Subject: CDC AIDS Daily Summary Date: Fri Jan 24 07:31:03 PST 1997 (170 lines) From: National AIDS Info Clearinghouse Copyright 1997, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD AIDS Daily Summary January 24, 1997 The CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention makes available the following information as a public service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement by the CDC. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information. Copyright 1996, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD ****************************************************** "AIDS Cocktails Cut Treatment Costs, Two Studies Say" "Study Indicates Why Herpes Is Factor in the Spread of AIDS" "Agouron Trial Boasts Safety of New AIDS Drug" "Purported South African AIDS Breakthrough Angers Experts" "Across the USA: Michigan" "This Billionaire Gives Most of It Away" "Roche, Agouron: AIDS Trial Positive" "Virus Reveals How It Might Cause Cancer" "Ulcer Medicine May Help Fight HIV" "Prevention of HIV/AIDS and Other Blood-Borne Diseases Among Injection Drug Users" ****************************************************** "AIDS Cocktails Cut Treatment Costs, Two Studies Say" Wall Street Journal (01/24/97) P. B2; McGinley, Laurie Despite their high cost, the use of combination drug therapies for AIDS patients results in lower overall treatment costs, two new studies show. The findings, presented at the Fourth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, reveal that the therapies, which combine protease inhibitors with older AIDS drugs, reduce usage of hospital services and other costly medical care. One study, conducted by researchers at Tower Infectious Disease Medical Associates in Los Angeles, found that for each dollar spent on the drugs, at least two dollars were saved in overall treatment costs. The findings gave AIDS activists evidence to use in their fight for increased government funding for the drug therapies, though both researchers and activists alike cautioned that it is still too early to know whether the drugs will be effective in the long term or what their impact on the health-care system will be. "Study Indicates Why Herpes Is Factor in the Spread of AIDS" New York Times (01/24/97) P. A14 New research shows that genital herpes sores contain high levels of HIV, leading researchers to believe that the virus that causes AIDS is more easily transmitted by those infected with the herpes virus. About two-thirds of those infected with HIV also carry herpes simplex virus 2, the genital herpes virus. Researchers at the University of Washington reported Thursday at the Fourth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections that among 12 men with both HIV and genital herpes, HIV was found on herpes sores during repeated flare-ups in 23 of 24 episodes. The researchers suggested that the spread of HIV could be curbed by wider use of herpes drugs. "Agouron Trial Boasts Safety of New AIDS Drug" Wall Street Journal (01/24/97) P. B2; Rundle, Rhonda L. Agouron Pharmaceuticals' new protease inhibitor Viracept is safer and causes fewer side effects than the three protease inhibitors already approved, researchers say. Viracept, which is now being considered for federal approval, may also be beneficial for people who have developed resistance to other protease inhibitors, lab studies show. Results of human trials of the drug will be presented today at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. In a study of 700 patients, Viracept, combined with two older drugs, was able to reduce viral load to levels below detection in 81 percent of the participants while causing only "moderately severe" diarrhea in about 16 percent of patients. "Purported South African AIDS Breakthrough Angers Experts" New York Times (01/24/97) P. A4; McNeil, Donald G., Jr. Three South African scientists seeking funding from the Presidential Cabinet to continue their research on a purported AIDS cure have been censured by other AIDS researchers for misleading the public. Following the scientists' presentation to the Cabinet, stories suggesting a cure for AIDS had been discovered were widely reported in newspapers. Experts criticized the three for attempting to secure funding from the Cabinet without subjecting their research to peer review and for raising false hopes among the public. The researchers have suggested that the drug Virodene P058, which would be administered by a skin patch and costs just $34 a month per patient, could improve the health of the sickest individuals in only two weeks. "Across the USA: Michigan" USA Today (01/24/97) P. 8A Michigan's health chief criticized a needle exchange program proposed for Grand Rapids, saying it would be a sign of tolerance for illegal drugs. "This Billionaire Gives Most of It Away" Washington Post (01/24/97) P. A1; Dutt, Jill; Goodstein, Laurie Charles F. Feeney revealed Thursday that he has financed an anonymous philanthropic organization for more than 10 years, distributing more than $600 million to various charities during that time. Among them is the National Crime Prevention Program, based in Washington, D.C., and its "Youth as Resources" project, which provides resources and encouragement to young people to create their own community projects for illiteracy, AIDS prevention, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, and gun violence. "Roche, Agouron: AIDS Trial Positive" Reuters (01/23/97) Invirase, the protease inhibitor made by Hoffmann-La Roche, was found to interact favorably with the protease inhibitor Viracept, made by Agouron Pharmaceuticals, researchers reported Thursday. Results of the preliminary trial showed that Viracept, which is awaiting federal regulatory approval, was able to increase Invirase exposures by five. None of the 14 patients participating in the 12-week trial had been treated with a protease inhibitor before. "Virus Reveals How It Might Cause Cancer" Reuters (01/22/97); Fox, Maggie New research published in the journal Nature suggests that the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV or HHV 8) has a gene that could cause uncontrolled cell growth, leading to cancer. The researchers, led by Marvin Gershengorn of Cornell University's medical school, say the finding could help scientists understand the associations between viruses and cancers, as well as lead to new drug therapies. "What's really exciting about this is that it makes this receptor a potential drug target," said Gershengorn. "If we can show that this is related to disease pathogenesis, we might be able to discover drugs that ... turn the receptor off." "Ulcer Medicine May Help Fight HIV" Futurist (01/97-02/97) Vol. 31, No. 1, P. 6 An over-the-counter ulcer medicine appears to inhibit HIV and could delay or halt the progression of AIDS, according to Eric C. Fruhstorfer, president of Metatron, a company that investigates FDA-approved compounds. Fruhstorfer adds that the drug, called cimetidine, does not cause the side effects that other anti-HIV drugs do, noting that it is safe, inexpensive, and has already received U.S. regulatory approval. "Prevention of HIV/AIDS and Other Blood-Borne Diseases Among Injection Drug Users" Journal of the American Medical Association (01/01/97) Vol. 277, No. 1, P. 53; Gostin, Lawrence O.; Lazzarini, Zita; Jones, Stephen; et al. Improving the availability of sterile syringes as a measure to reduce the HIV transmission among injection drug users could be achieved through certain legal and public health approaches, according to Lawrence Gostin, of the Georgetown University Law Center, and colleagues. The authors report that laws in every state, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands restrict the sale and possession of syringes. Additionally, eight states and the Virgin Islands require a medical prescription for the sale and possession of syringes, and 23 states have pharmacy regulations or practice guidelines that limit access to syringes. The researchers offer several strategies for improving the syringe availability to prevent disease transmission among injection drug users. Their recommendations include clarifying the medical merit of sterile syringes for blood-borne disease prevention, altering drug paraphernalia laws to exempt syringes, repealing syringe prescription laws and pharmacy regulations that limit the sale of syringes, and promoting the education of pharmacists, other health professionals, and law enforcement officers about disease prevention. Other suggestions include allowing local discretion in setting up syringe exchanges and establishing community programs for the safe disposal of used syringes. [Note: This summary is a clarification of one that appeared in the AIDS Daily Summary on Jan. 8, 1997.]