1996

A New Regimen: Africa's AIDS Experts Turn to Antibiotics To Slow the Epidemic --- Doctors Aggressively Treat Venereal Disease, Hoping To Reduce Spread of HIV --- Big Issue: Resistance to Drugs: The Wall Street Journal - Friday, 27 December 1996.; Amanda Bennett, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Cleve Jones, founder of the mile-long AIDS quilt, got a warm reception in October as he walked to the podium of a Washington, D.C., hotel to speak to AIDS social-service providers. But his message sent a chill through the audience. Mr. Jones, who had almost died of AIDS, was now strong thanks to advanced AIDS medicatio
Price of Success: Powerful Treatments Create Growing Rift Among AIDS Groups --- Social-Service Agencies Fear Losing Funds as Money Goes to Provide Medicine --- `I Want You Out of Business': The Wall Street Journal - Friday, 20 December 1996.; Laurie McGinley, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Cleve Jones, founder of the mile-long AIDS quilt, got a warm reception in October as he walked to the podium of a Washington, D.C., hotel to speak to AIDS social-service providers. But his message sent a chill through the audience. Mr. Jones, who had almost died of AIDS, was now strong thanks to advanced AIDS medicatio
Drug Withdrawal: Dr. Ho's Next Step In AIDS Research Is A Remarkable Gamble --- He Wants to Test a `Cure,' But Others Are Critical; A Talent for Sound Bites --- Irene Diamond's Dream Lab: The Wall Street Journal - 18 December 1996; Michael Waldholz, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; NEW YORK -- Twenty-one men infected with the AIDS virus -- test subjects in a controversial experiment -- have been able to stave off illness for the past year by gulping down about 20 pills a day. Now researchers are asking them to do the unthinkable: halt the multidrug cocktail regimen that has quelled the growth of
FLORIDA JOURNAL: State to Pay For Latest AIDS Drugs: The Wall Street Journal - Wednesday, 11 December 1996.; Pat Beall, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Spurred by an increasing awareness that generic AIDS messages haven t been effective in thwarting new HIV infections in the U.S., private foundations are laying plans to redirect potentially millions of dollars in AIDS-prevention money to groups highest at risk for the disease. In addition, Funders Concerned about AIDS
Technology & Health: AIDS-Prevention Groups Are Shifting Funds to Target Gays and Drug Users: The Wall Street Journal - Monday, 1 December 1996; Anita Sharpe, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Spurred by an increasing awareness that generic AIDS messages haven t been effective in thwarting new HIV infections in the U.S., private foundations are laying plans to redirect potentially millions of dollars in AIDS-prevention money to groups highest at risk for the disease. In addition, Funders Concerned about AIDS
Politics & Policy: FDA's Kessler Will Leave Post After Six Years: The Wall Street Journal - Tuesday, 26 November 1996.; Bruce Ingersoll, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; WASHINGTON -- Food and Drug Administration Chief David Kessler is leaving government after more than six years of acclaim and controversy as the chief crusader against smoking and a strong enforcer of public-health regulations. Dr. Kessler plans to resign as soon as a successor is named, conceivably by the end of Janua
Health: FDA Panel Divided On Pharmacia's Drug For Treating AIDS: The Wall Street Journal - Monday, 25 November 1996; WASHINGTON -- To stem the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases, schools should hand out condoms and health insurers should cover their clients sex partners, according to the National Academy of Sciences. The report, partly funded by the federal government, said that teenagers account for three million of the 12 mi
Technology & Health: Sex-Diseases Study Urges Big Changes At Schools, HMOs: The Wall Street Journal - Wednesday, 20 November 1996.; Natalie Kostelni, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; WASHINGTON -- To stem the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases, schools should hand out condoms and health insurers should cover their clients sex partners, according to the National Academy of Sciences. The report, partly funded by the federal government, said that teenagers account for three million of the 12 mi
Liars, Gays, Aliens, Hispanics, Women: It's All Their Fault --- Rep. Dornan Spreads Blame For His Apparent Loss; `All We Can Say Is: Adios': The Wall Street Journal - Wednesday, 20 November 1996.; Christopher Georges, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Conservative firebrand Rep. Robert K. Dornan isn t taking the apparent loss of his House seat by a few hundred votes to Democrat Loretta Sanchez with grace. She s a liar, Mr. Dornan says, referring to the Hispanic businesswoman and novice politician who, after the final votes are counted next week, i
Lack of Assurance: Able to Work Again, AIDS Patients Worry About Disability Pay --- Forced to Make a Choice Between Job or Insurance, Many Opt for the Latter --- Taking a Carrier's Crawl Test: The Wall Street Journal - Friday, 15 November 1996.; George Anders, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; WASHINGTON -- Wracked with a spinal infection and other AIDS complications, Jeff Bloom quit his job selling expensive audio electronics two years ago and went on long-term disability. Today, with the help of advanced drugs, the 37-year-old Mr. Bloom feels well enough to work again. There s just one problem: If he does,
Medicine: In the Line for AIDS Drugs, Children Are Last: The Wall Street Journal - Friday, 15 November 1996.; Laurie McGinley, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Stephen Gendin is falling behind in his race against AIDS. He has staved off illness for more than a decade by aggressively cycling through a battery of medications, turning to a new drug each time the virus mutated and overcame an earlier one. I ve taken AZT , DDC, DDI, D4T,
Pharmaceuticals: Why Isn't Glaxo's New AIDS Drug Ready Yet?: The Wall Street Journal - Tuesday, 12 November 1996; Michael Waldholz, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Stephen Gendin is falling behind in his race against AIDS. He has staved off illness for more than a decade by aggressively cycling through a battery of medications, turning to a new drug each time the virus mutated and overcame an earlier one. I ve taken AZT , DDC, DDI, D4T,
Pharmaceuticals: Drug May Lift T-Cells, a Key In AIDS Battle: The Wall Street Journal - Thursday, 31 October 1996.; Michael Waldholz, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Researchers believe they may have uncovered a second powerful medical weapon to battle the AIDS virus, culminating 13 years of frustrating research involving a genetically engineered version of a natural human protein. Earlier this year scientists showed that a cocktail of drugs including new so-called
Law: Judge Rejects Appeal By Johnson & Johnson On an AIDS Test Kit: The Wall Street Journal - Friday, 25 October 1996; NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- A New Jersey court rejected Johnson & Johnson s appeal of an arbitrator s order that it turn over its HIV home-test-kit business to former executive Elliott Millenson. We re evaluating the decision and will determine the appropriate next steps, Johnson & Johnson spokesman Jeff Leebaw said
Health: Hemophiliacs With AIDS Join Lawsuit Settlement: The Wall Street Journal - Friday, 25 October 1996.; CHICAGO -- Hemophiliacs who contracted the AIDS virus from blood-clotting products have overwhelmingly opted to join a tentative $650 million class-action settlement of litigation over the issue, the companies involved said. About 6,500 eligible Americans with hemophilia have decided to participate in the settlement pl
FLORIDA JOURNAL: Court to Rule On Time Limit For AIDS Suits: The Wall Street Journal - Wednesday, 23 October 1996.; Peter Mitchell, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Four years after a blood transfusion, Francine Damiano learned she had AIDS. Now, three years after her death, the Florida Supreme Court must decide whether her family members should lose something else: the right to sue the doctor they say is responsible. Taking aim at one of the state s more controversial statutes, t
HEALTH JOURNAL: In Age of Acupuncture And Nose Piercing, Who Can Give Blood?: The Wall Street Journal - Monday, 14 October 1996; Marilyn Chase, Wall Street Journal Staff Writer; AN ALTRUISTIC reader challenged my profile of a breast-cancer survivor who, while bravely carrying on with her life, sadly had to give up her wish to be an organ donor after her diagnosis. My reader argued that cancer doesn t always disqualify a donor, and asked for clarification on who can and can t give. Fair enough.
New Products Boost Earnings For Biotechs --- Biogen, Biochem Launches Of Drugs Are Strong, Being Closely Watched: The Wall Street Journal - 11 October 1996; Jesse Eisinger, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; NEW YORK -- New products propelled several up-and-coming biotechnology companies to a strong quarter, while the big boys are expected to post mixed results. Biogen Inc., Centocor Inc. and Biochem Pharma Inc. are three of the biotechs riding the success of their new drugs. One of the most closely watched biotech firms t
Medicine: Some AIDS Cases Defy New Drug `Cocktails': The Wall Street Journal - 10 October 1996; Michael Waldholz, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Dawn Averitt s physical and emotional roller-coaster ride on the new combination drug therapy for AIDS demonstrates why the cocktail is inspiring both hope and fear. A 27-year-old AIDS activist in Atlanta, she had reached an advanced stage of the disease in 1994 when she joined an early trial for one of the hottest new
Japan AIDS Scandal Seen Sign Of Regulatory Failure: The Wall Street Journal - Wednesday, 9 October 1996; David P. Hamilton; TOKYO (Dow Jones)--Between 1983 and 1985 the Japanese government refused to allow the import of heat-treated blood products in an attempt to give domestic drug companies time to develop their own versions. In the interim, more than 1,800 Japanese hemophiliacs became infected. To date, more than 400 have died, reports W
But Success in Many Others Is Cutting Hospital Costs: The Wall Street Journal - 10 October 1996; Michael Waldholz, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Nine months after the introduction of protease cocktail therapies for AIDS, use of expensive in-patient health services by AIDS patients appears to be declining. Data from medical centers that treat large numbers of HIV-infected people are preliminary and largely anecdotal, but they provide the first indication that th
Life After Death: New AIDS Drug Brings Hope to Provincetown, But Unexpected Woes: The Wall Street Journal - Thursday, 3 October 1996; Barbara Carton, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; PROVINCETOWN, Mass. -- For more than a decade, this resort community of 3,800 on the outermost tip of Cape Cod has had the sad distinction of being a place where gay men with AIDS come to die. Almost every other week, the local Unitarian-Universalist church has a funeral for yet another AIDS victim. Other towns have th
House Passes Bill That Curbs U.S. Aid To Legal Immigrants in War on Illegals: The Wall Street Journal - 26 Sep 1996; Joe Davidson, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; WASHINGTON -- In an effort to impede illegal immigration, the House passed a long-delayed bill that would, among other things, sharply restrict federal aid to legal immigrants. In a 305-123 vote, the House approved legislation that would authorize 1,200 new Immigration and Naturalization Service investigators, increase
Medicine: Persistent Doctor Alters AIDS Therapy: The Wall Street Journal - 26 Sep 1996; Elyse Tanouye, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Over dinner recently, researcher John W. Mellors was explaining an exciting discovery he had made to his 10-year-old son, Patrick: The more HIV in an AIDS patient s blood, the worse the patient fares. Patrick s pithy response: Duh! (Translation: That s obvious, Dad. ) It may have been obvious to a 10-year-old, but for
International: India Enlists Barbers in the War on AIDS: The Wall Street Journal - 25 Sep 1996; Miriam Jordan, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; MADRAS, India -- S. Mani s small barber shop in this southern Indian city looks like any other the world over. It s equipped with all the tools of the trade: scissors, combs, razors -- and condoms, too. A blue box full of free prophylactics stands in plain view of his customers as Mr. Mani trims hair and dispenses advi
Rules Proposed On Transplants Of Animal Parts: The Wall Street Journal - 23 Sep 1996; Laurie McGinley, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; WASHINGTON -- Proposed government guidelines for animal-to-human transplants, announced Friday by the Food and Drug Administration, are aimed at minimizing the risks to public health while encouraging research. But while researchers welcomed the guidelines, some said their issuance isn t likely to lead to a surge of th
Technology & Health: Virus Chase: Five Teams Pursue Herpes Drug: The Wall Street Journal - 19 Sep 1996; Jerry E. Bishop, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Reports of a basic research advance revealed that a race has broken out among at least five drug and biotechnology companies to develop drugs against a group of common disease-causing viruses. The targets of the race are members of the herpes family of viruses. These include viruses that cause cold sores,
Technology & Health: Glaxo's AIDS Drug Performs Well in Initial Tests: The Wall Street Journal - 16 September 1996; Michael Waldholz, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; An initial human trial of an experimental AIDS drug being developed by Glaxo Wellcome PLC suggests the drug is likely to be as effective as similar medicines that have gained wide use in recent months as the most useful therapies yet created against the disease. The new data, presented to an infectious-disease research
Legal Beat: Parents Spur Laws Against Tattoos for Kids: The Wall Street Journal - September 16, 1996; Andrea Petersen, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; When 15-year-old Ria Hendrickson came home with a black swirly design tattooed on her stomach, her mother didn t just lecture her and ground her for life. She called the police. She also called her state senator. It was an invasion of my parental rights, says Sharon Hendrickson, a mother from suburban Phoenix who pushe
Technology & Health: Agouron Pharmaceuticals to Give Away Experimental AIDS Drug to Some People: The Wall Street Journal - September 16, 1996; Rhonda L. Rundle, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Agouron Pharmaceuticals Inc. plans to announce today a program to give away its experimental AIDS drug, Viracept , to people in an advanced stage of the disease who have exhausted treatments with similar drugs. Viracept is a member of a family of protease-inhibitor drugs that, when used in combination with some old
Here She Comes, Pushing a Plan To Make Women Prisoners Proud: The Wall Street Journal - September 13, 1996; Alexandra Peers, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; The Democrats did the Macarena. The Republicans told Big Mac jokes. But beauty queens are tackling the great issues of the day. Since 1989, to add heft to the tiara, the Miss America Pageant has required contestants to champion a personal platform. That has usually meant coming out against illiteracy and for veterans,
Technology & Health: Serono Wins Approval for AIDS Drug After Gaining Support From Activists: The Wall Street Journal - August 27, 1996; Laura Johannes, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; The FDA granted accelerated approval for a drug to curb the wasting effects of AIDS after the drug maker, Serono Laboratories Inc., gained crucial support from activists by agreeing to cap prices. Approval of Serostim, a form of human-growth hormone, had been in doubt after the agency was initially unimpressed with the
Technology & Health: Judge Clears Pact Giving Payments To AIDS Victims: The Wall Street Journal - August 15, 1996; Thomas M. Burton, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; CHICAGO -- A federal district judge here tentatively approved a legal settlement that would pay $100,000 each to Americans with hemophilia who contracted AIDS or HIV, the AIDS virus, from blood-clotting medications between 1978 and 1985. Judge John F. Grady granted preliminary approval to the settlement between hemophi
Your Money Matters: Tax Change Could Make Life Easier for Chronically Ill: The Wall Street Journal - August 15, 1996; Lynn Asinof, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Legislation awaiting President Clinton s signature may change the way some people view their life insurance. By eliminating income tax on certain advance life-insurance payments, the new law will make it easier for people to use this money to finance their care in the case of a terminal or chronic illness. The tax exem
Technology & Health: An Inborn Barrier To the AIDS Virus Is Found in Study: The Wall Street Journal - 9 August 1996; Michael Waldholz, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; NEW YORK -- Scientists have found evidence that some people carry a rare inborn protection against the AIDS virus, a discovery certain to spur research into new types of drugs against the disease. A report being released today covers research at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center in New York on a particular type of
Technology & Health: Public, Private Groups Unite on AIDS To Pursue Combination-Drug Therapies: The Wall Street Journal - 1 August 1996; Michael Waldholz, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Representatives from 40 public and private organizations have forged an unprecedented alliance to press for answers to the many vexing questions surrounding the new combination-drug therapies that are showing early yet profound success against the virus that causes AIDS. The coalition will help organize research to det
Progress on AIDS Intensifies the Battle To Make Insurers Reveal Medical Data: The Wall Street Journal - August 1, 1996; Leslie Scism, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; The question of whether life and health insurers should reveal medical information to potential policyholders that is obtained during the application process is taking on new importance with recent breakthroughs in AIDS treatment. While a major industry trade group encourages disclosure to applicants, some big insurers
Johnson & Johnson Ordered to Give Up HIV Test Business; Arbitrator Backs Fired Officer In Dispute, but Company Sues to Overturn Ruling: The Wall Street Journal - 29 July 1996; Laurie McGinley, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; An arbitrator ordered Johnson & Johnson to turn over control of its business that makes home HIV test kits to fired executive Elliott Millenson. John J. Gibbons, who is arbitrating an employment dispute between Mr. Millenson and the pharmaceutical giant, previously had ruled that Mr. Millenson had been wrongly fire
Law -- Legal Beat: Medical Workers Seek Damages From Latex-Glove Manufacturers: The Wall Street Journal - 29 July 1996; Arnold Ceballos, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Makers of medical supplies are facing a wave of litigation over latex gloves. In almost 30 lawsuits in state and federal courts around the country, medical workers who have used the gloves increasingly since the advent of AIDS are claiming that the companies should be held liable for allergic reactions. The cases aren
Health: Home Access's HIV Test Gets Approval From FDA: The Wall Street Journal - July 25, 1996; HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- Home Access Health Corp. received Food and Drug Administration approval for its home HIV blood test, the second such product the agency has cleared for marketing. The test requires users to call a toll-free number to register a home access code number and participate in pretest counseling. Ther
Technology & Health: Emory Gets Patent for AIDS Drug 3TC, But Glaxo, BioChem Question Validity: The Wall Street Journal - July 24, 1996; Christopher J. Chipello, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Emory University said it received a U.S. patent on the AIDS drug 3TC and indicated it would seek licensing arrangements with Glaxo Wellcome PLC and BioChem Pharma Inc., the companies involved in producing the fast-selling drug. But Glaxo Wellcome and BioChem quickly challenged the patent s validity.
HEALTH JOURNAL: Tending to Patients With AIDS Teaches Valuable Lessons: The Wall Street Journal - July 22, 1996; Marilyn Chase; IN OUR TIME, most of us will become care-givers, as our parents or partners, friends or colleagues fall ill. The AIDS epidemic has cast a new light on this universal condition. Because it threatens adults in their prime, AIDS has thrust millions of friends and loved ones into intensive care-giving a generation ahead of
Ruling Could Cost U.S. J&J Promising Unit: The Wall Street Journal - 17 July 1996; Phil Kuntz and Laurie McGinley; WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)-- Johnson & Johnson could lose control of a potentially profitable business that markets a home-based HIV test as a result of an arbitrator s decision in an employment dispute, The Wall Street Journal reports Wednesday. The decision casts significant new light on the effort to secure Food and
Pharmaceuticals: AIDS `Cocktail' May Turn Glaxo Drugs to Gold: The Wall Street Journal - 11 July 1996; Elyse Tanouye, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Like the groom who suddenly discovers his bride is an heiress, Glaxo Holdings PLC is finding that Wellcome PLC, which it acquired last year, brought a fortune to their merger. Glaxo acquired the old-line British-owned drug maker to try to offset the loss of patent protection on its big antiulcer drug, Zantac. Among the
Technology & Health: AIDS Study Finds Drug Pairing Effective; Early Evidence Shows Use Of Two Protease Drugs Eliminates Most HIV: The Wall Street Journal - 11 July 1996; Michael Waldholz, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Medical researchers will release today the first preliminary evidence that two new AIDS drugs in the class of protease inhibitors can be safely combined and can turn off almost all production of the AIDS virus in patients blood. Researchers said they will present the new results at a spec
Politics & Policy: Costly New AIDS Drug Therapy Finds Support In Congress, Due to Efforts of Unlikely Alliance: The Wall Street Journal - 11 July 1996; Christopher Georges, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; WASHINGTON -- As scientists hail a promising -- but extremely costly -- new AIDS drug therapy, an unlikely alliance of left- and right-leaning AIDS activists and pharmaceutical companies is busy lobbying Congress for more money to pay for the treatments. And in a year of budget squeezing, it is finding surprising succe
Health: Needle-Swap Programs Spark Life-and-Death Debates: The Wall Street Journal - 10 July 1996; Amanda Bennett, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Optimism about life-prolonging drug therapy for AIDS patients is running high at the International Conference on AIDS in Vancouver. But two researchers yesterday delivered a sobering message: If needle-exchange programs aren t widely adopted and publicly funded, they said, more than 11,000 new HIV infections that could
Studies of AIDS Focus On New Drugs' Potency: The Wall Street Journal - July 9, 1996; Elyse Tanouye, Staff Reporter; VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- In the first full day of formal scientific sessions at the 11th International Conference on AIDS here, researchers unveiled studies showing that several experimental drugs are more potent against the AIDS virus than previously expected. A panel of scientists and activists who advise the W
Studies Show Even Stronger AIDS Drugs: The Wall Street Journal - July 9, 1996; Elyse Tanouye, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- In the first full day of formal scientific sessions at the 11th International Conference on AIDS here, researchers unveiled studies showing that several experimental drugs are more potent against the AIDS virus than previously expected. The studies suggest the experimental compounds may w
International: New AIDS Drugs Spawn a Global Pill Chase; Patients Head to U.S., Turn To Mail Order, Black Markets: The Wall Street Journal - July 8, 1996; Dramatic reports from the U.S. about a promising new treatment for AIDS have sent patients around the world scrambling for the drugs. Canadian patients are driving to U.S. pharmacies, and Europeans are trickling into the U.S. for treatment. A South American airline is delivering AIDS drugs from the U.S. to Brazilian pa
A Realistic Hope for an AIDS Cure: The Wall Street Journal - 8 July 1996; Jerome Groopman; Is AIDS still a uniformly fatal illness or can it be controlled? Is there a realistic chance of a cure? As researchers from around the world convene in Vancouver this week at the 11th International AIDS Conference, these questions will be the center of discussion. Once seen as scientifically remote, the possibilities r
Combined-Drug Therapy Being Hailed As Promising Weapon in AIDS Battle: The Wall Street Journal - July 8, 1996; Michael Waldholz, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Researchers at the 11th International Conference on AIDS meeting here this week will be presenting the most promising scientific evidence yet that a combination-drug therapy introduced into medical practice in recent months may someday transform AIDS into a long-term manageable, and, perh
HEALTH JOURNAL: Getting the Coverage From Health Plans For Care You Want: The Wall Street Journal - July 8, 1996; Marilyn Chase; DENIAL OF CLAIMS for medical treatment can leave your health and finances in ruin. What do you do when your insurer or health plan writes a prescription -- either for planned treatment or for reimbursement after care -- that s different from what you had in mind? Experts offer strategies that can bring you closer to ge
SOUTHEAST JOURNAL: Insurer Offers Firms New Coverage Of Customers' Civil-Rights Claims: The Wall Street Journal - July 3, 1996; Sanjay Bhatt, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; The Nashville-based unit of a national insurance-brokerage firm is unveiling a new type of coverage designed to shield companies from discrimination and sexual-harassment suits by customers and other nonemployees. The coverage, to be sold by Lockton Cos.-Tennessee and aimed at restaurants, law firms, retailers and othe
Precious Pills: New AIDS Treatment Raises Tough Question Of Who Will Get It; For the Poor, High Costs, Rigid Regimens Dim Drug Cocktails' Promise A Major Issue for Medicaid: The Wall Street Journal - July 3, 1996; Michael Waldholz, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; NEW YORK -- As word of a promising new AIDS treatment passes from street corner to street corner in the nation s inner cities, concerns are mounting over who will get the revolutionary drugs -- and who will pay for them. The new drugs, known as protease inhibitors , have been on the market for just a few months. But,
Boehringer Drug, Viramune, Cleared as HIV Treatment: The Wall Street Journal - June 25, 1996; Laurie McGinley, Staff Reporter; WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Viramune , the first in a new class of treatments for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Viramune, manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., a subsidiary of the German pharmaceutical and chemical giant Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, is
Technology & Health: Boehringer Drug, Viramune, Cleared As HIV Treatment: The Wall Street Journal - June 25, 1996; Laurie McGinley, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration approved Viramune , the first in a new class of treatments for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Viramune, manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., a subsidiary of the German pharmaceutical and chemical giant Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, is
Letters to the Editor: CDC's Deceitful HIV Scare Campaign: The Wall Street Journal - June 6 1996; Michael Wright, Scientific Social Research, Norman, Okla.; The May 21 Letters to the Editor from CDC officials and former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop continue to advance the CDC s campaign of distortion and exaggeration of HIV risk. CDC officials Satcher and Gayle suggest that in 1987 it was impossible to know that there was no risk of a U.S. heterosexual HIV epidemic. The
Strong Medicine: New Drug `Cocktails' Mark Exciting Turn In the War on AIDS -- Companies Race to Market With `Protease Inhibitors' After Good Test Results -- `I Feel Wonderful, Incredible': The Wall Street Journal - June 14, 1996; Michael Waldholz, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Fifteen years into the global AIDS epidemic, researchers are seeing the first glimmerings of a cure. A new combination of drugs shows startling evidence of success in driving the AIDS virus into remission, making it unable to wreak its lethal havoc on the immune system. For dozens of test subjects -- and perhaps thousa
Technology & Health: Roche Unit's Test For HIV Levels Gets FDA Approval: The Wall Street Journal - June 4, 1996; Laurie McGinley, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration approved a new test to predict the progression of disease caused by HIV in patients by measuring the level of the virus in the blood. The test, called the Amplicor HIV-1 Monitor Test, will be manufactured by Roche Diagnostic Systems, a unit of Switzerland s Roche Holding L
Law: Four Companies Revise Settlement Offer To Hemophiliacs Who Contracted HIV: The Wall Street Journal - May 30, 1996; Thomas M. Burton, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Baxter International Inc., Bayer AG and two other companies made a revised $640 million formal settlement offer to thousands of American hemophiliacs who contracted the AIDS virus from blood-clotting medications. While it s far from certain that the offer made last night will be generally accepted, plaintiffs said the
WORK & FAMILY: Care-Giver Duties Make Generation Xers Anything But Slackers: The Wall Street Journal - 23 May 1996; Sue Shellenbarger; IF YOU THINK of Generation X as a disaffected crowd with tattoos and pierced navels, meet John LaVaccare. When his mother fell ill with Parkinson s dementia complex and his father moved out, Mr. LaVaccare, then in his teens, changed career goals from science to business so he could avoid graduate school and help care f
Technology & Health: Study Pinpoints Where AIDS Virus Is Spreading: The Wall Street Journal - May 16, 1996; Amanda Bennett, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Where is the virus that causes AIDS spreading? A researcher for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has pulled together hundreds of pieces of scattered information to show just how many people are already infected with the human immunodeficiency virus in 96 U.S. cities and metropolitan areas, and how many pe
Health: FDA Approves At-Home Kit To Test for HIV: The Wall Street Journal - May 15, 1996; Laurie McGinley, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; The Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of the first home-based test for HIV, but the decade-long controversy that has dogged the test -- and divided the AIDS community -- isn t subsiding. The test, called Confide, was developed by a unit of Johnson & Johnson called Direct Access Diagnostics. It will be
Technology & Health: Most Hemophiliacs Reject Settlement From Baxter, Bayer on Infection Suit: The Wall Street Journal - May 14, 1996; Thomas M. Burton, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; A majority of U.S. hemophiliacs who are suing over their HIV-infected blood have rejected a $640 million settlement proposal made by Baxter International Inc., Bayer AG and other manufacturers of blood products contaminated with the AIDS virus. The large numbers of people balking could lead to the collapse of the propo
HEALTH JOURNAL: Clinical Drug Trials Can Let Patients Try State-of-Art Therapies: The Wall Street Journal - May 13, 1996; Marilyn Chase; WHEN DISEASE strikes, many people seek a cure through experimental drugs in clinical trials. Patients pursue trials as a primary path to state-of-the art care, as a last hope after exhausting all conventional remedies or to contribute to medical knowledge. Trials can offer advantages, if patients carefully weigh risks
Letters to the Editor: The Democratization of AIDS: The Wall Street Journal - May 6, 1996; AIDS Fight Is Skewed by Federal Campaign Exaggerating Risks (page one, May 1) contends that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has exaggerated the danger posed by AIDS to the American public and devotes too many resources to people at little risk. Not only is this claim false, but it is presented without c
TEXAS JOURNAL: Please Notice This Article Has A Box Around It: The Wall Street Journal - May 15, 1996; Andy Alford; HOUSTON -- One is covered with fur, another encrusted with faux gems. Still another is gilded in gold. But they all started out the same way: as plain old boxes. The bevy of boxes is all part of an event, dubbed Boxing Back, run by the Houston chapter of a national AIDS charity, the Design Industries Foundation Fightin
Technology & Health: Hemophilia Groups Doubt Likelihood Of AIDS Settlement: The Wall Street Journal - April 22, 1996; Thomas M. Burton, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Lawyers and representatives of hemophiliac groups expressed doubt that enough people with hemophilia will accept last week s proposed $640 million settlement offer linked to AIDS cases caused by blood-clotting products. Under the terms of the manufacturers offer, the vast majority of hemophiliacs who contracted AIDS fr
Technology & Science: Several Biotech Firms Poised to Enter The Pantheon of the Steadily Profitable: The Wall Street Journal - 16 April 1996; Jesse Eisinger; NEW YORK -- Several up-and-coming biotechnology companies are poised to enter the elite group that has been consistently profitable. Meanwhile, two members of the elite, Biogen Inc. and Genzyme Corp., are spending heavily on products for which the companies expect Food and Drug Administration approval soon.
Children's Crusade: The Wall Street Journal - 15 April 1996; Amity Shlaes; CHICAGO -- Every two months or so, it happens to Ellen Chadwick again. First comes the undersized baby with an infection in its mouth -- or the stubborn case of pneumonia. Then comes the talk with the unsuspecting parents. Then come the test results: The baby has AIDS. I m tired of having to break the news, says Dr. Ch
Small Stock Focus: Biotech Shares Look Tempting to Some Analysts: The Wall Street Journal - 15 April 1996; Deborah Lohse, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; This could be another banner year for some small-capitalization biotechnology companies. In 1995 large pharmaceutical companies and many smaller biotechs had a tremendous year. The Nasdaq Biotechnology Index, for example, rose 88.5%. Much of the strength came from the improving outlook for Food and Drug Administration
Why Kessler Must Go: The Wall Street Journal - 4 April 1996; Robert M. Goldberg; When President Clinton unveiled a Food and Drug Administration plan last Friday to speed up the release of certain cancer drugs, he wanted to show that FDA Commissioner David Kessler doesn t need Congress to reform his agency. But this event only demonstrates why, to bring about real change, Dr. Kessler must go. This s
Marketing & Media: Internet Ad for HIV Cure Draws Restraining Order: The Wall Street Journal - 4 April 1996; DEDHAM, Mass. -- A Brockton woman who placed an advertisement on the World Wide Web urging callers to dial a 900-number to learn of a quick cure for HIV infection by a Dr. Clark has removed the ad after a judge issued a temporary restraining order. The human immune deficiency virus causes AIDS. Massachusetts Attorney G
Rewritten Bill On Drinking Water Criticized by EPA: The Wall Street Journal - April 3, 1996; Timothy Noah, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; WASHINGTON -- A bill widely viewed as the major environmental proposal most likely to become law this year appears headed for trouble. The bill, a rewrite of the Safe Drinking Water Act, cleared the Senate in November in a version that the Clinton administration indicated, with some minor qualifications, that it would
Technology Brief -- UNIMED PHARMACEUTICALS INC.: FDA Approves the Testing Of Drug for AIDS Patients: The Wall Street Journal - 2 April 1996; Unimed Pharmaceuticals Inc. said it received federal Food and Drug Administration approval to begin testing the safety and effectiveness of its drug to treat HIV wasting syndrome. The Buffalo Grove, Ill., pharmaceutical company said the Phase II clinical trials of its new product, Androgel-DHT, will be conducted at Bet
Law -- Legal Beat: Status of Tobacco-Damages Suit Will Be Studied by Appeals Court: The Wall Street Journal - 2 April 1996; Milo Geyelin, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; A federal appeals court in New Orleans will hear arguments today over whether the most threatening lawsuit ever to confront the tobacco industry should proceed to trial. The case is the huge class action known as Castano and filed on behalf of every allegedly addicted smoker in the U.S. Last year, a federal judge in Ne
Medicine: Cancer Drugs To Get Speedier FDA Review: The Wall Street Journal - 29 March 1996; Hilary Stout and Laurie McGinley Staff Reporters of The Wall Street Journal; The Food and Drug Administration is revising its review process for cancer drugs in an effort to speed up federal approvals and increase the availability of experimental therapies to cancer patients. The measures, expected to be announced today by President Clinton, are aimed at giving promising cancer therapies the sa
REVIEW & OUTLOOK (Editorial): AIDS Babies: The Wall Street Journal - 28 March 1996; In the 15-year hunt for an AIDS cure, there has been just a single glimmer of success: We have learned how to save babies. Recent studies by the National Institutes of Health have found that giving AZT to HIV-positive mothers before and during birth can cut by two-thirds the number of babies born infected with HIV.
Technology & Health: Immune Response Launches Big Study Of Its Experimental AIDS Treatment: The Wall Street Journal - 18 March 1996; Rhonda L. Rundle, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Immune Response Corp. is launching a large patient study of the controversial AIDS therapy inspired by the late polio-vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk, a move likely to settle the future of both the tiny California company and its experimental product. The new study will involve about 2,500 patients at more than 50 U.S. medi
Technology & Health: Baxter, Bayer Join Japanese Settlement For Hemophiliacs Who Got AIDS Virus: The Wall Street Journal - 15 March 1996; Thomas M. Burton, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Baxter International Inc., Bayer AG and three Japanese medical companies agreed to participate in a legal settlement with about 1,800 Japanese hemophilia patients who got the AIDS virus from blood-clotting products during the 1980s. The three Japanese companies are Green Cross Corp., the market leader in making the clo
Technology & Health: Merck's Newly Approved AIDS Drug Is Priced 30% Below Rival Medicine: The Wall Street Journal - 15 March 1996; Michael Waldholz, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Merck & Co. has received swift approval to sell its new AIDS drug and, surprising many, it set the medicine s price 30% below the cost of a similar drug approved for sale just two weeks ago. Late Wednesday night, following a record review time of just six weeks, the Food and Drug Administration gave Merck the go-
Health: AIDS Researchers Call For Major Changes In NIH's Programs: The Wall Street Journal - 14 March 1996; WASHINGTON -- More than 100 scientists and AIDS activists are calling for major changes in the way the National Institutes of Health battles the disease. After a year of research, a panel led by Princeton virologist Arnold Levine has concluded that although the NIH s work has been commendable, some programs need revisi
Technology & Health: FDA to Quickly Clear Merck AIDS Drug, After Approving Abbott's Treatment: The Wall Street Journal - 6 Mar 1996; Laurie McGinley, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; WASHINGTON -- Having approved Abbott Laboratories new AIDS drug in record time, the Food and Drug Administration is moving to swiftly clear Merck & Co. s rival compound, with acceptance expected by month s end. The sale of the new Abbott and Merck drugs, members of a class called protease inhibitors
Technology & Health: Abbott AIDS Drug Appears on Track For Fast Approval by FDA Officials: The Wall Street Journal - 1 Mar 1996; Laurie McGinley, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; WASHINGTON -- The most potent anti-AIDS weapons developed so far are on the way. Last night, top officials of the Food and Drug Administration were meeting with officials of Abbott Laboratories in an effort to clear the way for swift approval of the company s new AIDS drug,
Technology Brief -- NEXSTAR PHARMACEUTICALS INC.: Approval of DaunoXome Set by European Countries: The Wall Street Journal - 22 Feb 1996; NeXstar Pharmaceuticals Inc., Boulder, Colo., said 10 European Community countries notified it that they will approve, within the next few weeks, the marketing of a new NeXstar drug for use in treating AIDS-related Kaposi s sarcoma. Austria , Belgium ,
Technology & Health: Patients' Groups Jump Into the Battle Over Proposals to Restructure the FDA: The Wall Street Journal - 22 Feb 1996; Laurie McGinley, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; WASHINGTON -- A new force is emerging in the battle over revamping the Food and Drug Administration: patients. Last year, drug-company officials and conservative think tanks dominated the debate, bashing the agency and demanding major changes. This year, patients groups are jumping into the fray on both sides, and will
Technology: Chiron Will Pay About $120 Million For 49% of Hoechst's Vaccine Business: The Wall Street Journal - 21 Feb 1996; Ralph T. King Jr., Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Chiron Corp. agreed to pay about $120 million for 49% of Hoechst AG s vaccine business, expanding its role in a market that is being rapidly reshaped by genetic engineering. The purchase will place Chiron among the world s top five vaccine suppliers, and make it especially strong in Germany where the Hoechst unit
Technology: Genentech Inc. Forms a Firm For HIV Drug: The Wall Street Journal - February 21, 1996; Ralph T. King Jr., Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Genentech Inc. said it formed a separate company to develop its sidetracked HIV vaccine, gp120, signaling an end to more than a decade and $100 million spent by the biotechnology firm internally on AIDS-related research. The start-up company, Genenvax Inc., will seek $18 million from private investors to finance a pi
Your Money Matters: `Dreaded-Disease' Policies Rise, But Some Say They're No Cure: The Wall Street Journal - 21 Feb 1996; Nancy Ann Jeffrey, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Avnet Inc., an electronic component distributor in Culver City, Calif., has a payroll-deduction program that allows employees to buy homeowners, auto and extra life insurance. But the option that is most popular with Avnet s 7,500 domestic employees is cancer insurance. About one-fifth pay anywhere from $16 to $27 a mo
The Abortion Paradox: The Wall Street Journal - February 9, 1996; William Saletan; Ever since the Republican Party endorsed a nationwide ban on abortions 20 years ago, the issue has been a source of internal strife. For the most part, the debate has taken place between cultural conservatives and libertarians. If the party stands for less government, the libertarians ask, how can it sanction state int
Legal Beat: Can Post-Traumatic Stress Arise From Office Battles?: The Wall Street Journal - February 5, 1996; Frances A. McMorris, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; Joyce Webb, a prison guard in Washington, D.C., claims she was so upset by her male supervisor s sexual advances that she broke out in a rash and was unable to work for two years. In her sexual-harassment lawsuit, she sought damages not just for her supervisor s behavior but for its emotional aftermath: A psychiatrist,
Technology & Health: Study Finds Abbott Labs AIDS Drug Cut Fatalities Due to Disease in Half: The Wall Street Journal - 1 Feb 1996; Thomas M. Burton, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; CHICAGO -- A study of nearly 1,100 seriously ill AIDS patients found that a new Abbott Laboratories drug cut the death rate and progression of disease roughly in half, underscoring earlier findings that the drug increased immune cells and reduced patients viral level. In results expected to be made public at a scientif
Medicine: Three-Drug Therapy May Suppress HIV: The Wall Street Journal - 30 Jan 1996; Michael Waldholz, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; A federal judge in a Colorado case ruled that an employer s demand that employees disclose their prescription-drug use violates the Americans With Disabilities Act. In a decision filed last week, the judge found that Cheyenne Mountain Conference Resort in Colorado Springs couldn t require employees to tell supervisors
Law -- Legal Beat: Prescription-Drug Disclosure Set Back: The Wall Street Journal - 23 January 1996; Ellen E. Schultz, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal; A federal judge in a Colorado case ruled that an employer s demand that employees disclose their prescription-drug use violates the Americans With Disabilities Act. In a decision filed last week, the judge found that Cheyenne Mountain Conference Resort in Colorado Springs couldn t require employees to tell supervisors

This information is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
©1980, 1996. AEGiS.