Date: Wed, 15 Jan 97 09:33:57 EST From: "David Radune" Subject: CDC AIDS Daily Summary 01/15/97 AIDS Daily Summary January 15, 1997 The CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention makes available the following information as a public service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement by the CDC. 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 ****************************************************** "Panel Backs Continued Use of AZT in Pregnancy" "Marijuana Advocates File Suit to Stop U.S. Sanctions" "Oral HIV Test Gains Important Support" "After the 'Cure'" "FDA Cleared 139 Products in 1996, a Record Increase" "Theft Suspect Cries "AIDS" in Syringe Attack" "Filipino Gays Oppose National ID Card System" "Presidential Council Recommends Action for AIDS Programs in Prisons" "Hundreds Turned Away From National Retroviruses Conference in January" "HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors" ****************************************************** "Panel Backs Continued Use of AZT in Pregnancy" Washington Post (01/15/97) P. A6; Neergaard, Lauran A panel assembled by the National Institutes of Health has recommended the continued use of AZT by HIV-infected pregnant women, but the group also said that such women should be told about new findings that raised concerns about a possible link between the drug and cancer. The team--made up of scientists, bioethicists, and two HIV-positive mothers--said the study, which was conducted in mice, raised "theoretical concerns" about AZT that should be further assessed and explained to pregnant women. All members of the panel agreed, however, that AZT's ability to reduce perinatal transmission outweighs the new concerns. "Marijuana Advocates File Suit to Stop U.S. Sanctions" New York Times (01/15/97) P. A10; Golden, Tim In response to the Clinton administration's plan to sanction doctors who prescribe marijuana, a group of California doctors and patient advocates has filed suit against senior White House officials, charging that the plan violates a physician's First Amendment rights. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in a San Francisco Federal District Court, claims that the government's plan to prosecute doctors who prescribe marijuana or revoke their prescription licenses intrudes on the doctor-patient relationship. Dr. Marcus A. Conant, an AIDS specialist who is one of the plaintiffs, explained, "The lawsuit doesn't deal with whether marijuana is efficacious as a medicine or not, or whether people should be smoking it or taking it. The suit is all about freedom of speech." Plaintiff Dr. Donald Northfelt said he regularly prescribes the medical alternative to marijuana to help his AIDS patients combat wasting, but that he has concerns about the health dangers of marijuana. Northfelt said he joined the suit to defend his right to discuss the option with patients. "Oral HIV Test Gains Important Support" USA Today (01/15/97) P. 1D; Painter, Kim Officials at Washington, D.C.'s, Whitman Walker Clinic announced that they will stop using a blood test for HIV in favor of a saliva screening method. The new test, which officials speculate will encourage more people to be tested, was approved in June 1996 but has not yet been widely used. The OraSure test, developed by Epitome and marketed by SmithKline Beecham, will eventually be the only one used at Whitman Walker. At other testing sites around the country, officials say they are considering making the oral test available. A study of the test in 3,500 people found that OraSure is as accurate as a blood test. "After the 'Cure'" New York Times (01/15/97) P. A19; Rich, Frank At the first conference to ever focus on AIDS literature, held in Key West last weekend, authors considered the changing epidemic and the future of the genre. Between the time the meeting was announced last year and the event itself, new treatments have renewed the hope of many patients, while the disease has made inroads in new populations both in the United States and around the world. While most AIDS literature is the product of homosexual white American men, this group is losing its place at the center of the epidemic. The representation of infected women and African Americans in AIDS literature is growing, but has been inadequate so far. "FDA Cleared 139 Products in 1996, a Record Increase" Wall Street Journal (01/15/97) P. B5 The number of new drugs and biological products approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1996 increased 63 percent from the previous year, setting a record for approvals. A total of 131 new drugs was approved last year, in a median time of 15.4 months versus 16.5 months in 1995. Among the new drugs, 53 were new molecular entities containing an active ingredient that had not been approved previously in the United States. Two of the new entities were cancer drugs, while three were drugs for AIDS which cleared in six months or less. "Theft Suspect Cries "AIDS" in Syringe Attack" Philadelphia Inquirer (01/15/97) P. B1; Gibbons, Thomas J., Jr. A Philadelphia woman is suspected of stabbing a CVS Pharmacy employee Sunday with a syringe potentially contaminated with HIV. On Tuesday night, police were awaiting approval to arrest the woman, who was allegedly caught shoplifting. Police said the woman shouted "I have AIDS!" as she stabbed the employee, then fled in a car. "Filipino Gays Oppose National ID Card System" Richmond Times-Dispatch (01/15/97) P. A4 A gay activist group in the Philippines is protesting the government's plan to implement a computerized identification system, saying it could lead to "encrypting in magnetic code the privately kept gender orientation, sexual preferences, and HIV/AIDS status" of homosexuals. Human rights groups and opposition lawmakers have opposed the plan, advocated by President Fidel Ramos, which involves the adoption of a computerized identification system for all Filipinos. "Presidential Council Recommends Action for AIDS Programs in Prisons" Reuters (01/14/97) The Presidential Council on HIV/AIDS recently called for a review of the HIV/AIDS services offered to federal inmates and recommended that the Health and Human Services Department develop guidelines for the release of prisoners with HIV. The council's recommendations were reported in the AIDS/STD News Report. "Hundreds Turned Away From National Retroviruses Conference in January" AIDS Treatment News (01/03/97) No. 262, P. 1; James, John S. The Fourth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, to be held in Washington, D.C., January 22-26, will not be able to accommodate hundreds of scientists, doctors, HIV patients, and others who wish to attend due to limited space at the meeting site. Already, concerns have been raised that limiting the number of conference participants could adversely affect AIDS care in 1997, because doctors and researchers are unable to discuss new findings together. Furthermore, since financial analysts and venture capitalists were not even allowed to register for the meeting, investment in AIDS research may slide, since analysts cannot see how new findings are met. Restrictions on reporting, meanwhile, will limit the amount of data available to the public. Heightened public interest in AIDS, due to positive reports on treatment in 1996, will increase demand from the mainstream media, who also face limited access. Thus far, some 500 doctors and researchers are on the waiting list, with many more having had their applications returned; 130 HIV-infected individuals were turned away when 150 applied for only 20 "scholarship" slots; and many more did not even apply because they were informed that the conference was full. "HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors" Journal of the American Medical Association (01/08/97) Vol. 277, No. 2, P. 145; Deeks, Steven G.; Smith, Mark; Holodniy, Mark; et al. Treatment options for HIV infection were substantially improved recently with the introduction of four drugs known as protease inhibitors. Three of these drugs--saquinavir mesylate (Invirase), ritonavir (Norvir), and indinavir sulfate (Crixivan), have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, while the latest addition, nelfinavir mesylate (Viracept), is now available through an expanded access program. Dr. James O. Kahn, of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues, assessed the available data on these drugs to help doctors and patients choose the best treatment. The researchers found that patients who took ritonavir, indinavir, or nelfinavir produced sustainable drug serum levels to effectively block the protease enzyme, while saquinavir may not be as effective. The authors recommend, therefore, that when selecting a protease inhibitor, consideration be given to proven activity, potential toxicities, dosing regimens, drug interactions, and cost. They note that resistance develops with each one, and cross-resistance is probable. However, the cost of the drugs could be balanced by the benefits of returning patients to productive lives, the scientists conclude.