AIDS Daily Summary July 21, 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 Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information. Copyright 1994, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD "Describing Clinton's Policy as in Tatters, AIDS Groups Attack" Washington Times (07/21/94) P. A6; Freedberg, Louis With leadership of federal AIDS policy uncertain following the resignation of White House AIDS Policy Coordinator Kristine Gebbie, many AIDS groups say President Clinton is failing to live up to campaign promises to launch a concerted national war on the disease. Gebbie's resignation has renewed debate over just how much progress the Clinton administration has made. While most AIDS group admit that this administration has accomplished a great deal in comparison to the Bush and Reagan administrations, they want even more from Clinton. A year and a half into his presidency, there still is no AIDS cure within reach. Administration officials, however, defend their record. Clinton has expanded the AIDS research budget from $1 billion to $1.3 billion, and funding for AIDS services has climbed by 66 percent. In addition, the president has appointed influential individuals to head AIDS projects. Most importantly, his proposed health care plan would extend health care to all AIDS patients. Yet critics argue that Clinton has not pushed the issue to the forefront of his domestic political agenda, and has been hesitant to upset conservatives who could influence the outcome of his health care bill. "In Appalachia, AIDS Patients Live in Fear, Isolation" Philadelphia Inquirer (07/21/94) P. A1; Fleishman, Jeffrey While much of the nation has been weaned from its fear and prejudice of AIDS, in rugged Appalachian Mountain communities AIDS patients are still regarded as a threat to a culture. The region is located in the heart of the Bible Belt, and many there view the disease as a scourge on homosexuals. AIDS patients live in fear and isolation, traveling to different counties to seek treatment and receiving prescriptions at post office boxes to prevent pharmacists from gossiping. Ignorance abounds--AIDS patients are often targeted for violence and discrimination--and there are no outreach organizations to help them cope. Statistics indicate that AIDS in Appalachia is much smaller in scope than in urban areas, but health care workers and AIDS activists attribute the low percentage of AIDS cases to the inaccurate reporting that occurs when patients receive care in other regions, or when doctors give the disease another diagnosis to protect a family, or when patients die before seeking treatment. The Appalachian region, say some AIDS patients, is the cruelest and meanest place to die. "AIDS Clinic Officials Promise to Meet With Ward 8 Leaders" Washington Post (07/21/94) P. D.C. 2; Young, Vincent Officials at the Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, D.C., admit their mistake in failing to consult with community leaders about plans to construct a $700,000 AIDS service facility on South Capitol Street. Executive director Jim Graham explained that the clinic unknowingly forgot to confer with the community because officials were overwhelmed with enthusiasm and excitement, but said that he and the center's director, Dwayne Revis, will meet with neighborhood leaders to discuss plans for the new 4,500-foot building. The new Max Robinson Center would include a food bank, and areas for medical treatment and child care. Officials of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8C said they support such a center in their largely black community, which they said has been neglected by AIDS activists. "AIDS Center for Babylon Draws Fire" New York Times (07/21/94) P. B6 Dianne Burrows' efforts to open an AIDS counseling center in the Long Island village of Babylon have pitted her and her supporters against some local officials, entrepreneurs, and residents. The village's lawyer, Joel Sikowitz, informed Burrows that she needed a permit before she could operate a counseling center in a commercially zoned district and that, without one, she could face fines of $250 per day. Burrows, who says she has offered her services in Manhattan and Babylon for a decade, argues that a permit is not warranted, as professional offices are exempt, and she is not providing treatment. The real issue, she charges, is discrimination against people with AIDS. On Monday, Burrows attended federal court and convinced Judge Arthur D. Spatt to issue a temporary injunction to prevent the village from blocking the center's opening. Spatt said the village may be violating equal-protection rights guaranteed in the 14th Amendment. "First Female Condoms Shipped" United Press International (07/20/94) Wisconsin Pharmacal of Jackson, Wis., yesterday began shipping quantities of Reality, the first FDA-approved female condom, to drug and supermarket chains across the United States. National distribution is scheduled for completion by September. The device should be on shelves by August, according to Wisconsin Pharmacal's Mary Ann Leeper, who described the condom as the only protection against AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases that is "under a woman's control." Federal studies, however, have said that the condom is not as effective as traditional sheaths as a method of birth control. "Innovative Bedsheet Shields Healthcare Workers from AIDS, Hepatitis-B Infections" Business Wire (07/20/94) Belmac Corp., a Tampa, Fla.-based pharmaceutical and healthcare company, is producing and marketing a new bedsheet designed to protect healthcare employees against the risk of infection from AIDS, hepatitis B, and other blood-borne diseases. Intended for use in emergency vehicles and high fluid-loss areas of hospitals, such as emergency rooms and intensive care units, the bedsheet's multi-ply material contains a laminated protective barrier, which may help lower the risk of disease transmission. "Immune Response Corp. Unit to Move From Connecticut to California" Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News (07/20/94) Immune Response Corp. announced plans to consolidate operations of TargeTech Inc., its Meriden, Conn., subsidiary, to its San Diego, Calif., headquarters. The shift, according to Immune Response, will allow the company to save about $2 million in operating expenses over the next year. Immune Response, co-founded by Dr. Jonas Salk, is searching for a treatment for HIV infection, while the subsidiary is trying to develop gene therapy technology for treatment of hepatitis, cardiovascular disease, and hemophilia. "Thymomodulin" AIDS Treatment News (07/08/94) No. 202, P. 1; James, John S.; Getty, Jeff Human trials of Thymomodulin, a substance manufactured from the thymus glands of calves, have demonstrated good results with various conditions in which the immune system is compromised. A small, observational study of HIV patients conducted several years ago in Europe also yielded promising results, including marked improvement in clinical condition, and improvement in blood work. These early findings, however, were not followed up. In Europe, they were seriously neglected, and all but completely abandoned in the United States. The scientific documentation, combined with anecdotal evidence from several HIV/AIDS patients, has convinced AIDS Treatment News that Thymomodulin is worth pursuing as a treatment for HIV and AIDS. The drug is approved in Italy and used as an immune treatment throughout Europe, but is not approved in the United States, although patients can obtain a personal supply. "Birth Outcomes Following Zidovudine Therapy in Pregnant Women" Journal of the American Medical Association (07/06/94) Vol. 272, No. 1, P. 17 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are 100,000 HIV-positive women of child-bearing age in the United States, and that 7,000 infants are born to infected mothers each year. The U.S. rate of perinatal HIV transmission among women not receiving antiretroviral therapy is 15 to 30 percent. Recent findings from a major clinical trial suggest that treating mothers and newborns with zidovudine may significantly lower the risk of HIV transmission. The CDC cautions, however, that potential risks linked to antiretroviral treatment during pregnancy should be carefully considered. The Zidovudine in Pregnancy Registry was installed in 1989 by the Wellcome Foundation, in conjunction with the CDC, to measure the incidence of infants with structural defects. An analysis of the registry finds that the observed proportion of birth defects among infants of women who received zidovudine therapy was 2 percent, not significantly different from the 3 percent that characterizes the general population. The findings, however, are preliminary, and the sample limited. The CDC says the registry must be sustained to monitor for possible birth defects among infants of women who received zidovudine therapy during pregnancy.