Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 09:39:12 +0500 From: ghmcleaf{CONTRACTOR/ASPEN/ghmcleaf}%NAC-GATEWAY.ASPEN@ace.aspensys.com AIDS Daily Summary June 8, 1995 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 1995, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD ************************************************************ "36 Students in Alexandria Test Positive for TB Exposure" "BioChem Pharma Makes Solid Progress" "Woman in Altercation Recants AIDS Story" "Vietnam Records Over 2,500 HIV Carriers" "Shaman Obtains License for Antifungal Compounds from Bayer AG" "LaBarge Second Phase of Clinical Trials of Laser Lancet Has Commenced" "Seragen Announces Consummation of $23.8 Million Financing" "Medarex Announces Initiation of Clinical Trial of Bispecific Cancer Theraperutic in Combination with NEUPOGEN" "Herpesvirus-Like DNA Sequences in Non-Kaposi's Sarcoma Skin Lesions of Transplant Patients" "Exercise and HIV Infection" ************************************************************ "36 Students in Alexandria Test Positive for TB Exposure" Washington Post (06/08/95) P. C1; Bates, Steve On Monday, 138 students at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., were tested for tuberculosis (TB) after officials discovered that one student had contracted the lung disease. A total of 36 have tested positive for TB exposure, causing health and education officials to require tests for all students and staff members at the school. Although officials expected to find that only about 10 percent of the students had been exposed, they learned that approximately 25 percent showed signs of exposure and could get TB if not treated. The exposed students will be allowed to remain in school because they do not have the disease and most likely cannot transmit it, authorities said. A bacterial disease that is transmitted through the air, TB can be cured with antibiotics and treatment can prevent an exposed person from becoming ill. "BioChem Pharma Makes Solid Progress" Financial Times (06/08/95) P. 17; Gibbens, Robert BioChem Pharma's 3TC AIDS drug and lamivudine hepatitis drug are nearing commercialization as Glaxo Wellcome completes international regulatory filings, says BioChem Pharma President Francesco Bellini. The commercial introduction of 3TC is due to occur at the end of this year. In addition, BioChem and Astra have a new pain control drug at the pre-clinical stage. "Woman in Altercation Recants AIDS Story" Boston Globe (06/07/95) P. 30; Chacon, Richard As police officers tried to calm Cynthia Marchetti's drug- and alcohol-induced rage, she allegedly bit them and then told the officers that she had AIDS. Now Marchetti says her story was a lie, that she only claimed to have AIDS as a defense mechanism. In an interview, Marchetti said she tested negative for HIV two years ago and again when she was tested last week. Marchetti, however, has agreed to release all her medical records to the authorities to confirm that she does not have AIDS. Marchetti supposedly bit two police officers and bled on three others who were part of a group of 11 trying to subdue her on Memorial Day as she stood screaming after fighting with a man in front of a convenience store. She is charged with assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery on a police officer. "Vietnam Records Over 2,500 HIV Carriers" Reuters (06/07/95) A total of 2,520 cases of HIV infection have been diagnosed in 34 of Vietnam's 53 provinces and cities, the National AIDS Protection Committee reported on Wednesday. In the past four months, there has been one AIDS death and 300 new cases of HIV infection reported. More than 50 percent of the HIV-infected individuals are located in Ho Chi Minh City, the country's largest city. The committee added that nearly 80 percent of the HIV-positive people in Vietnam were drug addicts and 4 percent were prostitutes. "Shaman Obtains License for Antifungal Compounds from Bayer AG" Business Wire (06/07/95) On Wednesday, Shaman Pharmaceuticals Inc. said that it had acquired from Bayer AG the license for a number of patents related to the use of nikkomycin Z for the development of antifungal products. Under the agreement, Shaman will obtain a data package from Bayer AG that contains significant preclinical information. In return, Shaman will provide Bayer AG with a moderate licensing fee, clinical milestone payments, and royalties on any commercialized products resulting from the agreement. Shaman intends to develop nikkomycin Z for the treatment of endemic mycoses, systemic fungal diseases which can be fatal and are particularly dangerous for AIDS and other immunocompromised patients. "LaBarge Second Phase of Clinical Trials of Laser Lancet Has Commenced" PR Newswire (06/07/95) LaBarge Inc. and Venisect Inc. jointly announced on Wednesday that they have begun Phase II clinical trials of Venisect's Laser Lancet. The researchers will study 100 insulin-dependent diabetics, comparing the blood glucose results obtained by a standard lancet to those of the Laser Lancet. Venisect's product offers a new method of puncturing skin for drawing blood, without the use of sharp instruments. This eliminates the danger of injury to health care workers, caused by handling sharp instruments that may be contaminated with blood-born diseases such as HIV or hepatitis B. "Seragen Announces Consummation of $23.8 Million Financing" PR Newswire (06/07/95) Seragen, Inc. has completed three separate lines of credit guaranteeing the company $23.8 million in bank financing. The company has issued its guarantors warrants for the purchase of 2.78 million shares of its common stock at $4.75 a share. Seragen's majority shareholder, Boston University, is the main guarantor, providing a guaranty of $11.8 million. The company is developing a proprietary technology used to create a series of unique receptor-targeted therapeutics, called fusion toxins. Seragen's main focus is in the fields of cancer and dermatology, and the company has conducted Phase I/II trials of Interleukin-2 (IL-2) Fusion Toxin for lymphoma, psoriasis, and HIV infection, among others. "Medarex Announces Initiation of Clinical Trial of Bispecific Cancer Theraperutic in Combination with NEUPOGEN" Business Wire (06/07/95) Medarex Inc. has announced the initiation of a Phase I/II multi-site clinical trial for the evaluation of Medarex's MDX-210, a Bispecific antibody-based therapeutic, in combination with Amgen's NEUPOGEN. Pre-clinical trials indicated that this combination therapy may increase anti-tumor activity previously observed in initial Phase I/II clinical trials of MDX-210. Medarex President Donald L. Drakeman says, "The combination of Bispecific and NEUPOGEN could have a variety of disease fighting applications." This study complements another Phase I/II trial of combination therapy occurring at the University of Erlangen, Germany. Medarex applies much of its proprietary technology for the design and development of antibody-based products used in the treatment of AIDS, cancer, and autoimmune disorders. "Herpesvirus-Like DNA Sequences in Non-Kaposi's Sarcoma Skin Lesions of Transplant Patients" Lancet (05/27/95) Vol. 345, No. 8961, P. 1339; Rady, Peter L..; Yen, Angela; Rollefson, Janice L. et al. To determine whether herpesvirus-like DNA sequences (KSHV) were associated with proliferative skin lesions not caused by Kaposi's sarcoma in non-AIDS immunocompromised patients, Rady et al. tested 33 skin lesions from 4 HIV-negative organ-transplant patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), KSHV sequences were identified in more than 80 percent of these lesions. The two most frequent lesions tested were actinic keratosis (AK) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The prevalence of KSHV was 78 percent in AKs and was 93 percent in SCCs. The researchers concluded that KSHV is related to lesions other than KS in non-AIDS immunocompromised patients, and may also be implicated in the pathogenesis of various kinds of proliferative skin lesions in organ-transplant patients. "Exercise and HIV Infection" Advocate (05/30/95) No. 682, P. 49; Cohan, Gary R. Increasingly, studies of HIV-infected people indicate that regular physical exercise offers significant health benefits. Scientists have found that a lean body mass is strongly correlated with survival in people with AIDS. Indeed, the timing of death in AIDS patients has been found to be directly related to the amount of lean body weight loss--independent of T-cell levels or specific opportunistic infections. To date, most efforts to halt the wasting process have concentrated on treating underlying gastrointestinal disorders, stimulating the appetite with drugs, and providing extra calories. While these treatments do increase body weight, the gain is mostly fat and water. Common sense and current research, however, support the theory that one must perform some sort of physical activity to convert these calories and hormones into lean body mass. Exercise can also help HIV-infected people maintain or improve their ability to perform daily activities, increase energy, improve appetite, and elevate mood. Most experts agree that people at risk for HIV-related wasting syndrome should focus on resistance training, and avoid burning too many calories.