Date: Fri, 17 Mar 1995 09:33:36 +0500 From: ghmcleaf{CONTRACTOR/ASPEN/ghmcleaf}%NAC-GATEWAY.ASPEN@ace.aspensys.com AIDS Daily Summary March 17, 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 ************************************************************ "Review Exonerates Researchers in Test of Hepatitis Drug that Led to 5 Deaths" "Rap Star Eazy-E Says He Has AIDS" "House Approves $17.1 Billion in Spending Cuts" "African AIDS Epidemic Creating a Society of Orphans" "Tongue Found to Hold Natural Antibiotics" "'Greg Louganis Day' to Be Celebrated in West Hollywood" "Off the Menu: God's Love Dinners" "HIV Cop Case Settled" "AIDS Clinical Trials: Why They Have Recruiting Problems" "Double Vision" ************************************************************ "Review Exonerates Researchers in Test of Hepatitis Drug that Led to 5 Deaths" Wall Street Journal (03/17/95) P. B2; McGinley, Laurie Researchers involved in the 1993 test of the hepatitis drug fiauluridine (FIAU), which led to five deaths, showed "no evidence of negligence or carelessness" and could not have foreseen the fatalities, a panel of the Institute of Medicine has determined. The panel said that the trial, conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was justified, and that appropriate procedures were followed. The decision backs up an NIH panel that in April 1994 exonerated the researchers, but is in contrast to the Food and Drug Administration, which last year claimed that the scientists and their sponsors had violated several rules governing clinical trials. FIAU showed early potential as a treatment for hepatitis B. Although other trials had been conducted, the six-month NIH trial was abruptly stopped after 13 weeks, when a patient's liver failed. Five patients eventually died, and two more survived after receiving liver transplants. Related Stories: Washington Post (03/17) P. A2; Philadelphia Inquirer (03/17) P. A2-R; Washington Times (03/17) P. A8; Los Angeles Times--Washington Edition (03/17) P. A4 "Rap Star Eazy-E Says He Has AIDS" Los Angeles Times--Washington Edition (03/17/95) P. B1; Respers, Lisa Rap artist Eazy-E, co-founder of the Compton rap group N.W.A. and a major figure in the commercial development of "gangsta" rap, has AIDS, his record company announced on Thursday. Eazy-E, whose real name is Eric Wright, is one of the first major music performers to make such an announcement. His condition "will cause many people or kids who may have just casually glossed over information about HIV to really look closer," said Bishop Carl Bean, executive director of Minority AIDS Project. Wright, a self-described ex-gang member and former drug dealer, did not mention how he contracted HIV. In his statement, however, he indicated he had had a number of sexual partners. Related Story: Washington Post (03/17) P. B2 "House Approves $17.1 Billion in Spending Cuts" Washington Post (03/17/95) P. A7; Morgan, Dan After two days of debate, the House yesterday passed a $17.1 billion spending cuts bill. The bill makes cuts in numerous programs, especially low-income housing, environmental, education, and job-training programs. Republicans used procedural tactics to block votes on several important amendments, including one offered by Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) to restore $186 million for a housing program for people with AIDS. "This cause matters to me," said Shays, who related how the widow of former representative Stewart McKinney--who had AIDS and whose seat Shay now holds--had dedicated herself after McKinney's death to finding homes for people with the disease. White House Chief of Staff Leon E. Panetta said that if the spending cut package reaches President Clinton's desk in its present form, "there's no question...that the president, in fact, would veto it." "African AIDS Epidemic Creating a Society of Orphans" Washington Post (03/17/95) P. A41; Buckley, Stephen In Africa, AIDS has left millions of children without parents, and has affected thousands more who contracted HIV through their mothers. UNICEF predicts that by 1999, as many as 5 million African children will have lost their mothers to AIDS. An estimated 1.3 million of the 9.5 million people in sub-Saharan Africa who have HIV or AIDS are children. The spread of AIDS on the continent is, in part, due to cultural mores that assent to men having simultaneous sexual partnerships with more than one woman. At the Kakuuto offices of Doctors of the World, a medical relief group, AIDS Program coordinator Fred Sekyewa says babies born to mothers with AIDS have a 25 to 50 percent chance of becoming infected, and that one in three pregnant women examined there tests positive for HIV. Sekyewa adds that many women with AIDS have children because of cultural pressures. "In African societies it is an abomination for a woman to die without a child," he says. AIDS experts are concerned that the impact of AIDS on children will reduce school enrollments, roll back gains in infant mortality rates, and further tax family structures already destroyed by political and economic crises in many African countries. "Tongue Found to Hold Natural Antibiotics" New York Times (03/17/95) P. A21; Altman, Lawrence K. Scientists have discovered that cows' tongues contain natural antibiotic substances that protect cuts from being infected by the billions of microbes that reside in the mouth. Because human tongues and cow tongues are similar, the human tongue may have an antibiotic defense mechanism similar to the cow tongue antibiotic, a short protein known as a peptide, said Dr. Michael A. Zasloff, the head of the team from the Magainin Research Institute. The most abundant peptide the team found was one they called L.A.P, for lingual antimicrobial peptide. L.A.P.'s structure resembles other beta defensins that other scientists have found in the respiratory passageway of cows, the white blood cells that fight infection, and in the Paneth cells in the lining of the human small intestine. Animal peptides may also aid in the prevention and care of infections from viruses such as HIV and herpes because other defensins have been found to thwart these agents in the laboratory. "'Greg Louganis Day' to Be Celebrated in West Hollywood" Business Wire (03/16/95) In West Hollywood, Calif., Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis will be honored today with a proclamation declaring Friday, March 17, as "Greg Louganis Day." The tribute will take place at a news conference during which he will discuss his autobiography "Breaking the Surface." "Greg is a true American hero. His decision to be open about being gay and having AIDS is very courageous. We salute Greg and the many people who are living with HIV and AIDS each day," said Mayor Pro Tempore John Heilman, who will present the proclamation. "Off the Menu: God's Love Dinners" New York Times (03/15/95) P. C2; Fabricant, Florence Over 150 New York City restaurants have announced support plans for God's Love We Deliver, an organization that delivers meals to homebound people with AIDS. The eateries will donate some or all of their proceeds from dinners from the evening of March 26 to the charity. The participating establishments range from the upscale TriBeCa Grill to the casual Popover Cafe. Some, like Gramery Tavern and Union Square Cafe, are offering tables for eight that feature special menus for that night. "HIV Cop Case Settled" National Law Journal (03/06/95) Vol. 17, No. 27, P. A8 Under the terms of a settlement between the city of Chicago and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, the Chicago Police Department will no longer test its recruits for HIV. The city's testing policy was challenged in federal court after two individuals were denied jobs because they tested HIV-positive. The female candidate will receive $18,500, and the male candidate will receive $6,000. "AIDS Clinical Trials: Why They Have Recruiting Problems" AIDS Treatment News (02/17/95) No. 217, P. 1; Mirken, Bruce AIDS clinical trials often have difficulty enrolling the number of volunteers needed. "The majority of our trials take a lot longer than anybody expected to enroll. My guess is that this is what's happening across the country." said Ronald Mitsuyasu, director of the University of California at Los Angeles' Center for Clinical AIDS Research and Education. Obstacles to enrollment in AIDS trials can be divided into two categories: the publicity or outreach efforts used to recruit volunteers, and the design of the trials themselves. One problem with publicity is that drug companies are often reluctant to release data on a drug, which makes it difficult for recruiters to give potential volunteers the data they need to feel safe in the study. Another is the lack of clear guidance from the Food and Drug Administration on what publicity materials should or should not say--which can lead some trial sponsors to err on the side of caution by not saying enough. People, however, will not be attracted to a trial whose design is inherently unappealing to patients or whose inclusion/exclusion of criteria keeps out to many possible volunteers. Mitsuyasu noted that "patients are almost burnt out, and maybe somewhat pessimistic about what trials can do for them." "Double Vision" Advocate (03/21/95) No. 677, P. 65; Dale, Wendy "My Brother's Keeper," a television movie based on a true story, focuses on twins Tom and Bob Bradley--who are both gay teachers on Long Island. Having renounced the priesthood, the brothers live together and teach at the same school. When the movie opens, the two men learn that Tom, who is HIV-positive, is a perfect candidate for a bone-marrow transplant. The treatment is only possible for an individual with an HIV-negative identical twin. One of the most interesting moments in the drama is when the doctor suggests the painful and time-consuming transplant, and Tom simply assumes his twin will volunteer to be the donor. The movie accurately parallels real-life. For example, when Tom's insurance company refuses to pay for the treatment, the brothers choose to go public with their story and fight, which leads to a court battle and an outpouring of love from Tom's students and colleagues. Despite a somewhat slow pace, the movie raises several worthwhile gay-related issues--including the need for health care reform and the difficulty of combining religion with homosexuality.