements, which were due November 23, include specific recommendations to the executive and legislative branches. Better AIDS Drugs: The
The main obstacle today to better AIDS treatments is early in the drug-development pipeline. Hundreds of potential antivirals are coming out of laboratories and being published in leading journals, but almost none of them move further, through FDA-required animal toxicity tests and into early human trials. Once a poten
When AIDS TREATMENT NEWS began publishing in 1986 there were few options for obtaining treatment information. Today there exist well over a hundred different AIDS-related publications offering diverse coverage and views. We have selected the following newsletters that may help our readers meet their needs for treatment
The National Commission on AIDS is developing recommendations for the first 100 days of the administration of whatever president wins the November 3 election, as well as the new Congress. A one-day hearing is planned in Washington for November 17. Also, written statements will be received through November 23, 1992. Ac
Tom Sheridan is the founder of The Sheridan Group, a government and public relations organization in Washington. Previously he was director of public policy at the AIDS Action Council. ATN: What would a good presentation to a presidential transition team look like? TS: From a substantive standpoint, you need a fully ex
Note: Due to travel schedules, this issue had to go to press one day before the election. This article and the one below report on the rethinking of the relationship between AIDS and government which has been stimulated by the chance of a Clinton victory. This issue is important no matter what happens in the election.
Doctors, researchers and activists say a two-year delay of a study that could help understand the progression of HIV disease in women is hampering efforts to prolong the lives of women with AIDS. A natural history study of women with HIV was promised by the National Institutes of Health during the December 1990 Women a
In late October the Associated Press reported on the testing of an AIDS drug, called WF 10 , in Thailand . The story generated much interest after it was reported on television and radio as a breakthrough in AIDS therapy that completely abolishes the ability of free virus particles to infect cells. The AP story fo
A new kind of treatment for Kaposi s sarcoma (KS) has now begun human testing at the U. S. National Cancer Institute. The treatment, TNP-470 (formerly called AGM-1470) prevents the growth of new blood vessels; KS is associated with excessive growth of blood vessels. The current trial is only for persons with KS; howeve
HIV-positive prisoners last month protested deteriorating conditions at Vacaville, California s main prison hospital for men, by refusing to take their medications. As many as 150 of the 330 inmates living in the facility s separate HIV unit participated. An exceptional number of fatalities sparked the action. These in
Throughout the history of the AIDS epidemic there has been ongoing debate about the effects of psychological well-being and stress on the immune system. Current research is beginning to show scientific evidence of an effect, but controversy continues. At this year s International Conference on AIDS, a presentation by J
A recent article in Science (August 28, 1992, pages 1211- 1212) reviewed current evidence from test-tube and animal studies that ultraviolet light -- including sunlight, tanning studios, and medical treatment for certain skin conditions -- might help stimulate activity by HIV which otherwise was latent in infected cell
The parallel track program for the anti-HIV treatment d4T (described in AIDS TREATMENT NEWS #159, September 18) obtained FDA approval on October 5. Physicians can call 800/842-8036 for information and instructions for enrolling patients. This program is for patients who have T-helper counts under 300 an
A skin condition which can cause intense itching, eosinophilic folliculitis, may respond to itraconazole, a new antifungal. Marcus Conant, M. D., has seen good results in his patients, and is about to start a study in San Francisco to obtain authoritative information. The potential treatment was first noticed by physic
On September 11, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration approved itraconazole (brand name Sporanox), an antifungal. It is officially indicated for treatment of histoplasmosis and blastomycosis, but physicians can prescribe it for other conditions. Other AIDS-related uses have included aspergillosis (a rare but life-th
The most effective treatment for preventing pneumocystis in persons at risk, whether or not they have already had pneumocystis, is believed to be the drug combination trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (co-trimoxazole, also called Bactrim, Septra, and various other brand names in different countries). There is also evid
On October 8, Roche Biomedical Laboratories announced commercial availability of a test to detect active tuberculosis in 48 hours, compared to three to six weeks previously required for bacterial cultures. The new test uses PCR technology, in which a segment of DNA which is specific to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis or
If Clinton wins the presidential election on November 3, his transition team will have two months to prepare for the change of administrations. It will be a time of frantic political activities, mostly behind the scenes, as thousands of different interests try to influence planning and policy decisions and the appointm
Poppers are nitrite inhalants which have been used in the gay community as a sexual aid. Following research reports that these chemicals might be contributing to immune problems in AIDS or to the development of Kaposi s sarcoma, they were banned in the United States in 1988. But now they are coming back, being sold al
On September 24 the FDA Antiviral Drug Products Advisory Committee also recommended approval of 566C80 (also called atovaquone), a drug developed by Burroughs Wellcome Company, for treating pneumocystis. The committee recommended that the drug be used as second-line treatment, if trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX,
On September 24 the FDA s Antiviral Drug Products Advisory Committee recommended the approval of rifabutin (brand name Mycobutin) for prevention of MAC . Two studies conducted by the drug s sponsor, Adria Laboratories, found that volunteers with T-helper counts less than or equal to 200 developed MAC bacteremia (shown
On September 28 the U. S. Food and Drug Administration officially approved an additional indication (use) for ddI -- for treatment of patients who had already received prolonged prior treatment with AZT . Previously, ddI had only been officially approved for persons who could not tolerate AZT or had significantly worse
Kenneth H. Mayer, M. D., an infectious disease specialist, is the director of the Brown University AIDS program, and research director at the Fenway Community Health Center in Boston. We asked Dr. Mayer to outline some of the clinical bottom lines of the Eighth International Conference on AIDS (in Amsterdam, July 1992)
The Eighth International Conference on AIDS left many of the people who actually have AIDS, or some degree of immune deficiency, dissatisfied. This was true although this year s conference organizers went to greater lengths than ever before to include community concerns in its agenda and community activists in its plan
Yohimbine is a chemical found in the bark of the Corynanthe johimbe tree and in certain other plants; in the U. S., yohimbine is available as a prescription drug approved for treating impotence in men. Recently we interviewed two persons with AIDS or HIV, and a physician who is treating one of them and two others, abou
A drug code-named R89439, one of a class of chemicals called alpha-anilino phenyl acetamides (alpha-APA), has been discovered as a highly specific anti-HIV-1 agent at the Riga Institute for Medical Research in Leuven, Belgium , in collaboration with the Janssen Research Foundation in Beerse, Belgium. It has been prese
Bristol-Myers Squibb will soon begin a large parallel-track program which will provide d4T to persons with advanced HIV infection who have no other option for antiretroviral treatment because they cannot tolerate (or have failed to respond to)
d4T (also called stavudine ; its chemical name has been spelled in various ways, including 2 ,3 -didehydro-2 ,3 - dideoxythymidine) is important now for two reasons: * A parallel track trial, run by d4T developer Bristol-Myers Squib
ACT UP/New York is coordinating a political funeral at or near the White House on Columbus Day, Monday, October 12 (the day after the October 9-11 display near the White House of The Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt). This funeral was organized after David Robinson, of ACT UP/Golden Gate in San Francisco, decided to b
Michelle Roland, a medical student at the University of California in Davis and an AIDS activist, was the only one who noticed. While reviewing research proposals for clinical trials for a pre-cancerous cervical condition in HIV-positive women, she discovered two similar studies under review by two separate committees
Almost five thousand abstracts were submitted to the VIII International Conference on AIDS/ III World STD Conference (held in Amsterdam, July 19-24, 1992). The ones considered most important by the teams which put the program together were scheduled for presentation in the oral sessions (often with eight to ten differe
The role of nutrition in AIDS was addressed in only one oral session during the VIII International Conference on AIDS, and it was cancelled until activist pressure succeeded in forcing conference organizers to reinstate it. Approximately thirty papers relating to nutrition were included in the published abstract books.
On August 11, Martin Delaney of Project Inform spoke to several hundred scientists at the annual meeting of the Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology of the National Cancer Institute. What most impressed us was his ability to say diplomatically that major changes in the research program are needed in order to produce the pr
One small observational study by Qingcai Zhang of the Sino Medical Institute of New York on the use of extract of bitter melon, Momordica charantia, showed a marked increase in T- helper cells [PuB7597]. The patient who had the largest increase went from 480 T-helper cells to 1370 after treatment for three years. The p
For the first time in the eight-year history of the International Conference on AIDS, alternative and traditional indigenous medicines had a prominent place. Four oral sessions, numerous poster presentations, published abstracts and a three- evening minicourse (designed in part by AIDS TREATMENT NEWS) addressed this to
In September, Senator Tom Harkin (Democrat, Iowa) plans to introduce an amendment to the Fiscal 1993 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill to transfer $3.7 billion from unobligated Department of Defense accounts to a number of underfunded health, education, and human-services programs. This will include $100 mil
As background for Federal lobbying efforts on funding for AIDS research, prevention, and care, we called the Center for Economic Conversion, a Mountain View, California organization which for 17 years has analyzed the economics of converting companies and local economies from military to civilian work. This information
Our last issue reported that AIDS research, prevention, and care funding was gravely cut in the U. S. House of Representatives. Research did especially badly, with the House proposing even less funding for medical research -- AIDS and other diseases as well -- than President Bush had requested. We mentioned a lobbying
The possibility of political funerals has long been discussed among AIDS activists (see AIDS TREATMENT NEWS #147, March 20, 1992), but until recently there has been no service organization to help with the necessary arrangements, which persons who want to have their memorial service in this form are seldom in a positio
On August 11, Martin Delaney of Project Inform spoke to several hundred scientists at the annual meeting of the Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology of the National Cancer Institute. What most impressed us was his ability to say diplomatically that major changes in the research program are needed in order to produce the pr
One small observational study by Qingcai Zhang of the Sino Medical Institute of New York on the use of extract of bitter melon, Momordica charantia, showed a marked increase in T- helper cells [PuB7597]. The patient who had the largest increase went from 480 T-helper cells to 1370 after treatment for three years. The p
For the first time in the eight-year history of the International Conference on AIDS, alternative and traditional indigenous medicines had a prominent place. Four oral sessions, numerous poster presentations, published abstracts and a three- evening minicourse (designed in part by AIDS TREATMENT NEWS) addressed this to
In September, Senator Tom Harkin (Democrat, Iowa) plans to introduce an amendment to the Fiscal 1993 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill to transfer $3.7 billion from unobligated Department of Defense accounts to a number of underfunded health, education, and human-services programs. This will include $100 mil
As background for Federal lobbying efforts on funding for AIDS research, prevention, and care, we called the Center for Economic Conversion, a Mountain View, California organization which for 17 years has analyzed the economics of converting companies and local economies from military to civilian work. This information
In November 1991, almost 80 percent of San Francisco voters supported a ballot proposition to make marijuana legally available when medically necessary for patients with cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, and other serious diseases. But San Francisco cannot overrule state and federal laws, and recently new restrictions by the Bus
Intense behind the scenes negotiations between AIDS activists in New York and San Francisco and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) over the past year have paid off with a grant budget between one million and three million dollars larger than last year s NINDS research budget devoted to
A detailed report on AIDS research in each of the institutes of the National Institutes of Health, prepared by the Treatment Action Group, a treatment activist organization in New York, was released July 21 at the international AIDS conference in Amsterdam. This two-volume report, of almost 200 pages, will be a source
The U.S. House of Representatives has appropriated $165 million dollars less for medical research (for all diseases) than requested by President Bush. There is widespread fear that lifesaving projects in many fields could be delayed, if not cancelled entirely. A lobbying effort by scientists and others who can travel t
1. Pentoxifylline An important talk in this session by Bruce Dezube of Beth Israel Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston, concerned pentoxifylline (brand-name Trental, a prescription drug which has been used worldwide for over a decade), which is being tested in a trial by the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (AC
This article will provide an overview of the conference sessions most relevant to antiretroviral treatment. In selecting what to cover, we will be guided by the conference program, selecting those research reports which the conference organizers and advisory committees thought worthy of special attention in oral presen
Here is a short list of some of the major treatment-related ideas that were prominent at the conference. These are only listed here, and will be covered in detail later. * The movement toward early treatment is continuing -- partly because of new evidence of benefit from antiretroviral treatment at T-helper cell levels
The VIII International Conference on AIDS/ III STD World Congress, July 19-24 in Amsterdam, probably had more useful treatment information than any previous conference. But one would not know that from reading the news. Two media feeding frenzies occurred in Amsterdam, both focused on events far from the conference --
THE MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF AIDS, THIRD EDITION. Edited by Merle A. Sande, M. D., and Paul A. Volberding, M. D. W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 1992. This book, written by over 40 AIDS physicians and other treatment experts from around the world, and edited by leading physicians at San Francisco General Hospital, is the mo
The AIDS Action Council, the only national organization dedicated solely to shaping federal AIDS policy, has hired Derek Hodel, formerly executive director of New York s PWA Health Group, the largest and most influential buyers club in the nation, as a full-time, Washington-based treatment advocate, starting July 13. H
The VIII International Conference on AIDS, the largest AIDS conference of 1992, will take place in Amsterdam, July 19-24, 1992. The great amount of information presented at each year s conference is overwhelming and sometimes confusing. An advance overview can help in understanding news reports during the meeting itsel
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS has published more than 150 issues in San Francisco -- twice each month for over five years. It is well known in the United States (see Underground Press Leads Way on AIDS Advice, by Katherine Bishop, The New York Times, December 16, 1991), and has subscribers in many countries. Recently we also de
Intramuscular gamma globulin, often used by travelers to prevent hepatitis and other infections, might help to protect against AIDS-related opportunistic infections. However, it cannot protect against HIV itself. This potential treatment was brought to our attention by Joseph A. Hertell, M. D., an internist who treats
St. John s wort, a common plant which grows throughout the world, contains a chemical called hypericin, which may have broad-spectrum antiviral activity -- against HIV, cytomegalovirus , human papillomavirus, influenza, hepatitis B , and perhaps other viruses. St. John s wort has long been used in herbal medi
Burroughs-Wellcome Corporation, which markets AZT , has found that a three-drug combination (AZT plus ddC plus alpha interferon) worked very well against HIV in laboratory tests -- much better than the two-drug combination of ddC and AZT (which was recently app
The U. S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug ddC for treating people with advanced HIV infection, including AIDS -- but only for use in combination with AZT . This approval, effective June 19, 1992, was based on two small, preliminary studies wh
As many as 100 persons with AIDS or HIV in Los Angeles, California, may be using bitter melon (Momordica charantia) - - a traditional herbal treatment, and also a food, in Philippine, Chinese, and certain other cultures -- in the hope that it might be helpful as an AIDS treatment. No scientific trials have yet been run
Stepping into ambiguous terrain, Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) is introducing a bill to monitor prescriptions of all potentially addictive medications. The impact of Stark s proposal on the treatment of HIV and AIDS could be either positive or negative. It may help alert AIDS specialists to the proper use of tranquilizers and
* The May 1992 issue of the Bulletin of Experimental Treatments for AIDS (BETA), published by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, includes a major preview of the International Conference. It includes, for example, a road map listing some of the sessions relevant to those interested in a number of areas: General therapy
If researchers leave the Eighth International Conference on AIDS with more questions about women and HIV than when they arrived, some women organizers will be happy. Maybe at the end of this conference -- round about July 25 -- we will have a list of questions that have yet to be answered, said Holly Ladd, executive di
After a 90-minute meeting on June 24 with U. S. Health and Human Services Secretary Louis M. Sullivan, M. D., and other top officials, the National Commission on AIDS broke openly with the Bush Administration and reluctantly concluded that the Administration is not prepared to undertake any significant new actions agai
Abbott Laboratories is refusing to provide HIV Hyperimmune Globulin (HIVIG), a blood product containing antibodies to HIV, for a clinical trial to stop pregnant women from passing HIV to their babies, according to the medical officer for the study. The decision by Abbott is expected to delay the AIDS Clinical Trials
On June 30, Burroughs Wellcome Co. announced a $1,000,000 gift to support community-based research. The company acknowledged that the gift was prompted by an initiative spearheaded by individuals within ACT UP/New York. This gift represents the first in a campaign, developed by Peter Staley of ACT UP/New York, to raise
The world s first peer-reviewed journal delivered online by computer will be available to subscribers starting July 1. The Online Journal of Current Clinical Trials, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, which publishes Science) and the Online Computer Library Center, Inc., will co
Burroughs Wellcome Co is now beginning a major study of a three-drug combination -- AZT plus ddC plus alpha interferon -- in eight U. S. cities: Houston, Manhasset (New York), Nashville, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Tampa, Washington, and Wichita.
Late Friday, June 19, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration approved ddC (brand name HIVID) for marketing to certain patients for combination use with AZT . The approval was announced the following Monday. Developer Hoffmann-
A new coalition of over 200 organizations is effectively bringing AIDS issues to the U. S. presidential election campaign. Governor Clinton met with UAA, at his request, endorsed the organization s program, and agreed to make a major speech on AIDS. UAA has called for a Unity Rally in New York s Times Square on July 14
Treatment Alternatives is a group of people with AIDS or HIV, scientists, and AIDS activists, who are promoting controlled clinical trials of commonly used alternative and non-pharmaceutically based AIDS treatments. They agree that only well designed and conducted research can lead to the reliable information which pe
Two clinics in San Francisco are offering free acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine with federal funding under the Ryan White CARE Act. The Immune Enhancement Program and The American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine are each offering treatment to fifty low-income, HIV-positive, symptomatic individuals. The t
Begins: Batimore, Chicago, Durham, Pittsburg, San Francisco, Stonybrook Leading AIDS researchers suspect that an important obstacle to measuring how well antivirals work is that HIV infection may be primarily in the lymph tissue, but measurements of viral levels are usually done on blood. Lymph-tissue testing may be mo
The VIII International Conference on AIDS, entitled A World United Against AIDS, will take place from July 19 through 24 in Amsterdam. For the first time, alternative and traditional medicines will be officially included in the research meetings. Traditional medicines are treatments not historically part of the Western
A clinical trial to test whether HIV Hyperimmune Globulin (HIVIG) Q a blood product containing antibodies to HIV Q can prevent transmission from pregnant women to their babies is expected to begin this summer now that Abbott Laboratories has agreed to provide the HIVIG product. The study by the AIDS Clinical Trials Gr
Many AIDS experts agree that one of the most promising treatment research areas at this time is the development of drugs to inhibit the HIV regulatory protein called tat. At least until recently, however, research has moved slowly. This article will outline the current status of development of tat inhibitors, including
A newsletter from the Human Rights Campaign Fund, a gay and AIDS lobbying group in Washington, D. C., has started to fill a serious gap in information about what is going on within the Federal government concerning the funding, management, and politics of AIDS treatment and research. The founder and editor of AIDS Trea
A 20-minute videotape on maintaining proper nutrition, overcoming eating obstacles, and safe food handling presents information from Larry Waites, M. D., M. P. H., who has a large HIV practice in San Francisco, and from Laurie Mello, a clinical nutritionist who specializes in nutrition for immune-compromised persons.
The Office of the Associate Director for Science Policy and Legislation, at the U. S. National Institutes of Health, will hold a public meeting on unconventional medical practices, from 9 a.m. until 5 p. m., in conference room 10, building 31C, sixth floor, on the NIH campus, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland. Th
Persons with MAC bacteremia but who are in a relatively stable condition and are able to travel to the U. S. National Institutes of Health, near Washington, D. C., may be eligible for a trial which will randomly assign sparfloxacin, azithromycin, or the combination of these drugs for MAC treatment. All volunteers rece
A one-year phase I trial, sponsored by the U. S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will test a therapeutic vaccine manufactured by Immuno AG, a company headquartered in Vienna, Austria . Volunteers must be asymptomatic, ages 16-60, with a T-helper count greater than 600. At least 40 percent of the
Scott Slutsky, one of the most dedicated and effective AIDS activists, died in New York on May 28. Scott, a long-time, active member of ACT UP/New York, was particularly good at working with difficult drug companies and sticking with unglamorous issues until they were resolved. He contributed to forcing the approval of
Note: Dave Gilden has covered AIDS for gay publications for two years. This is his first article in AIDS TREATMENT NEWS. Because of the upcoming VIII International Conference on AIDS (July 19-24 in Amsterdam), we asked him to research what people with AIDS or HIV should know -- about food safety, medical care, vaccinat
NAC (N-acetylcysteine), a variant of the amino acid cysteine which is found in certain foods, is sold in buyers clubs and health-food stores and has been used as a possible treatment for HIV infection for over two years; in San Francisco it is one of the most popular products sold at the buyers club. Despite increasing
Background: What Is Gamma Globulin? Gamma globulin is the component of human blood which contains antibodies -- certain proteins which are specially made by the body to fight particular infections. A number of gamma globulin preparations are available as prescription drugs; when injected, the antibodies provide tempora
AIDS Update for Primary Care: Maximizing Quality and Length of Life, a one-day conference for physicians, nurses, emergency personnel and others involved in primary care of HIV positive patients, will by held Wednesday, June 3, 12: 30 p.m. to 8: 30 p. m., at Alta Bates Medical Center, 2450 Ashby Avenue, in Berkeley, C
The Sacramento demonstration by ACT UP/CHAIN (California HIV Activist & Inmate Network), originally scheduled for May 4 and announced in AIDS TREATMENT NEWS issue #149, has been rescheduled for June 1. The rally begins at 11 a.m. at the State Capitol, 10th St. and Capitol Mall. For more information, contact your lo
The U. S. Food and Drug Administration has formalized and published in the Federal Register a proposal for accelerated approval of drugs for serious or life-threatening illnesses. Written comments can be submitted through June 15. These comments will be considered in drafting the final rule. The published document comb
The National Association of People With AIDS is distributing 35,000 copies of a Survey of Needs to map out the major problems facing people with AIDS. Fifteen questions take up issues such as type and quality of health care, insurance coverage, financial security, emotional support and discrimination. Other questions d
In our March 20 article on AIDS treatment activism, we asked to be informed about other projects our readers could work with -- especially those suitable for persons who would like to begin doing this work. The following have come to our attention. This list is not complete; it would be impossible to make a comprehensi
A memo leaked to the Human Rights Campaign Fund, a gay and AIDS lobbying organization in Washington, D. C., showed that almost a million dollars was quietly reprogrammed away from AIDS research and AIDS service programs to pay for administration at the National AIDS Program Office (NAPO). This recent fund shift was app
Federal funding cuts at the National Institutes of Health will end or greatly reduce a major AIDS cohort study which has tracked the epidemic since 1984, researchers have learned. The issue now is whether this project will be dropped entirely, or continued in a greatly reduced form. There are also scientific and ethica
On April 25th and 26th in Washington, D. C., Project Inform convened an invitational conference of about 35 leading immunologists and other AIDS researchers, to focus on restoring the immune system, especially for persons with T- helper counts under 50. The scientists included Jean-Claude Chermann, Anthony Fauci, Rober
The Immigration Working Group of ACT UP/San Francisco and ACT UP/Golden Gate is going to Amsterdam for the Eighth International Conference on AIDS to call attention to the restrictive immigration and travel policies of the United States . The international conference is the crucial time and place to call attention to t
HIV infection apparently fosters problems of the endocrine system that may be both common and commonly overlooked. At least some of these are treatable in symptomatic people, and so lately have been attracting attention. The endocrine system comprises a network of glands that secrete hormones -- complex messengers whic
A statistical study of over 2,500 HIV-positive men, published April 16 in the NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE, found that early AZT use and early pneumocystis prophylaxis each independently increased the chance of survival. ( Early treatment in this study was defined as treatment beginning before the first AIDS-definin
New data released April 13 at a meeting of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group suggested that patients who had been using AZT and then switched to low-dose ddI did better than those who continued with AZT. But several major questions remain, and important new information is expected over the next several months.
On April 21 the Antiviral Drug Products Advisory Committee of the U. S. Food and Drug Administration voted to recommend approval of anti-HIV treatment with a combination of ddC ( dideoxycytidine , also called
The Spring 1992 edition of the Community Consortium s Directory of HIV Clinical Trials in the Bay Area is now available. It lists 85 trials, for the following conditions: Anal cancer, Bronchitis, Cryptococcal meningitis , Cryptosporidiosis, CMV retinitis, Fungal infections, Herpes,
The American Lung Association is sponsoring a two-day conference in San Francisco to address the many respiratory precautions critical to people working in health-care settings. The conference is scheduled for May 1 and 2 at the Laurel Heights Conference Center, 3333 California Street. Session topics include aerosolize
ACT UP CHAIN, the California HIV Activist & Inmate Network, is holding a demonstration on May 4, 1992 in Sacramento, CA, to support prisoners with HIV/AIDS and demand that the California Department of Corrections implement a comprehensive and humane treatment plan for them. The demonstration will begin with a rally
Despite the late move of the Eighth International Conference on AIDS, rescheduled from Boston to Amsterdam because of continued U. S. restrictions on entry of HIV-positive persons, more than 6,000 people have registered so far -- more than any previous International AIDS Conferences at comparable dates, according to an
On April 20 and 21 the Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee, a panel of outside experts set up by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ), will meet in Bethesda, Maryland, outside Washington D. C. This meeting, scheduled to begin 8:30 a.m. April 20, and 7:30 a.m. April 21, at the Bethesda Ramada Inn, is open to th
Under a Treatment IND approved last month by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Adria Laboratories will provide rifabutin to certain patients for prevention of MAC ( mycobacterium avium complex , also called MAI), before the drug is regularly approved for U. S. marketing. In a major controlled trial with over 500
Etoposide (also called VP-16, or Vespid) is an approved drug used in cancer chemotherapy; it can be taken orally. Now a laboratory study has suggested that the drug might also be useful in the treatment of CMV . ( Irreversible Inhibition of Human Cytomegalovirus Replication by Topoisomerase II Inhibitor, Etoposide: A
Mt. Zion Medical Center of the University of California San Francisco is initiating the first human study of HPMPC, a nucleotide analog which is more potent against CMV , in laboratory tests, than ganciclovir or foscarnet. (AIDS TREATMENT NEWS first reported on HPMPC as a potential treatment for CMV infection over thre
A leading developer of passive hyperimmune therapy, Abraham Karpas, Sc. D., of the University of Cambridge in England, wrote to AIDS TREATMENT NEWS about our article on this treatment in our last issue (#148, April 3, 1992): I read with interest your excellent write-up about passive hyperimmune therapy. I trust you wil
Marcus Conant, M. D., is one of the early discoverers of AIDS, and now runs one of the largest private HIV practices in the United States ; his San Francisco office also participates in clinical trials of a number of experimental treatments. For several years Dr. Conant and his staff have held monthly talks on AIDS tre
Mobilization Against AIDS has called a national AIDS lobby day on May 18Q the day after the international AIDS candlelight memorial, which occurs in over 100 U. S. cities. Most members of Congress have never met a person with AIDS or HIV from their home district; that is why they do not sense the seriousness of the epi
Two government bureaucracies have recently decided to uphold regressive positions on the therapeutic use of marijuana (Cannabis sativa), and the effect of the decisions was given an added sting by the death last week of Barbra Jenks, a Florida woman with AIDS who was once arrested for growing marijuana for her personal
The major AIDS conference of 1992, the VIII International Conference on AIDS/III STD World Congress, will take place in Amsterdam, July 19-24. As in previous years, many satellite meetings sponsored by nonprofit groups and by pharmaceutical corporations are scheduled to occur during the Conference, or a few days before
At a press conference on March 23, HemaCare Corporation, a small blood-products company in Southern California, released preliminary six-month results from its one-year clinical trial of passive hyperimmune therapy (also called passive immunotherapy) in persons with AIDS. Because the company had to be conservative in i
Marcus Conant, M. D., will soon begin a study of ways to reduce the incidence of drug reaction to co-trimoxazole (also called Septra, or Bactrim; it also has other brand names) in HIV-positive persons. He is seeking two groups of volunteers: * Those with T-helper counts less than 250 who have had a reaction to the drug
In March 1992 two separate theories have been published suggesting that AIDS may have been accidentally introduced into humans by live-virus polio vaccines which may have been contaminated with unknown monkey viruses. These theories are more plausible than most of the AIDS-origin ideas which have come along. But they a
The pathogenesis of AIDS, or how the disease actually develops, was widely neglected during most of the epidemic, but has recently become a major focus of research. The early conventional wisdom, that HIV infects T-helper cells and kills them, resulting in immune deficiency because of the loss of these cells, was gener
One view of AIDS activism at present sees mostly burnout and infighting. But this appearance hides a different reality, for the current time is one of transition. Some activities that worked in the past have now accomplished their aims and therefore are less relevant. Meanwhile, new developments are creating both omino
The ACT UP Presidential Project is following the Presidential campaign trail, raising AIDS issues (and gay/lesbian/bisexual issues) along the way. Their goal is to make all the major candidates address these issues, and so far all of the main Democratic candidates have issued position papers on AIDS. The Presidential P
A one-evening seminar, Managing HIV Disease: Clinical Observations and Research Protocols will take place March 18, 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the New York University Medical Center auditorium. Attendance is limited to 250, and advance registration by March 16 is required. The registration fee is $25. Topics include va
A study of IGF-I (Insulin-like growth factor-I), a naturally-occurring hormone, is now enrolling volunteers with AIDS at the Palo Alto Veterans Administration Hospital. According to the researchers, animal studies have suggested that IGF-I may prevent or reverse protein and muscle loss in severe illness, and may improv
A multicenter trial will test the Bristol-Myers drug BV- ara-U (other names: Brovavir; SQ 32,756) as a treatment for herpes zoster. In laboratory tests, this drug is effective against zoster in concentrations up to one thousand times less than the concentrations of acyclovir (
Funds for AIDS research are in danger of being reduced to levels that would seriously impede progress towards effective treatments. President Bush recently released his proposed budget for 1993, including figures for AIDS research. The President requested $873 million dollars for AIDS Research Programs at the National
Hypericin is an antiviral found in small amounts in a plant (St. John s wort, a medicinal herb) and also synthesized chemically. It has shown activity against HIV in laboratory tests, and against other retroviruses in animal tests; in addition, laboratory tests and some human anecdotal reports have suggested broad-spec
After our last issue went to press, we heard from the distributor in England (Faber and Faber Limited, misspelled in our review in issue #144) that they are out of stock of the book. At the same time, the publisher told us that people can order directly from them; the price is $44 plus $6 postage (we do not know if thi
An expert panel sponsored by the Federal Government is developing guidelines for medical treatment of persons who are HIV positive but asymptomatic. Physicians, community representatives, and others who wish to comment on what these guidelines should be can either mail written comments before March 10 to the address be
A pilot study at the Community Research Initiative on AIDS (CRIA) will test pentoxifylline (brand name Trental), a prescription drug usually used to treat a clotting disorder in the elderly, as a potential treatment for HIV infection. Volunteers must have a T-helper count under 300. They will be randomly assigned to re
A 16-week trial of FLT (fluorothymidine), an antiviral in the same class as AZT but which might have advantages as a therapy, is beginning at the Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center in New York City, Johns Hopkins University in Balitmore, and the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Volunteers must have AID
Breast Cancer Action in San Francisco has asked for our help in supporting the National Institutes of Health Revitalization Amendments (commonly called the NIH Reauthorization Act), which has been passed by the U. S. House of Representatives and is now pending in the Senate. For breast cancer research, this bill would
A study by the U. S. Veterans Administration on early vs. late treatment with AZT , published February 13 in the NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE and widely reported in the press, compared starting AZT immediately for persons who have T-helper counts between 200 and 500 and who have AIDS-related symptoms, with waiting a
ddC has become part of a de facto standard of care for thousands of people, before being officially approved for any human use. How did this situation come about? ddC (2 ,3 - dideoxycytidine ), an experimental antiretroviral, is a nucleoside analog (in t
On January 24, 1992, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration visited three buyers clubs -- PWA Health Group in New York, Healing Alternatives Foundation in San Francisco, and PWA Fight for Life in Fort Lauderdale, Florida -- and took samples of ddC for analysis, after unconfirmed reports of variations in dosage be
Two of the key people at AIDS TREATMENT NEWS are leaving this organization to begin other AIDS work. Denny Smith, who has been with AIDS TREATMENT NEWS for over four years, is moving to St. Mary s Hospital in San Francisco, where he will be their HIV trials specialist, keeping the hospital staff and patients informed a
The Second Regional Symposium on the Design and Methods of Clinical Trials, organized by the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the Department of Medicine of the University of California San Francisco, will take place at Carr Auditorium at San Francisco General Hospital on March 5 and 6, 1992. Topics incl
The VIII International Conference on AIDS, the main scientific meeting in 1992, was originally scheduled for Boston but moved to Amsterdam because of uncertainty about whether delegates with HIV would have difficulty entering the United States to attend (for background, see AIDS TREATMENT NEWS #128, June 7, 1991). The
A major European/Australian study comparing AZT to placebo in almost one thousand patients was halted recently after a preliminary analysis showed that those receiving the drug were less than half as likely to progress to illness or low T-helper count as those receiving the placebo. In what may be the most signific
On January 24 the U. S. Food and Drug Administration asked buyers clubs in New York and San Francisco for samples of the experimental AIDS treatment ddC , in order to check the potency -- to make sure that each capsule contained the stated amount of ddC. Samples were provided and are now being analyzed, both by the
In AIDS TREATMENT NEWS #139, November 22, 1991, we reported about soluble melanins, a class of chemicals which showed anti- HIV activity in laboratory studies. We included several strikingly positive anecdotal reports from people who had tried the melanin, which is easy to synthesize in a chemical laboratory. Since tha
The Federal Government is adopting a new definition of HIV- related disability which is expected to be effective for the next five years. The regulations will affect access to Medicaid and Medicare programs, as well as Social Security disability income under both SSI and SSDI. Unfortunately there are serious problems i
A book recently published in France -- Viral Quantitation in HIV Infection, edited by Jean-Marie Andrieu -- provides a technical but understandable background on the state of the art of measuring HIV levels in humans (and also in animal and laboratory studies). The book presents the proceedings of the International Wor
In AIDS TREATMENT NEWS #141, December 20, 1991, we mentioned that a phase I trial of the Hoffmann-La Roche tat inhibitor drug RO 24-7429 was ongoing at Johns Hopkins University. That trial is now on hold, as it has completed the three lowest doses of the dose escalation. It was planned in advance (before the trial was
Michael Wright, who made immense contributions to AIDS treatment activism in San Francisco and elsewhere, died on January 14. His influence was not only through specific projects, including greatly increasing patient access to the critical antibiotic clarithromycin, but also through personal leadership which guided and
Last month we visited the San Diego Community Research Group, which has rapidly established a successful clinical-trials program, and is now developing a nonprofit clinic to provide primary care for persons without insurance. Since these programs may offer useful examples for other efforts, we interviewed Gary R. Lewis
Confusing and contradictory press reports, starting in London in late December and later picked up by the world press, suggested that adding acyclovir to standard AIDS treatment with AZT could reduce the AIDS death rate by half.
AIDS TREATMENT NEWS issues 76 through 125, from April 1989 through April 1991, are now available in book form through bookstores or by mail. Volume 2 includes an extensive (53-page) subject index, as well as a separate name index, covering its two-year period. It is 627 pages in all -- longer than volume I (which cover
Lewis Sheiner, M. D. is Professor of Laboratory Medicine, Medicine, and Pharmacy at the University of California San Francisco. He is active in the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) of the U. S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and a member of the Antiviral Advisory Committee of the U. S.
In our last issue (December 20), we listed the tat inhibitors as the most important potential AIDS/HIV treatment at this time, and said that Hoffmann-La Roche , which developed the only tat inhibitor now in human trials, was expected to announce that it had sold rights to the drug, code-named Ro-24-7429, to another pha
tarting July 1, 1992, The Online Journal of CURRENT CLINICAL RIALS has been published by computer. This fully peer-reviewed ournal is published by the American Association for the dvancement of Science, in Washington, D. C. -- the same rganization which publishes the journal Science. his computer journal avoids all pri
free public forum, Alternative Approaches to the Treatment of HIV, ill be held April 18th from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Davies Medical Center uditorium, Castro and Duboce Streets, in San Francisco. Panelists ill include persons with HIV, and practitioners of acupuncture, hinese herbal medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, and mas
he Canadian HIV Trials Network, a service of the Canadian government, aintains a computerized registry of AIDS/HIV clinical trials in anada. Canadians can call 604/631-5327, collect if necessary, or fax equests to 604/631-5210. Information can be given over the phone, or ailed if requested, in French or English. This
he Seattle Treatment Education Project (STEP) has established a oll-free phone line to make HIV treatment information more ccessible. he number is 800/869-7837, and phones will be staffed Monday hrough Friday, from 1:00 to 5:00 Pacific Time. STEP s regular ine (206/329-4857) will also continue to be operative. TEP has
This information is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.