Date: Wed, 26 Oct 1994 10:03:03 -0400 (EDT) From: "JOHN FANNING, CDC NAC" AIDS Daily Summary October 26, 1994 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS Clearinghouse makes available the following information as a public service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement by the CDC, the CDC Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information. Copyright 1994, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD ************************************************************ "For Hemophiliacs and Their Families, Loss and Anger" "Test Measures HIV Blood Levels" "String Quartet Playing for AIDS Charities" "China: 1,435 Cases of AIDS" "Cell Genesys Issued Broad Patent for Universal Receptor Cell Technology" "The Immune Response Corp. Announces Third Quarter 1994 Financial Results" "Nosocomial HIV-1 Transmission and Primary Prevention in Romania" "Evaluating Interventions for Fear of Contagion" "When All Else Fails" "Medical Briefs: Sulfadiazine Available" ************************************************************ "For Hemophiliacs and Their Families, Loss and Anger" Philadelphia Inquirer (10/26/94) P. A1; Shaw, Donna There is a growing movement among hemophiliacs and their families demanding to know why the clotting medicine needed to prolong their lives was contaminated with HIV. The issue is expected to be raised at the annual convention of the National Hemophilia Foundation, which starts today in Dallas. During the 1980s, an easier-to-use clotting medicine replaced a previous one that was made from the blood of only a few donors. The new treatment involved the blood of tens of thousands of donors, many of whom were given money for their blood and who may or may not have been at risk for HIV. Many hemophiliacs are filing lawsuits, including a recent class-action suit in Chicago against the National Hemophilia Foundation and four drug manufacturers, who are charged with continuing to sell and promote products donated from people who were at high risk for HIV. All defendants have said their conduct was proper. The manufacturers of the clotting medicines say that they responded to the AIDS crisis as quickly as possible, considering how little was known about HIV at the time. The anger and loss that hemophiliacs are experiencing is not confined to the United States. Costa Rica, France, and Japan, for example, are all involved in similar investigations. "Test Measures HIV Blood Levels" Washington Times (10/26/94) P. A7 A new test, the branched DNA assay for HIV-1 infection, can help determine the levels of HIV in a patient's bloodstream. Researchers at the federal National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Georgetown University, and the Chiron Corp. say the test will help doctors to evaluate the effectiveness of an AIDS treatment, and will be useful in evaluating experimental treatments. The test is currently available only for research use. "String Quartet Playing for AIDS Charities" New York Times (10/26/94) P. C14; Kozinn, Allan Proceeds from one series of concerts during the Tokyo Quartet's 25th anniversary season will benefit six AIDS charities. The string quartet is not accepting a fee for the six-concert cycle in New York City, and has underwriters such as Clairol and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce that are covering about $150,000 in hall costs, program printing, and advertising. The series is expected to raise about $250,000 which will be donated to charities including the Actor's Fund of America AIDS Initiative; God's Love We Deliver, which delivers food to AIDS patients; and the United Jewish Appeal, which has AIDS outreach services in all five boroughs of New York City. "China: 1,435 Cases of AIDS" United Press International (10/25/94); Holland, Lorien China warned Tuesday that AIDS is spreading quickly through its heterosexual community as the government's control over its citizens lessens. While 1,435 people out of a 1.2 billion population were reported to have AIDS in July, scientists believe the actual number is higher--some estimating that as many as 40,000 Chinese will be infected by the end of the year. "Young adults who are sexually active will be the first victims," said the state-run China Youth Daily. The Beijing Union Medical College said that approximately 51 percent of China's AIDS patients were in their twenties and that increasing sexual contacts were leading to the spread of HIV. Analysts said that HIV poses particular difficulties for China because of the enormous changes it has undergone in 15 years. Prostitution and drug use are increasingly common in China. The rate of sexually transmitted diseases has risen from 48 cases in 1980 to 360,000 in 1992. China has no nationwide screening programs, and public awareness of HIV is very low. A recent government survey found that only 16 percent of health workers in eastern China knew how to prevent AIDS, and that only 6 percent of injection drug users were aware that needle-sharing could spread HIV. "Cell Genesys Issued Broad Patent for Universal Receptor Cell Technology" PR Newswire (10/25/94) Cell Genesys, Inc. has been issued a patent covering the core technology of its universal receptor cell therapy program. It was also announced that a Phase I/II clinical trial began this month at the National Institutes of Health for anti-HIV T cell therapy for AIDS, the main product in Cell Genesys' universal receptor cell therapy program. The patent covers genetically engineered universal receptors for immune system and other cells which may be used in treating diseases such as cancer. The first universal receptor cell therapy being tested in humans is an anti-HIV T cell for AIDS. Laboratory experiments show that anti-HIV T cells kill HIV-infected cells with a high degree of specificity. Cell Genesys expects that the next step of clinical development of anti-HIV T cells would be a clinical trial of autologous gene therapy of HIV infection in AIDS patients. "The Immune Response Corp. Announces Third Quarter 1994 Financial Results" PRNewswire (10/24/94) The Immune Response Corp., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of proprietary products for the treatment of HIV infection and autoimmune diseases, on Monday reported financial results for the third quarter ended Sept. 30. The company experienced a net loss of $.20 per share compared to $.19 per share last year. Contract research revenue was down to $1,586,000 from $1,175,000, and investment income fell to $549,000 from $1,376,000. Net loss increased for the nine months ended Sept. 30, primarily due to research and development of potential autoimmune disease treatments and litigation with Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Inc. "Nosocomial HIV-1 Transmission and Primary Prevention in Romania" Lancet (10/08/94) Vol. 344, No. 8928, P. 1028; Apetrei, C.; Buzdugan, I.; Mitroi, I. et al To establish the incidence and prevalence of patient-to-patient HIV transmission among Romanian children, a study was conducted in life-care institutions for orphans and abandoned children. A total of 2,673 patients were tested for HIV in 23 different homes. A high prevalence of HIV infection was found--in contrast with the very low prevalence of HIV in adults in that region. All mothers of children who tested HIV-positive that could be could be tested were found HIV-seronegative. Children who were HIV-positive or had AIDS were not separated from other patients, but strict primary prevention measures were adopted in five of the six orphanages where HIV was found. After testing every six months, no new cases were found in the first five homes. The sixth home, which houses 60 children, had 19 new children who were diagnosed with HIV. Seroconversion after the first test for HIV took place in six of the children, while the other 13 arrived at the orphanage during the survey and were seropositive when first tested. The study shows that primary prevention measures are effective early even when a significant portion of the population is HIV-seropositive and lives among those who are uninfected. "Evaluating Interventions for Fear of Contagion" Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (9/94-10/94) Vol. 5, No. 5, P. 48; Meisenhelder, Janice Bell; Rice, Louise Contact with AIDS patients is one educational strategy employed to lessen fear of HIV contagion. To evaluate this type of intervention among nurses, two continuing educational offerings presented a panel of people living with HIV. The one-day program was marked by a significant decrease in levels of fear. In the six-week course, however, nurses' willingness to care for patients with HIV remained unchanged between preprogram and postprogram tests. The results provide evidence supporting the idea that exposure to persons living with HIV decreases the fear of contagion among nurses. "When All Else Fails" American Medical News (10/10/94) Vol. 37, No. 38, P. 13; Pinkney, Deborah Shelton The American Medical Association is seeking $75,000 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop an HIV prevention training program for doctors. The prototype information kit contains an array of items--including pamphlets, condoms, a demonstration model penis, a contract card for recording negotiated behavior-change agreements, and a wallet-size card to help patients monitor their progress. The kit would also include pointers on how to talk to patients about risky behavior, which is useful for doctors who are unsure how they can help patients change behaviors that increase the risk of becoming HIV-infected. "Physicians have trouble talking to patients about sensitive subjects such as sexual practices and drug use because they are not trained to," said Dr. James R. Allen, AMA vice president for science, technology, and public health. If the grant proposal is approved, the kit will be tested in two states among 200 to 400 patients, and will expand if proven effective. HIV prevention training is currently available through 17 national AIDS Education and Training Centers operated by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. "Medical Briefs: Sulfadiazine Available" Advocate (10/18/94) No. 666, P. 34 Sulfadiazine, manufactured and marketed by Eon Labs Manufacturing Inc., is now available in the United States. Previously obtained only through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the drug can be used for treatment of many infections, including adjunctive therapy with pryimethamine for toxoplasmosis--an infection of the brain that often causes brain inflammation and dementia in AIDS patients. Sulfadiazine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to be marketed through an accelerated drug-review process.