                     AIDS Daily Summary 
                        June 8, 1995

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 1995, Information,
Inc., Bethesda, MD


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"36 Students in Alexandria Test Positive for TB Exposure"
"BioChem Pharma Makes Solid Progress"
"Woman in Altercation Recants AIDS Story"
"Vietnam Records Over 2,500 HIV Carriers"
"Shaman Obtains License for Antifungal Compounds from Bayer AG"
"LaBarge Second Phase of Clinical Trials of Laser Lancet Has 
Commenced"
"Seragen Announces Consummation of $23.8 Million Financing"
"Medarex Announces Initiation of Clinical Trial of Bispecific 
Cancer Theraperutic in Combination with NEUPOGEN"
"Herpesvirus-Like DNA Sequences in Non-Kaposi's Sarcoma Skin 
Lesions of Transplant Patients"
"Exercise and HIV Infection"
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"36 Students in Alexandria Test Positive for TB Exposure"
Washington Post (06/08/95) P. C1;  Bates, Steve
     On Monday, 138 students at T.C. Williams High School in 
Alexandria, Va., were tested for tuberculosis (TB) after 
officials discovered that one student had contracted the lung 
disease.  A total of 36 have tested positive for TB exposure, 
causing health and education officials to require tests for all 
students and staff members at the school.  Although officials 
expected to find that only about 10 percent of the students had 
been exposed, they learned that approximately 25 percent showed 
signs of exposure and could get TB if not treated.  The exposed 
students will be allowed to remain in school because they do not 
have the disease and most likely cannot transmit it, authorities 
said.  A bacterial disease that is transmitted through the air, 
TB can be cured with antibiotics and treatment can prevent an 
exposed person from becoming ill.
      
"BioChem Pharma Makes Solid Progress"
Financial Times (06/08/95) P. 17;  Gibbens, Robert
     BioChem Pharma's 3TC AIDS drug and lamivudine hepatitis drug
are nearing commercialization as Glaxo Wellcome completes 
international regulatory filings, says BioChem Pharma President 
Francesco Bellini.  The commercial introduction of 3TC is due to 
occur at the end of this year.  In addition, BioChem and Astra 
have a new pain control drug at the pre-clinical stage.
      
"Woman in Altercation Recants AIDS Story"
Boston Globe (06/07/95) P. 30;  Chacon, Richard
     As police officers tried to calm Cynthia Marchetti's drug- and
alcohol-induced rage, she allegedly bit them and then told the 
officers that she had AIDS.  Now Marchetti says her story was a 
lie, that she only claimed to have AIDS as a defense mechanism.  
In an interview, Marchetti said she tested negative for HIV two 
years ago and again when she was tested last week.  Marchetti, 
however, has agreed to release all her medical records to the 
authorities to confirm that she does not have AIDS.  Marchetti 
supposedly bit two police officers and bled on three others who 
were part of a group of 11 trying to subdue her on Memorial Day 
as she stood screaming after fighting with a man in front of a 
convenience store.  She is charged with assault with intent to 
murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and assault 
and battery on a police officer.
      
"Vietnam Records Over 2,500 HIV Carriers"
Reuters (06/07/95)
     A total of 2,520 cases of HIV infection have been diagnosed in
34 of Vietnam's 53 provinces and cities, the National AIDS 
Protection Committee reported on Wednesday.  In the past four 
months, there has been one AIDS death and 300 new cases of HIV 
infection reported.  More than 50 percent of the HIV-infected 
individuals are located in Ho Chi Minh City, the country's 
largest city.  The committee added that nearly 80 percent of the 
HIV-positive people in Vietnam were drug addicts and 4 percent 
were prostitutes.
      
"Shaman Obtains License for Antifungal Compounds from Bayer AG"
Business Wire (06/07/95)
     On Wednesday, Shaman Pharmaceuticals Inc. said that it had 
acquired from Bayer AG the license for a number of patents 
related to the use of nikkomycin Z for the development of 
antifungal products.  Under the agreement, Shaman will obtain a 
data package from Bayer AG that contains significant preclinical 
information.  In return, Shaman will provide Bayer AG with a 
moderate licensing fee, clinical milestone payments, and 
royalties on any commercialized products resulting from the 
agreement.  Shaman intends to develop nikkomycin Z for the 
treatment of endemic mycoses, systemic fungal diseases which can 
be fatal and are particularly dangerous for AIDS and other 
immunocompromised patients.
      
"LaBarge Second Phase of Clinical Trials of Laser Lancet Has 
Commenced"
PR Newswire (06/07/95)
     LaBarge Inc. and Venisect Inc. jointly announced on Wednesday 
that they have begun Phase II clinical trials of Venisect's Laser
Lancet.  The researchers will study 100 insulin-dependent 
diabetics, comparing the blood glucose results obtained by a 
standard lancet to those of the Laser Lancet.  Venisect's product
offers a new method of puncturing skin for drawing blood, without
the use of sharp instruments.  This eliminates the danger of 
injury to health care workers, caused by handling sharp 
instruments that may be contaminated with blood-born diseases 
such as HIV or hepatitis B.
      
"Seragen Announces Consummation of $23.8 Million Financing"
PR Newswire (06/07/95)
     Seragen, Inc. has completed three separate lines of credit 
guaranteeing the company $23.8 million in bank financing.  The 
company has issued its guarantors warrants for the purchase of 
2.78 million shares of its common stock at $4.75 a share.  
Seragen's majority shareholder, Boston University, is the main 
guarantor, providing a guaranty of $11.8 million.  The company is
developing a proprietary technology used to create a series of 
unique receptor-targeted therapeutics, called fusion toxins.  
Seragen's main focus is in the fields of cancer and dermatology, 
and the company has conducted Phase I/II trials of Interleukin-2 
(IL-2) Fusion Toxin for lymphoma, psoriasis, and HIV infection, 
among others.
      
"Medarex Announces Initiation of Clinical Trial of Bispecific 
Cancer Theraperutic in Combination with NEUPOGEN"
Business Wire (06/07/95)
     Medarex Inc. has announced the initiation of a Phase I/II 
multi-site clinical trial for the evaluation of Medarex's 
MDX-210, a Bispecific antibody-based therapeutic, in combination 
with Amgen's NEUPOGEN.  Pre-clinical trials indicated that this 
combination therapy may increase anti-tumor activity previously 
observed in initial Phase I/II clinical trials of MDX-210.  
Medarex President Donald L. Drakeman says, "The combination of 
Bispecific and NEUPOGEN could have a variety of disease fighting 
applications."  This study complements another Phase I/II trial 
of combination therapy occurring at the University of Erlangen, 
Germany.  Medarex applies much of its proprietary technology for 
the design and development of antibody-based products used in the
treatment of AIDS, cancer, and autoimmune disorders.
      
"Herpesvirus-Like DNA Sequences in Non-Kaposi's Sarcoma Skin 
Lesions of Transplant Patients"
Lancet (05/27/95) Vol. 345, No. 8961, P. 1339;  Rady, Peter L..; 
Yen, Angela;  Rollefson, Janice L. et al.
     To determine whether herpesvirus-like DNA sequences (KSHV)
were associated with proliferative skin lesions not caused by
Kaposi's sarcoma in non-AIDS immunocompromised patients, Rady et
al. tested 33 skin lesions from 4 HIV-negative organ-transplant 
patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy.  Using polymerase 
chain reaction (PCR), KSHV sequences were identified in more than
80 percent of these lesions.  The two most frequent lesions 
tested were actinic keratosis (AK) and squamous cell carcinoma 
(SCC). The prevalence of KSHV was 78 percent in AKs and was 93 
percent in SCCs.  The researchers concluded that KSHV is related 
to lesions other than KS in non-AIDS immunocompromised patients, 
and may also be implicated in the pathogenesis of various kinds 
of proliferative skin lesions in organ-transplant patients.
      
"Exercise and HIV Infection"
Advocate (05/30/95) No. 682, P. 49;  Cohan, Gary R.
     Increasingly, studies of HIV-infected people indicate that 
regular physical exercise offers significant health benefits.  
Scientists have found that a lean body mass is strongly 
correlated with survival in people with AIDS.  Indeed, the timing
of death in AIDS patients has been found to be directly related 
to the amount of lean body weight loss--independent of T-cell 
levels or specific opportunistic infections.  To date, most 
efforts to halt the wasting process have concentrated on treating
underlying gastrointestinal disorders, stimulating the appetite 
with drugs, and providing extra calories.  While these treatments
do increase body weight, the gain is mostly fat and water.  
Common sense and current research, however, support the theory 
that one must perform some sort of physical activity to convert 
these calories and hormones into lean body mass.  Exercise can 
also help HIV-infected people maintain or improve their ability 
to perform daily activities, increase energy, improve appetite, 
and elevate mood.  Most experts agree that people at risk for 
HIV-related wasting syndrome should focus on resistance training,
and avoid burning too many calories.
      
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