                     AIDS Daily Summary
                      October 28, 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
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Copyright 1994, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD


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"Lifeline: AIDS Model"
"Bad Blood Donors Can't Be Identified"
"Benetton's Condom-Monium"
"Biomune Systems Inc. Announces Preliminary Results of Phase I 
Clinical Trials"
"Immunomedics Reports Clinical Results on Potential Imaging Agent
for Infection in AIDS Patients"
"Ribi Science Update: Ribi's MPL in Liposomes Superior as AIDS 
Vaccine Adjuvant, According to Preliminary Comparative Human 
Clinical Study Data"
"Grace's Agracetus Unit Awarded $2 Million by U.S. Army to 
Develop HIV Vaccine; Initiates Plans for a Malaria Vaccine"
"Red Cross Wins Better Business Bureau Award for AIDS Education; 
Its Third BBB Honor in Five Years"
"Viral Load Measurement"
"AIDS and Nutrition: Clarification, Additional Resources"
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"Lifeline: AIDS Model"
USA Today (10/28/94) P. 1D;  Vigoda, Arlene
     Baboons infected with HIV appear to develop the same symptoms as 
humans, report researchers in Science magazine.  Although animal 
activists protest the baboons' suffering, Dr. Jay Levy of the 
University of California at San Francisco says that the animals 
are making new investigations of AIDS vaccines and treatments 
possible.
      
"Bad Blood Donors Can't Be Identified"
Toronto Globe and Mail (10/27/94) P. A10;  Claridge, Thomas
     A temporary injunction has been placed to prevent the Canadian 
Red Cross from disclosing to public health authorities the 
identities of donors of HIV-infected blood now being tested after
10 years in cold storage.  The Canadian AIDS Society requested 
the order.  The Ontario Court's General Division will start 
hearing arguments next Monday on whether the ban should become 
permanent.  The principal issue involved is whether a donor's 
normal right to refuse testing should invalidate Ontario's Health
Protection and Promotion Act's requirement that laboratories 
report any tests that indicate the presence of communicable 
diseases and provide the names and addresses of the infected 
persons.  Testing is being done of 175,000 blood samples taken 
from donors between 1984 and 1985.  Donors at the time were told 
that there was no available HIV test, but the blood samples were 
apparently stored in connection with research work on hepatitis. 
Douglas Elliott, the lawyer representing the Canadian AIDS 
Society, said that the organization does not object to testing or
advising recipients of HIV-infected blood that they are at risk. 
Without the temporary ban, however, some infected but healthy 
donors could learn through "a knock on the door" about the 
testing without their knowledge or permission.
      
"Benetton's Condom-Monium"
Toronto Globe and Mail (10/27/94) P. D6;  French, Serena
     A fashion show of the fall 1994 collection at local United Colors
of Benetton stores was held last Wednesday night to benefit the 
Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CanFAR).  Eight 
Toronto-area Benetton store owners decided to put on the show 
after receiving the fall issue of Benetton's quarterly 
international magazine, Colors.  This issue is completely devoted
to AIDS.  It includes graphic pictorials of how HIV is 
transmitted and of safe-sex alternatives to intercourse.  Colors 
presents a mock obituary of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan 
accompanied by a digitally altered head shot of Reagan made to 
look as though his face is covered with Kaposi's sarcoma lesions.
"It's been said we're exploiting world issues," said Nadia 
Iafrate, one of the Toronto Benetton owners. "But we're just 
using our name to try and bring international awareness to these 
issues.  So the magazine is reinforcing this intention."  The 
fashion show raised $12,500 from door sales alone.  All of its 
proceeds, as well as the proceeds from the AIDS issue of Colors, 
will benefit CanFAR.
      
"Biomune Systems Inc. Announces Preliminary Results of Phase I 
Clinical Trials"
Business Wire (10/27/94)
     Preliminary Phase I trials of IMMUNO-C--a bovine antibody-based 
biologic drug in development for the treatment of 
cryptosporidiosis--were successful, Biomune Systems Inc. 
announced Thursday.  "We have administered IMMUNO-C to 41 
healthy, HIV negative volunteers, and at this point our analysis 
is that the product is safe, said principal investigator Dr. 
Craig Moffat.  "The dosage determined by Phase I is particularly 
important because it will be used in Phase II clinical trials to 
treat people with AIDS who are infected with cryptosporidium."  
The results support similar data from previous independent in 
vivo animal studies.  Phase II studies will attempt to prove 
human efficacy of IMMUNO-C.
      
"Immunomedics Reports Clinical Results on Potential Imaging Agent
for Infection in AIDS Patients"
Business Wire (10/27/94)
     Further pilot clinical results of Immunomedic Inc.'s  new nuclear
imaging agent for Pneumocystis infection in immunocompromised 
patients were announced at the 6th Congress of the World 
Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology in Sydney, Australia. 
With an 85.7 percent accuracy rate, the imaging agent diagnosed 
Pneumocystis infection in the lungs of 22 AIDS patients.  Dr. 
David M. Goldenberg, chairman of Immunomedic, explained that, 
"After injecting a small dose of this agent, the patients are 
imaged with a conventional nuclear camera within 24 hours, thus 
providing relatively quick results in a noninvasive manner."  
Pneumocystis infection is one of the major causes of death in 
AIDS patients.
      
"Ribi Science Update: Ribi's MPL in Liposomes Superior as AIDS 
Vaccine Adjuvant, According to Preliminary Comparative Human 
Clinical Study Data"
PR Newswire (10/26/94)
     Data from a Phase I study conducted by the AIDS Vaccine 
Evaluation Group of the National Institute of Allergy and 
Infectious Diseases was presented on Wednesday at the 2nd 
International Conference on Mucosal Immunization, Genetic 
Approaches and Adjuvants.  It showed that Ribi ImmunoChem's MPL 
immunomodulator formulated in liposomes was more effective as an 
adjuvant for an AIDS vaccine than other adjuvants.  Ribi has 
licensed MPL to SmithKline Beecham for use in vaccines against 
herpes, hepatitis, influenza, and Lyme disease, and to both 
SmithKline and American Cyanamid for use against DPT, Hib 
meningitis, and streptococcal infection.  Robert E. Ivy, chief 
executive, president, and chairman of Ribi, said that his company
was "gratified by human data further supporting MPL as an 
adjuvant of importance in developing infectious disease 
vaccines."
      
"Grace's Agracetus Unit Awarded $2 Million by U.S. Army to 
Develop HIV Vaccine; Initiates Plans for a Malaria Vaccine"
PR Newswire (10/26/94)
     The Army Medical Research and Development Command awarded 
Agracetus, Inc., a subsidiary of W. R. Grace & Co.,  a $2 
million, four-year grant to develop a DNA-based vaccine for HIV. 
Separately, The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research also 
entered an exclusive Collaborative Research and Development 
Agreement (CRADA) with Agracetus.  The collaboration will pursue 
a genetic vaccine for malaria.  Both agreements will use 
Agracetus' Accell gene gun technology, which uses compressed gas 
to propel microscopic gold particles full of DNA directly into an
individual's skin.  "We are very excited about these agreements,"
said Dr. Ken Barton, vice president of research and development 
at Argracetus.  " ...There is a clear need for new vaccine 
strategies against HIV and malaria, and we now have the 
scientific and financial support of the U.S. Army to facilitate 
our attack on both of these globally devastating afflictions."
      
"Red Cross Wins Better Business Bureau Award for AIDS Education; 
Its Third BBB Honor in Five Years"
PR Newswire (10/26/94)
     The American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania's has been 
awarded the "1994 Best Service Introduction Award" by the Better 
Business Bureau for its excellence in AIDS education and 
prevention.  Introduced in 1993, the "AIDS Home Care" course 
helps people learn the skills and confidence they need to care 
for a loved one with AIDS.  More than 900 people have taken the 
14-hour course, which is taught by specially trained registered 
nurses.  One of the leading AIDS educators in the Delaware 
Valley, the Southeastern Pennsylvania chapter reached more than 
140,000 people last year with its AIDS programs and materials.
      
"Viral Load Measurement"
Advocate (10/18/94) No. 666, P. 34;  Cohan, Gary R.
     Researchers have developed two new methods of measuring HIV's 
activity.  Quantitative RNA-PCR is a technique under development 
by Roche Molecular Systems to detect very small amounts of RNA, 
and give a more precise estimate of how much virus is being 
reproduced in the body.  Branched-chain DNA (bDNA) estimates 
viral load--the amount of virus in the body--by measuring 
individual strands of RNA and is being developed by Chiron Corp. 
One of the most important and difficult issues is how the test 
results will be interpreted and translated into clinical 
treatment decisions.  Individual viral load results will probably
not be very useful, but its changes over time may give a strong 
indication of how effective the most recent treatments are.
      
"AIDS and Nutrition: Clarification, Additional Resources"
AIDS Treatment News (10/07/94) No. 208, P. 4;  Tobias, Tadd
     There is a vast difference between the definitions of 
"nutritionist" and "registered dietitian."  Confusion is easy 
because many registered dietitians call themselves the more "user
friendly" term of "nutritionist" when in community or outpatient 
settings.  Almost anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, 
however, and he or she may not have the education and training to
provide accurate information.  Persons with HIV seeking 
nutritional information should be careful to speak with a 
registered dietitian with experience with HIV and AIDS.  Patients
may request that the Commission on Dietetic Registration, the 
credentialing agency for The American Dietetic Association, 
verify a practitioner's credentials.  "Dietitians in HIV 
Practice" and Project Open Hand--both in the San Francisco Bay 
area--and the National HIV-Nutrition Team all provide nutritional
services for persons living with HIV/AIDS.
      
