DDC now available
LADD7
editi
ony
B O O K /TO R E
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Ladd's Editions
would like to thank
A Woman's Place
Bookstore for the
services they have
offered for many
years. Ladd's
Editions will be the
new home for their
lending library;
ticket outlet and
community bulletin
board.
Some people with ARC and AIDS now
have access to the anti-HTV drug DDC
through an expanded research program. DDC
is available to people who cannot take AZT or
DDI because of the side effects these drugs
cause, and to people who are no longer helped
by AZT or DDL
Hoffman-La Roche, the maker of DDC,
will provide the drug free of charge. PWAs
enroll in the study through their doctor who
will contact the drug company, as well as
distribute the drug.
Since the summer of 1989, drug trials have
compared DDC with AZT, and compared
different doses of DDC. Although these
studies are not yet completed, DDC appears
safe enough to give to a larger number of
PWAs.
Initially, DDC was tested at high doses
which damaged nerves and caused pain and
numbness in the hands and feet. At lower
doses the drug appears to cause many fewer
side effects. However, doctors from the drug
company will closely monitor patients in the
study for side effects. People who have
experienced pain and numbness while taking
DDI will not be eligible to take DDC.
For more information about this study,
telephone the U.S. Public Health Service at 1-
800-TRIALS-A.
system. It is uncertain when the system will
begin; and at this time, there are no drugs
slated for the parallel track, according to a
FDA representative.
“We are proposing this initiative,” said Dr.
James Mason, assistant secretary for health,
“because of its potential for prolonging lives.
It is the appropriate step to take at this time.”
People who receive experimental drugs
through the parallel track must have no other
therapeutic alternatives, have immediately
life-threatening disease, and be unable to
participate in traditional clinical trials. This
will especially help people who are too sick to
participate in traditional drug trials, live far
from a research center, or live where
traditional drug trials are closed to new
participants, (which many currently are).
In order to receive drugs on the parallel
track, people with AIDS must sign a consent
form and cooperate with ongoing data
collection to monitor the safety and
effectiveness of the new drugs. Unlike drugs
that are fully approved, parallel track drugs
are not proved to be effective and may expose
PWAs to unknown side effects.
The new system resulted from the efforts
of ACT UP, Project Inform, the National
Association of People with AIDS, and
physicians caring for PWAs.
V
MON-SfiT 11 -7
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V
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PORTLAND. OR 97214
(503) 2364628
come and see our great
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New drug means
fewer blood transfusions
BY
JEFFREY
ZURLINDEN
New parallel
track for AIDS drugs
S tun*
/C ocíÍM *¿.flí.T.
In an effort to speed new drugs to people
with AIDS, the Public Health Service has
proposed a new parallel track for experimental
AIDS drugs.
On the parallel track, experimental drugs
showing promise to treat either HIV infection
or opportunistic infections will be available
much sooner than the old system allowed. The
parallel track will enable selected patients
with AIDS to receive experimental drugs
before traditional clinical trials are completed.
Until July 20, the Public Health Service is
seeking comments from the scientific and
AIDS communities about the proposed
People taking AZT may need fewer blood
transfusions if they also take a new drug call
Eprex, a man-mad erythropoietin, say
researchers. Erythropoietin is a naturally -
occurring hormone that keeps the number of
red blood cells in balance. AZT frequently
throws erythropoietin out of balance leading
to a decreased number of red blood cells, a
kind of anemia.
During a 12-week experiment, people
taking AZT also got an injection o f Eprex into
a vein three times weekly. Fewer o f the
people who took Eprex needed blood
transfusions, and when they received
transfusions, they needed less blood.
However, a blood test at the start of the
experiment predicted people with low levels
of naturally-occurring erythropoietin
benefited the most from Eprex. The people
taking Eprex did not have any serious side
effects from taking the drug.
For the past year, man-made erythropoietin
has been available to people who are anemic
from kidney dialysis. Instead of receiving
Eprex through a vein, Eprex can also be
injected into the fat just below some areas of
skin. Although man-made erythropoietin is
already available, the makers of Eprex expect
the drug will soon be fully approved for
people taking AZT.
L icensed M assage 'Therapist
HAL JONES AUTOMOTIVE
• ‘Tafce Care o f yourself
• 'Reduce Stress & Atu(iety
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Maintenance
home 228-9783
pager 220-9755
just out ▼ 8 ▼ July 1990
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