>From: "ANNE WILSON, CDC NAC" >Date: Tue, 07 Jun 1994 09:09:37 -0400 (EDT) Subject: CDC AIDS DAILY SUMMARY 06/07/94 AIDS Daily Summary June 07, 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 ************************************************************ "H.I.V. Testing for Children in Foster Care" "AIDS Walk Stirs Memories, Lifts Spirits" "Stanford Opens HIV/AIDS Primary Care Clinic" "Triplex Reports Discovery of Olignucleotide Compounds That Significantly Inhibit HIV-1 Activity" "Immune Response Corp. Dispute With Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Heads to Court" "Lawyer With AIDS Settles" "Dining Out for Life Raises $75,000" "People Working With AIDS" "Five Best Centers for AIDS Research" "Gay Male Survivor Guilt" ************************************************************ "H.I.V. Testing for Children in Foster Care" New York Times (06/07/94) P. B1; Navarro, Mireya As the debate over the government's reach in diagnosing and treating HIV-positive children rages on in New York, the state's Department of Social Services is preparing to embark on its most aggressive effort yet to identify infected children. The department is developing regulations to routinely screen children in the foster care system for HIV infection. All children entering the system would be assessed for HIV infection within five days, and those found to have risk factors would undergo HIV testing within a month. Officials expect to identify more infected children once the new requirements are in place because of the link between HIV and intravenous drug use. Because many children of drug-addicted mothers wind up in foster care, these kids are likely to be more vulnerable to the virus, says State Social Services Commissioner Michael J. Dowling. "AIDS Walk Stirs Memories, Lifts Spirits" Boston Globe (06/06/94) P. 13; McGee, Patrick Some walked the 10 kilometers in memory of loved ones who had succumbed to AIDS, and some walked for the ones who are in the process of dying. Whatever their reasons for taking part, an estimated 35,000 people participated in Sunday's AIDS Pledge Walk in Boston. The event, sponsored by the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, raised $3 million in pledges. "Stanford Opens HIV/AIDS Primary Care Clinic" Business Wire (06/06/94) California's Stanford Hospital will provide specialized primary care for HIV/AIDS patients with the opening of The Stanford Positive Care Clinic. According to the clinic's director, Dr. Andrew Zolopa, the goal of the new facility is to provide HIV-infected patients--at all stages--with comprehensive health care, as well as access to the most current drug and vaccine research trials. The clinic will also provide the peninsula's HIV/AIDS patients with access to all levels of care at a single location, dispensed by specially trained staff members. "Triplex Reports Discovery of Olignucleotide Compounds That Significantly Inhibit HIV-1 Activity" Business Wire (06/06/94) Scientists at Triplex Pharmaceutical Corp. have discovered a series of compounds, called guanine-thymine olignucleotides (GTOs), which seem to inhibit HIV production through a unique nucleic acid protein interaction. The compounds suppressed HIV p24 production for more than one week after being removed from an HIV-infected culture media, according to Triplex President and CEO Dr. James M. Chubb. The GTOs may prevent viral-specific transcription, thus potentially slowing or even halting disease progression, added Dr. Robert F. Rando, an assistant director at Triplex. Rando said the company is currently focusing on defining the mechanisms of action of the GTOs, and working to characterize the GTOs' long-term suppression of HIV. "Immune Response Corp. Dispute With Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Heads to Court" Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News (06/03/94) Immune Response Corp., tangled in a continuing dispute with partner Rhone-Poulenc Rorer over an AIDS treatment they developed together, filed a petition in Illinois court to support a recent arbitrator's award. In February, the two firms asked an arbitrator to decide which company should control development of the immunotherapeutic. Immune Response emerged the victor, but complained that Rhone-Poulenc has not complied with the decision and requested an expedited hearing. Rhone-Poulenc said it was surprised and frustrated to learn of its partner's legal action. "Lawyer With AIDS Settles" National Law Journal (05/30/94) Vol. 16, No. 39, P. A8 An unidentified Philadelphia attorney has settled a federal lawsuit in which he charged his employer, the William Shapiro law firm, of firing him after he informed his boss that he had AIDS. A similar lawsuit, filed by another Philadelphia attorney against Kohn Nast & Graf, was scheduled for trial this month but was postponed until September. "Dining Out for Life Raises $75,000" Nation's Restaurant News (05/30/94) Vol. 28, No. 22, P. 11 On May 5, a group of Chicago restaurants raised $75,000 to support the fight against AIDS by donating a percentage of that day's receipts. Pre-event publicity for Dining Out for Life was said to have yielded an unusually high volume of business, according to participating restaurants. "People Working With AIDS" Federal Times (05/23/94) Vol. 30, No. 15, P. 5; Harris, Christy President Clinton recently honored Federal Labor Relations Authority employees for their exemplary treatment of a staff member who retired due to AIDS-related health problems. Recognized on May 9 were FLRA General Counsel Joseph Swerdzewski, former General Counsel Kathleen Koch, Deputy Director of Operations Nancy Speight, Dallas Regional Director James Petrucci, and attorney Susan Jelen. The honors were prompted by a letter to Clinton written by Christopher Ivits, a 10-year Dallas employee, who praised the manner in which the FLRA management treated him after he revealed his HIV status. He said they afforded him "every opportunity, every responsibility and challenge that was available," and remained supportive and compassionate when he sought a shorter work week because of his declining health. "At no time was I ever treated like half a person or half an employee," Ivits wrote in the letter. "Rather I was treated with respect and as a valued and productive member of the staff." Speight said that she and other FLRA employees were somewhat surprised by the ceremony. "It was an honor, but this is just the normal way you're supposed to treat people," she said. National AIDS policy coordinator Kristine Gebbie commented, "The FRLA has demonstrated that progressive workplace policies and procedures are effective in assisting someone living with HIV or AIDS to continue productive work as long as their health permits." "Five Best Centers for AIDS Research" Advocate (05/17/94) No. 655, P. 20 A survey of medical school deans and senior faculty members lists the five best centers for AIDS research as the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of California at San Francisco, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Washington. The study was conducted by U.S. News & World Report. "Gay Male Survivor Guilt" Focus (05/94) Vol. 8, No. 6, P. 7; Boykin, F.F. Survival guilt, though modest, is prevalent among gay men, according to a small urban study. Surprisingly, HIV-positive men tended to have higher survivor guilt scores than HIV-negative men. There was no correlation between survivor guilt and the number of friends, ex-lovers, and lovers affected by HIV, but there was a high correlation between involvement in gay or AIDS organizations and relief from survivor guilt feelings.