Date: Fri, 1 Nov 1996 09:36:30 -0500 From: "Flynn Mclean" Subject: CDC AIDS Daily Summary 11/01/96 AIDS Daily Summary November 1, 1996 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 National AIDS Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information. Copyright 1996, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD ****************************************************** "Biogen Inc.: A Hepatitis Antigen Patent Is Ruled Invalid in Britain" "Helping Children With AIDS" "Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests for Tuberculosis" "Clinton Gets Direct in Criticizing Challenger" "A Few Notables Back Marijuana Initiative" "Ban on Pill Encourages Abortions" "Reliable Source: Now You Know" "AIDS Office Gets Budget Increase; Sets New Research Priorities" "The Effects of Preparations of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin on AIDS-Related Kaposi's Sarcoma" "Hanoi Gears Up for Growing AIDS Threat" "New Web Site Highlights HIV/AIDS Workplace Issues" ****************************************************** "Biogen Inc.: A Hepatitis Antigen Patent Is Ruled Invalid in Britain" Wall Street Journal (11/01/96) P. B4 One of two Biogen patents for hepatitis B antigen was found to be invalid by Britain's House of Lords, but the company's chief executive said the ruling will not significantly affect Biogen's earnings. Based on the ruling, the challenger, Medeva, will eventually be able to sell a hepatitis vaccine in the United Kingdom, though Biogen will also be able to receive royalties for the use of its technology, covered in the remaining patent. Biogen stock dropped $3.75 to $74.50 in Nasdaq Stock Market trading on Thursday. "Helping Children With AIDS" Washington Post (11/01/96) P. A24; Grahm, Jim Washington, D.C.'s Whitman-Walker Clinic does indeed serve children with AIDS by providing housing for families with AIDS and serving pregnant women with HIV, writes clinic director Jim Graham in a letter to the editor of the Washington Post. Graham is responding to a previous letter which said the clinic did not serve HIV-positive children. He points out that 11 of the 16 people living in the clinic-supported McKinney Family House are children, and he also notes that the clinic's fall campaign targets youth. "Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests for Tuberculosis" Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (11/01/96) Vol. 45, No. 43, A nucleic acid amplification (NAA) test for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, the Amplified Mycobacterium tuberculosis Direct Test (MTD), was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for clinical use. The test, which uses transcription-mediated amplification to detect M. tuberculosis-complex ribosomal RNA, is to be used in conjunction with culture for respiratory specimens that are positive for acid-fast bacilli. When used properly, a positive MTD test result can provide relatively fast results, indicating a high likelihood of TB. Other NAA tests are being developed and are now under FDA consideration. The tests may improve diagnostic certainty but should be interpreted in a clinical context and on the basis of local laboratory performance. "Clinton Gets Direct in Criticizing Challenger" Washington Post (11/01/96) P. A20; Baker, Peter As the presidential campaign winds down, President Clinton is increasingly attacking challenger Robert J. Dole and the Republican Congress. In an appearance in Tempe, Ariz., on Thursday, Clinton criticized Dole for actions he said would hurt children, the elderly, and the disabled. At an appearance in Oakland, Calif. Thursday night, however, Clinton faced criticism from AIDS activists who believe he has not done enough to combat the disease. "Needle Exchange Saves Lives," read a banner that was briefly displayed on a tower opposite the stage. "A Few Notables Back Marijuana Initiative" Boston Globe (10/31/96) P. A33 Among those who have contributed to the campaign for a ballot measure to legalize marijuana for medical use in California are George Soros and Laurance Rockefeller. The measure would allow marijuana to be used by people with cancer, AIDS, and other illnesses if recommended by a physician. Billionaire currency trader Soros donated $550,000 and Rockefeller, brother of former Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, contributed $50,000 following a request by New Age guru Ram Dass. "Ban on Pill Encourages Abortions" Washington Times (11/01/96) P. A17; Witter, Willis Abortion remains one of Japan's most widely used methods of birth control, in part because birth control pills are still illegal, health experts say. Officials in the health ministry have said the pill has not been approved because of concerns about safety, that it could encourage promiscuity, or promote the spread of HIV. Critics say pressure from doctors, who earn about $1,500 per abortion, is also an important factor in the decision. "Reliable Source: Now You Know" Washington Post (11/01/96) P. D3; Groer, Annie; Gerhart, Ann Bob Hattoy, the special assistant at the Interior Department who spoke about living with AIDS at the 1992 Democratic National Convention, celebrated his 45th birthday Thursday night at an AIDS education fund-raiser in New York. Hattoy had not expected to live long in 1992, but noted that "new drugs, love, and hope" have helped him to survive. "AIDS Office Gets Budget Increase; Sets New Research Priorities" Reuters (10/30/96) The new budget for the Office of AIDS Research (OAR) increased more than the budget for the National Institutes of Health as a whole, according to Dr. William H. Paul, director of the OAR. Funding for federal AIDS research will increase from $1.4 billion in fiscal year 1996 to $1.5 billion in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. Under this year's budget, the directors of NIH and OAR will be able to shift up to 3 percent of AIDS spending between various institutes over the course of the year. The OAR will also have the authority to increase the number of investigator-initiated grants, as was called for by the AIDS Research Program Evaluation Task Force. A restructured vaccine research program at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease received a $6 million increase, and a $1 million reserve was allocated to vaccine research outside the NIAID. In addition, $6 million will be distributed by OAR for research into non-vaccine prevention. "The Effects of Preparations of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin on AIDS-Related Kaposi's Sarcoma" New England Journal of Medicine (10/24/96) Vol. 335, No. 17, P. 1261; Gill, Parkash, S.; Lunardi-Iskandar, Yanto; Louie, Stan; et al. Previous studies have shown that Kaposi's sarcoma, the most common cancer in AIDS patients, can be inhibited in vitro and in immunodeficient mice by treatment with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Dr. Parkash S. Gill, of the University of Southern California, and colleagues recently tested the effect in humans by giving 24 patients with AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma injections of hCG three times a week for two weeks, in varying doses. Some patients reported mild side effects. The authors report that tumor regression corresponded to dosage, with some tumors disappearing completely and others reducing in size. "Hanoi Gears Up for Growing AIDS Threat" Lancet (10/26/96) Vol. 348, No. 9035, P. 1162; Ivker, Robert An estimated 1 percent of Vietnam's population will be infected with HIV by the end of the year, officials say. The disease is expected to have an especially harmful effect on the economy because almost half of those infected are between 15 and 24 years old. In September, officials from the World Health Organization and the Vietnam Ministry of Health met with doctors from the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS at a conference to develop strategies to deal with the AIDS threat. Officials said that 15 percent of the HIV infections in Vietnam are in women, compared to the global average of 42 percent. The pattern of HIV spread in Vietnam--from the intravenous drug community to sex workers--was also observed in Thailand and Myanmar. About 75 percent of the HIV/AIDS cases in Vietnam are attributed to drug use. Conference participants have been encouraged by the government's HIV programs, but warned that the low status of women was contributing to the rapid spread of the disease. The conferees proposed several goals, including reducing HIV infections by half, ensuring safer sex practices among sex workers, and improving the safety of the blood supply. "New Web Site Highlights HIV/AIDS Workplace Issues" CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse (11/01/96) The CDC Business Responds to AIDS and Labor Responds to AIDS Program (BRTA/LRTA) has established a new World Wide Web site located at http://www.brta-lrta.org. The BRTA/LRTA programs help large and small businesses and labor organizations meet the challenges of HIV/AIDS in the workplace and in the community. This Web site gives an overview of BRTA/LRTA programs and how to access them. It also includes details about the BRTA Manager's Kit and LRTA Labor Leader's Kit, and a variety of other resources for employers and employees. The Web site offers timely information on issues related to HIV/AIDS and presents statements from business, labor, and community leaders about successful programs. For more information or referrals, call the CDC Business and Labor Resource Service at (800) 458-5231.