Date: Fri, 21 Jan 1994 11:45:24 -0400 (EDT) From: "ANNE WILSON, CDC NAC" Subject: CDC AIDS DAILY SUMMARY 01/21/94 AIDS Daily Summary January 21, 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 1993, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD "DuPont Merck Uses Computer to Develop Class of AIDS Drugs" Wall Street Journal (01/21/94) P. B3 Scientists at DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Co. say they used a new type of computer-aided technology to design and develop a class of experimental AIDS drugs. The new drugs block the protease enzyme, which is critical for HIV reproduction and cell-to-cell transmission of the virus. Although several companies have been searching for protease-blockers since 1987, most have failed to create drug molecules small enough to reach HIV-infected cells. Writing in the journal Science, scientists at DuPont Merck say animal studies suggest that the company's design had solved the size dilemma, although the drugs still encountered other problems in human trials last summer. Since then, however, Dr. David Jackson of DuPont Merck says that the company has developed another set of candidate drugs using the same design technique, which the company believes will fare better in clinical trials later this year. "Drug makers have been talking about using a more rational approach to drug-making for years, and now the first generation of these drugs is emerging," says Jackson. At least two other companies, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Merck, have also developed protease blockers using a similar technology. "Sex With Prostitutes Raises Risk of HIV--Thai Study" Reuters (01/20/94) London--The high prevalence of HIV infection among Thai military personnel is partly linked to the risk of having sex with female prostitutes, American and Thai scientists write in the medical journal The Lancet. A study of 1,115 21-year-old Thai soldiers found that the rate of HIV infection was about 7 percent--nearly twice as high as the national rate in 1992. The principal mode of transmission among the conscripts was through sex with female prostitutes, said Dr. Timothy Mastro and colleagues. "The probability of a Thai conscript being infected with HIV from a single sexual contact with an HIV-infected prostitute was nearly six percent," reported Mastro et al. That figure is much greater than estimates that place U.S. male-to-female transmission at 0.1 percent, according to the researchers. Although they were uncertain why the chance of infection by prostitutes was so high, the scientists speculated that factors such as gonorrhea and genital ulcer diseases could be related. Mastro et al. conclude that the high risk of heterosexual transmission after one sexual contact helps account for the rapid spread of HIV in Thailand and other countries where the primary mode of transmission is through heterosexual contact. "U.S. Forces in Germany Told Little AIDS Risk" Reuters (01/20/94) Bonn, Germany--The U.S. military announced yesterday that American forces personnel who served in Germany probably do not need to worry about having received blood contaminated with HIV. The statement reported that investigators had found no traces of the virus in blood samples taken from UB Plasma and Haemoplas, two German firms that provided blood products to clinics where American service personnel were treated. Following a scandal in which those two firms and another were closed over allegations that they failed to adequately screen blood products for HIV, the U.S. Army had offered free AIDS testing to former U.S. forces personnel who had served in Germany. "Concern for U.S. forces who may have received HIV-tainted blood products in German medical facilities is probably unnecessary, according to information provided to the European Command Surgeon's office," reassured the American military in its statement. "Haemophiliac Sues Ministers in French AIDS Scandal" Reuters (01/20/94) (Graves, Nelson) Paris--A French hemophiliac who contracted AIDS from contaminated blood has filed lawsuits alleging poisoning against three former French government ministers. Ludovic Bouchet filed the suits against Socialist ex-Premier Laurent Fabius and former Social Affairs and Health Ministers Georgina Dufoix and Edmond Herve, charging the three with poisoning, fraud on medical substances, failing to denounce a crime, and failing to assist persons in danger. Bouchet blamed Fabius for the delay in introducing a new American-made AIDS test in order to promote a French test. He also accused Dufoix and Herve of neglecting to immediately ban tainted blood packs when they were notified of the contamination in July 1985. All three former officials deny responsibility. The suits follow a public outcry in France after a group of about 100 doctors and scientists urged President Francois Mitterrand to pardon two other former health officials jailed as a result of the blood scandal. A special commission will consider Bouchet's case and determine whether to send the case to the appeal court, which would conduct a criminal probe and decide whether or not to press charges. "Healthcare Technologies Licenses Rapid HIV Test Results in 2-3 Minutes--Identical Confirmation to Western Blot" Business Wire (01/20/94) Ashdod, Israel--Savyon Diagnostics Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Healthcare Technologies Ltd., has signed a Manufacturing and Distribution Agreement with a private American corporation for a Rapid Diagnostic Test for HIV-1 and HIV-2 Antibodies. Under the agreement, Savyon receives worldwide manufacturing and distribution rights, but will pay royalties of generated revenues as well as an up-front license payment. "Our new Rapid Diagnostic Test is extremely rapid, 2-3 minutes versus 2-3 hours for the commonly used ELISA kit. Furthermore, ELISA positives are then re-tested making the entire ELISA process 4-6 hours, versus our 4-6 minutes," says Dr. Yeshayahu Yakir, Healthcare's president. "Our test is simple to perform , user-friendly, and above all, safe, reliable, and stable. The results are visually obvious to the operator, unequivocal, and require no equipment, or special skills." Yakir added that the kit has been successful in America, South Africa, and Israel. "The correlation between our kit and the very expensive, definitive Western Blot confirmatory test was found to be identical, i.e. 100 percent in over 1,000 tests to date," Yakir continued. "Not only do we forecast saving medical technicians time and money on screening tests, but also saving the healthcare third party payers money on confirmatory tests as well." "Introducing a New National Lifestyle Magazine for People Affected by HIV/AIDS: POZ" Business Wire ( 01/19/94) New York--POZ, a new national lifestyle magazine for people affected by HIV/AIDS, will present its premiere issue on March 15. Published bi-monthly, POZ will feature profiles of compelling national figures and personalities; columns on alternative medicine, media, the arts, health, living with AIDS, and sex; departments covering court issues, international updates, a viewing guide for television, film, and video; and also book, music, and theater reviews. In addition, "The POZ Partner" will be a comprehensive resource guide about HIV/AIDS, including helpful information on how to find a physician, drug trial information, buyer's clubs, legal concerns, nutrition guidelines, financial planning, and more. "POZ has no agenda other than to inform, provoke, entertain, and reflect the reality of AIDS-affected lives," says the magazine's publisher and executive editor, Sean Strub. "In the process, we hope to improve and extend those lives." "Eastern Europe: A Chance to Stop HIV" Science (12/24/93) Vol. 262, No. 5142, P. 1,964 (Balter, Michael) Of the estimated 100,000 AIDS cases reported throughout Europe, the continent's eastern nations account for only 3.4 percent. In fact, some countries, such as Albania and Kazakhstan, have not yet diagnosed a single case. The question is, with the social liberalization and increased travel that are following the collapse of communism, can these nations continue to avoid an AIDS epidemic? Yes, says the World Health Organization, which calculates that the epidemic in eastern Europe is lagging five years behind that in the west--enough time to launch a massive campaign to keep the virus at bay. This optimism, however, is based on the assumption that the eastern nations have the political will and resources to execute such an effort. Health and finance ministers met in Latvia last spring to develop an AIDS prevention plan for the entire region. The project, dubbed the Riga Initiative, calls for a major public education campaign, efforts to combat all sexually transmitted diseases, and programs to improve blood screening and increase condom availability. Without such measures, epidemiologists warn that HIV rates will soon begin to climb. There has already been an increase in other sexually transmitted diseases, which are indicators of HIV risk. Some efforts are being met with moral opposition. But the biggest obstacle facing prevention efforts in eastern Europe is the lack of resources. WHO estimates that the Riga Initiative will cost some $555 million over the next three years. Many eastern European AIDS experts say that they need western financial aid to prevent the Riga Initiative from stalling. "AIDS Digest: And in Brief..." Washington Blade (01/07/94) Vol. 25, No. 1, P. 25 Burroughs Wellcome has produced an educational video series to provide information about HIV and AIDS in women. So far, 2,500 copies of the first part of "Womansource HIV" have been distributed, according to the company. AIDS service organizations may request copies of the videotape and accompanying materials by calling 1 (800) 722-9292, extension 5411. "HIV Disease in Print: AIDS and Mental Health" Focus (12/93) Vol. 9, No. 1, P. 7 (Schoenfeld, Eric) Health-care practitioners and others who provide support to HIV-infected people and their loved ones can turn to "AIDS, Health, and Mental Health" as a primary source book. Using case samples, authors J. Landau-Stanton and C.D. Clements present dense information on the history of the AIDS epidemic, HIV-related biology, and the impact of the disease on individuals and communities. The 370-page book is separated into two sections, the first of which addressed misinformation about AIDS, the complexity of HIV disease, and how to remain informed of the changing knowledge surrounding HIV disease. The second section focuses on the clinical management of HIV disease, such as the practical skills needed to cope with delirium or dementia. The authors conclude the book by examining spiritual and existential issues, cultural diversity, and community-based prevention and intervention. "AIDS, Health, and Mental Health" is available with cloth binding for $38.95.