                     AIDS Daily Summary 
                      February 27, 1996

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 1996, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD


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"Tokyo Nears Pact With HIV Victims"
"Green Cross May Pay Patients with HIV up to $190.8 Million"
"Possible TB Case Prompts Tests at Post Office Branch"
"White House Criticizes Plan for Welfare"
"A Chance for AIDS Action"
"Prognostic Factors For HIV Disease Progression Identified"
"Experimental Prodrug Shows Activity Against Both HIV and CMV"
"Support Group Helps Physicians Cope with AIDS"
"Changes in Plasma HIV-1 RNA and CD4+ Lymphocyte Counts and the 
Risk of Progression to AIDS"
"Sleeping AIDS"
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"Tokyo Nears Pact With HIV Victims"
Financial Times (02/27/96) P. 6;  Terazono, Emiko
     Baxter International has expressed its willingness to negotiate a
settlement with Japanese hemophiliacs who contracted HIV in the 
1980s through untreated blood products.  The U.S. drug maker is 
one of five drug companies, including Green Cross and Bayer 
Yakuhin--the Japanese subsidiary of the German pharmaceutical 
firm--who are charged with distributing HIV-contaminated blood 
products.  The pharmaceutical companies, especially Baxter and 
Bayer, had initially objected to a proposed $231 million 
settlement that required them to bear responsibility for paying 
60 percent of the compensation and left the Japanese government 
responsible for a smaller portion.  Although Baxter's willingness
to compromise may help the division over settlement portions to 
be resolved, Tomoyuki Iizuka--a lawyer for the plaintiffs--says, 
"The foreign companies will have to consider...the cost of losing
the Japanese market, the world's second largest market for 
drugs."  Related Stories: Journal of Commerce (02/27) P. 6B; 
Investor's Business Daily (02/27) P. A20; Philadelphia Inquirer 
(02/27) P. A1
      
"Green Cross May Pay Patients with HIV up to $190.8 Million"
Wall Street Journal (02/27/96) P. B9A
     Japanese drug maker Green Cross Corp. may pay up to $190.8 
million in compensation to hemophiliacs infected with HIV as a 
result of tainted blood products sold in the early 1980s.  Green 
Cross, the Japanese government, and four other drug 
companies--Nippon Zoki Pharmaceutical Co., Baxter Ltd., the Chemo
Sero Therapeutic Research Institute, and Bayer Yakuhin Ltd.--are 
being sued by the group of 248 HIV-infected hemophiliacs.  The 
five companies--as well as the government, according to new 
documents--were aware of the HIV risk when they sold the blood 
products.  Analysts predict that Green Cross will probably pay 
about 40 percent of the total compensation held responsible by 
the pharmaceutical firms because it sold the most untreated blood
products.
      
"Possible TB Case Prompts Tests at Post Office Branch"
Philadelphia Inquirer (02/27/96) P. B2
     Workers at a Philadelphia post office were tested for 
tuberculosis (TB) Friday and Monday after a fellow employee was 
suspected of having an active TB infection.  The employee was 
tested by her doctor, who notified the Public Health Department, 
who then notified the Postal Service.  The employee was placed in
isolation while tests are being performed to determine if she is 
contagious.  No other suspected cases were found at the post 
office.
      
"White House Criticizes Plan for Welfare"
New York Times (02/27/96) P. A16;  Pear, Robert
     The Clinton Administration is planning to raise objections to 
changes in welfare and Medicaid that were proposed by the 
National Governors' Association.  The White House will try to 
change the proposals to guarantee benefits to the poor, increase 
legal protections for beneficiaries, and limit states' freedom to
curtail aid.  The governors' plan calls for guaranteed medical 
care for certain groups, including pregnant women and children 
under the age of 13 in low-income families.  Donna Shalala, the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services, said the plan could 
prevent some groups--including individuals with HIV, certain 
physical disabilities, or mental illness--from getting necessary 
care under Medicaid.
      
"A Chance for AIDS Action"
Boston Globe (02/26/96) P. 10
     In a Boston Globe editorial, the authors urge readers to 
contribute to the Massachusetts AIDS Fund, which was set up by 
the state in 1990 to support AIDS research, treatment, and 
education.  State taxpayers, they note, can donate a portion of 
their refund to the effort, which has received nearly 25 percent 
less in annual contributions since 1992.  The editors claim that 
while knowledge about AIDS has increased, so has the feeling that
the crisis has passed.  Still, more than 650,000 Americans are 
estimated to have HIV, including some 36,000 in Massachusetts 
alone.  AIDS is the leading cause of death for people aged 25 to 
44.  The Massachusetts AIDS Fund helps projects not otherwise 
supported by the government, including those involving 
community-based research and peer-based AIDS education.
      
"Prognostic Factors For HIV Disease Progression Identified"
Reuters (02/26/96)
     A new study at Stanford university has found that high viral 
load, resistance to zidovudine, and low CD4 levels are strong 
predictors of disease progression in asymptomatic HIV patients.  
Thomas Merigan and colleagues studied four factors: virion 
reverse transcriptase codon 215 mutation, a marker of zidovudine 
resistance; serum HIV RNA level; CD4 T-cell count; and immune 
complex dissociated p24 level.  All the factors except immune 
complex dissociated p24 level were identified as good predictors 
of disease progression.  The research also revealed that 
treatment with "thymopentin slows progression [of HIV infection]
in the presence of zidovudine resistance mutations as well as 
high viral load," according to Merigan's team.
      
"Experimental Prodrug Shows Activity Against Both HIV and CMV"
Reuters (02/26/96)
     A new compound, reported to be active against both HIV and 
cytomegalovirus (CMV), is undergoing Phase I and Phase II trials.
The compound, made by Gilead Sciences Inc., is called adefovir 
dipivoxil, or GS 840, and is an antiviral nucleotide.  In 
preliminary studies, the drug resulted in significant sustained 
improvements in surrogate markers of HIV, including decreased HIV
viral load and increases in CD4 cell counts.  The drug also 
resulted in reduced CMV levels in semen, and had limited side 
effects.
      
"Support Group Helps Physicians Cope with AIDS"
Reuters (02/26/96)
     Seven years ago, a support group was created in Dallas for 
physicians who treat HIV-infected patients, have an HIV-positive 
spouse, or are themselves HIV-positive.  The group, which was 
formed when most doctors had little knowledge about HIV and felt 
helpless as medical providers, may be one-of-a-kind.  
Participants initially used the group setting to exchange 
information about treating HIV patients, as well as a source of 
psychological support.
      
"Changes in Plasma HIV-1 RNA and CD4+ Lymphocyte Counts and the 
Risk of Progression to AIDS"
New England Journal of Medicine (02/15/96) Vol.334, No.7, P. 426;
O'Brien, William A.;  Hartigan, Pamela M.;  Martin, David; et al.
     Studies of the efficacy of anti-HIV drugs can take years because 
the outcomes measured are progression to AIDS or death.  However,
if other endpoints were used, such as CD4 cell count and the 
level of HIV-1 RNA in the plasma, the usefulness of new drugs 
could be assessed more quickly.  To determine if these surrogate 
markers are valid predictors of AIDS, O'Brien et al. compared the
results of immediate versus deferred treatment with zidovudine.  
Among the 129 patients who received the drug immediately, 34 
progressed to AIDS, compared to 57 of the 141 that received 
deferred treatment.  Changes in CD4 cell count and plasma levels 
of HIV-1 RNA strongly predicted the patients' progression to 
AIDS, whereas base-line levels of (Beta 2)-microglobulin did not.
A 75 percent decrease in HIV-1 level along with a 10 percent 
increase in CD4 count accounted for 79 percent of the benefit, or
absence of disease progression.  The authors therefore conclude 
that the change in plasma HIV-1 RNA may provide the best 
predictor of the effect of treatment and that changes in the CD4 
cell count provide added information.  They further concluded 
that the goal of anti-HIV therapies should be to reduce the level
of HIV in the plasma by as much and for as long as possible.
      
"Sleeping AIDS"
POZ (02/96-03/96) No.12, P. 74
     Melatonin has recently been touted by the media as a "wonder 
drug," a powerful antioxidant that will help people with cancer, 
heart disease, cataracts, diabetes, insomnia and HIV infection.  
Russel Reiter--a neuroendocrinologist at the University of Texas 
Health Science Center at San Antonio, and author of the book 
"Melatonin: Your Body's Natural Wonder Drug"--says that the 
hormone may destroy free radicals in the body, molecules that 
harm the immune system, and thus help fight HIV.  Reiter contends
that while taking melatonin may not help every HIV positive 
person, it probably will not hurt either.  The hormone is not 
regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, although the 
agency did issue a warning about it in 1994.  It has not been 
formally studied in humans, though studies with mice have shown 
positive results for the immune system.
      
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