Date: Wed, 22 Mar 1995 09:34:19 +0500 From: ghmcleaf{CONTRACTOR/ASPEN/ghmcleaf}%NAC-GATEWAY.ASPEN@ace.aspensys.com AIDS Daily Summary March 22, 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 ************************************************************ "A Biotech Company Is Granted Broad Patent and Stock Jumps" "Celibacy Program Dropped, As Source Is Tied to Church" "Belgian Researchers Discover Quick New AIDS Test" "Condom Seller Lets Users Do the Talking" "Inside the Beltway: Sex-Toy Shotgun" "Stripping Takes Off in the '90s" "Russia's HIV Law Passed" "Drug Shows Promise against MAC Symptoms" "STD Education Initiative Seeks to Stem Large Number of Cases in U.S." "Agenda: Bloody Shame" ************************************************************ "A Biotech Company Is Granted Broad Patent and Stock Jumps" New York Times (03/22/95) P. D1; Riordan, Teresa Shares of Genetic Therapy Inc. jumped 17.6 percent on Tuesday following the company's announcement that it had received a broad patent for a certain approach to gene therapy. The patent, which belongs to the National Institutes of Health and is exclusively licensed to Genetic Therapy, covers any method of reinjecting a patient with his own cells after they have been genetically altered. A. Paul Boni of New York-based equity research firm Mehta & Isaly said, "Genetic Therapy Inc. now has a very important strategic position." James M. Wilson, director of the Institute for Human Gene Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania, called the patent "a good sign for biotechnology generally, since proprietary rights are basic to the development of this industry." Scientists are investigating the use of gene therapy for several disorders, including HIV. Related Stories: Wall Street Journal (03/22) P. B6; Washington Post (03/22) P. A1; Washington Times (03/22) P. B7; Baltimore Sun (03/22) P. 10C "Celibacy Program Dropped, As Source Is Tied to Church" New York Times (03/22/95) P. B1; Hanley, Robert Three women, who lead groups on Long Island that encourage family values and premarital celibacy, recently stopped showing a slide presentation on AIDS after learning that the show's creators had had leadership roles in the Unification Church. Sister Marjorie McGregor, Janet Gilroy, and Joanne Fruhauf worked hard at distributing the presentation, "Free Teens, USA," which emphasized teenage celibacy, and they promoted program creators Richard A. Panzer and Dr. William L. Bergman. The church, which is led by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, has been criticized for enticing young people to join and separating them from their families. Although the women had no signs that the men were recruiting in this case, they severed ties with them immediately. The men claim their intent was only to stop the spread of AIDS. Public schools throughout the region have used the slides, many of them unaware of Panzer and Bergman's ties to the Unification Church. Panzer said that although he was the director of the Unification Church in Rhode Island during the 1980s, he no longer held any official church position. Bergman is the head of the World Medical Health Foundation, which critics say is a front for the Unification Church. "Belgian Researchers Discover Quick New AIDS Test" Reuters (03/21/95); Pleming, Sue Researchers in Belgium have developed a new test for HIV which produces results within days, compared to common testing methods which force a delay of several months. "Usually you have to wait about three months after exposure before knowing whether you are HIV-positive, but with this one we can detect the virus a day or so later," said Professor Jose Remacle of Namur University in Belgium, on Tuesday. Remacle's test differs from others in that it checks specifically for HIV, rather than antibodies which can only be detected several months after infection. Remacle said his test offers psychological benefits for people worried they might be HIV-positive. His test can also measure the state of advancement of the virus in the body. The test, which costs about $10 per kit, has been marketed in laboratories in Belgium, France, and Italy for the past month. The test's producers are seeking additional distributors in Europe and are hoping to capture the U.S. market. "Condom Seller Lets Users Do the Talking" Wall Street Journal (03/22/95) P. B8; Warner, Fara In a "reciprocal" ad campaign from Ansell International's consumer products unit, the company is asking consumers to make short videos explaining what they think about condoms and safe sex in the 1990s. The winning video or a combination of several is expected to become the next television commercial for LifeStyles condoms. The $5 million print campaign comes at a time when public discussion of condom use appears to be more accepted than when Ansell first started advertising in 1986. At that time, the ads were banned from the major broadcast networks and some national magazines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, has aired public service announcements about condom use and AIDS for more than a year. It is not certain, however, whether the videos will ever be seen on the broadcast networks. Fox has run condom ads, but has strict guidelines about what it will air. The networks generally accepts public-service announcements that address the "use of condoms as a way to reduce the risk of contracting the [AIDS] virus," says a CBS statement. "Inside the Beltway: Sex-Toy Shotgun" Washington Times (03/22/95) P. A6; McCaslin, John Recently, a federal employee--who asked not to be identified--attended the mandatory HIV-AIDS training course as required by President Clinton in a September 1993 directive. The Pentagon worker expressed concern to her supervisors that because "the nature of [her] organization does not typically involve exchange of bodily fluids," she hoped a personal risk discussion would not extend beyond office contact. She warned them that she would leave the class if it strayed too far from workplace-related information. When the Red Cross instructor began a discussion of flavored condoms after the phrase "sex toys" appeared on a slide, the worker left the room. Her co-workers later informed her that she missed "the 'Saran Wrap' discussion [and] how to safely remove a condom." The worker has suggested that the administration re-examine its objectives and methods of HIV-AIDS education. "The shotgun approach with a captive audience of federal employees seems inappropriate," she commented. "Stripping Takes Off in the '90s" USA Today (03/22/95) P. 1D; della Cava, Marco R. Hollywood has rediscovered stripping. The forthcoming "Striptease," for example follows actor Demi Moore as she strips to raise funds for a child-custody battle. "I think part of the attraction is you can only go so far, that's the intrigue," says Atom Egoyan, director of the recently released film "Exotica." AIDS has been a factor in the nationwide doubling of the number of strip clubs to almost 3,000 since 1992, says traveling salesman Bill Harland, author of "The Complete Guide to Gentleman's Entertainment." "This is the safe sex alternative of the '90s," he adds. "Russia's HIV Law Passed" Lancet (03/11/95) Vol. 345, No. 8949, P. 644 A controversial law in Russia, which called for mandatory HIV testing of all visitors to the country, has been amended. The lower house of parliament unanimously accepted the amendment put forth by President Boris Yeltsin, exempting people visiting the country for less than three months from testing. Diplomats will also be exempt, but other foreigners who intend to stay for more than three months must either produce recent certification that they are HIV-negative or be tested upon arrival. The new law takes effect on Aug. 1. "Drug Shows Promise against MAC Symptoms" AIDS Alert (03/95) Vol. 10, No. 3, P. 38 A new study has found that clarithromycin significantly decreases Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) bacteremia and appears to increase survival in AIDS patients. "This was the first study showing that a single drug could sterilize the blood of patients with disseminated MAC infection," said lead author Dr. Richard Chaisson, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University. The effectiveness of the drug, however, was limited by drug resistance, and there is clearly a need for combination therapy with clarithromycin and other agents, Chaisson said. The Food and Drug Administration approved clarithromycin for the treatment of MAC in 1992. The drug, however, had not been adequately studied for efficacy until now, Chaisson added. The patients who received the lowest dose of clarithromycin had longer average survival times than those patients in either of the higher doses. Most patients in all three groups eventually had a distinct reduction in MAC symptoms, and at least one blood culture became negative for MAC. Over a median time of 16 weeks, 46 percent of all patients developed resistance to the drug, and with it a recurrence of symptoms. "STD Education Initiative Seeks to Stem Large Number of Cases in U.S." Nation's Health (03/95) Vol. 25, No. 3, P. 9 On Feb. 14, nine national health organizations and a major pharmaceutical company launched a sexually transmitted disease (STD) education initiative. Representatives of those groups used Valentine's Day--a day associated with love and passion--to unveil a new booklet about STDs, and to report the findings of a survey about Americans' attitudes, knowledge, and behavior. Burroughs-Wellcome, a manufacturer of STD treatments, commissioned the study--which found that 62 percent of the men and 50 percent of the women surveyed were at high or moderate risk of contracting an STD. About three-quarters of the high risk men and women, however, said they were not worried about getting an STD. The survey also found that almost two-thirds of the respondents knew little about six common STDs, including HIV, genital herpes, and syphilis. "Agenda: Bloody Shame" Advocate (03/07/95) No. 676, P. 11 According to testimony given by Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, a former assistant director for public health practice at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, blood banks did too little to stop the spread of AIDS at a crucial period during the 1980s. Koplan said that the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) strongly resisted measures that were intended to slow the transmission of HIV, which had not yet been isolated. Koplan made the allegations while testifying in a lawsuit against the AABB filed by a woman who claims she became infected with HIV from a blood transfusion she received in 1983.