Few breakthroughs at the International
AIDS Conference
Over 10,000 scientists and clinicians from
119 countries gathered in San Francisco in June
for the Sixth International Conference on
AIDS, the world’s largest and most important
AIDS research event. According to Dr.
Lawrence Deyton, Chief of the Community
Clinical Research Section of the National
Institutes of Health, “There were no real
breakthroughs, but we are filling in the gaps.
For example, we are learning much more about
the side effects of AZT and ddl, how they work
together, and when to use them in treatment.”
Researchers presented 890 abstracts of
clinical trials of 25 experimental drugs. There
were more presentations about AZT than any
other drug. Dr. Margaret Fischl presented data
that supported low-dose (500 mg daily) AZT
for people with early infection— 500 T-cells.
People with early infection who take AZT are
less likely to progress to AIDS, and AZT
causes few side effects during early infection.
AZT has also been combined with eight
other drugs. Early results indicate that alternat
ing periods of weeks or months between taking
AZT and ddC may be more effective and have
fewer side effects than either drug used alone.
AZT combined with alpha interferon also
shows promise for treating early infection.
Researchers are testing even lower doses of
AZT, perhaps as low as 300 mg daily.
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especially for men of color, young gay men,
and men who have sex with other men but do
not consider themselves gay.
In separate studies, researchers reported that
IV drug users who stop using drugs live longer
than people who continue to take drugs, and
people who do not smoke cigarettes live longer
than smokers. Smokers are also more likely to
get thrush.
“The real value of this conference,” says Dr.
Deyton, “is to bring together the vast majority
of AIDS workers who live away from the hubs
of AIDS like New York City and San Fran
cisco.” The message from these hubs is that
AIDS is gradually becoming a chronic disease.
Drugs under development will slow the
progression of the disease, and enable people
with HIV infection to live longer.
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This new condom will help stop H IV by making a rubber pocket
inside the receptive partner—man or woman.
—
Preliminary reports of ddl showed promis
ing long-term effects. CD4-immunoadhesion
therapies proved to be safe but inconsistently
effective, and they required higher doses than
previously hoped. Initial trials of a new anti-
HIV drug called TIBO continue in Europe with
approximately 20 people. Preliminary data
reported at the conference showed few side
effects from TIBO, and the drug is 3-5 times
more powerful than AZT.
Project Inform reported that compound Q in
combination with low-dose AZT resulted in an
increase in T-cells among 46 patients who were
failing AZT therapy. However, Dr. Arnold
Reiman, editor of the New England Journal o f
M edicine criticized the report because it lacked
full disclosure of the data and didn’t undergo
review by independent researchers.
Vaccines attracted the most attention.
According to Dr. Ross Slotten, “The vaccine
trials are definitely more exciting than what we
thought two years ago. There are 30 trials going
on worldwide, and one of these will be the
answer.” Dr. John Phair, a principal investiga
tor of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study and a
member o f the executive committee of the
AIDS Clinical Trial Group, explained, “They
have found the piece of the antibody that seems
to be protective, at least when given to animals.
This is obviously preliminary, but very hopeful.
We may have an effective vaccine within the
decade, and only last year they said never.”
Unlike vaccines for other diseases that prevent
infection, HIV vaccines will also be used by
infected people to bolster their immune system
and hold their infection in check.
Researchers from San Francisco reported
disturbing results of a study of the sex practices
of gay men. During a four-year period, 19
percent of the men studied relapsed to at least
occasionally practicing unsafe sex. Other
studies underscored the need to provide
ongoing support and safe-sex education
-----------------
T
New condom for other partner
Made for a woman, but he can use it too.
Safe and fun, it helps stop the spread of HIV.
Expected to be on pharmacy shelves early next
year, “Women’s Choice Condomme” is the
newest alternative to the penis-hugging
traditional condom.
Made of 30 percent thicker latex than
traditional condoms, it has a pleated tip that
gently expands after it is inserted and an outer
ring that stays outside the body. Rather than
interupting the flow of lovemaking, it can be
inserted in advance. The condomme forms a
rubber pocket within the receptive partner—
either woman or man.
“We assume that it shouldn’t cause any
problems in the rectum mechanically, but until
it is tested with a large group of men, we can’t
say with certainty that it’s safe in the rectum.
However, there is no reason in principle why it
can’t be used rectally,” says Dr. Harvey Lash,
who, with his son, developed the condomme.
The condomme will soon be tested with gay
men, according to Dr. Lash. Already the
condomme has proved to prevent the spread of
HIV. Experiments at the University of
California demonstrated that solutions of HIV
1,000 times more potent than found in semen
didn’t pass through the condomme. Because it
is made of thicker latex, the risk of breaking or
leaking is greatly reduced.
It may be safe, but how does it feel? Ir
heterosexual couples, most of the men judged
the condomme as much or more pleasurable
than the traditional condom. Most of the
women agreed.
A similar condom made of vinyl is being
tested by Wisconsin Pharmaical and will be
marketed by the name “Reality.” Both brands
of the new condom will be disposable,
reasonably priced and will be available early in
1991 without a prescription.
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