info-aids@apple.com (INFO-AIDS MAILER) (08/18/89)
This week the FDA & the National AIDS committee announced
the effectivness of low dosage AZT in controling the
progression of HIV in patients. In the patient and medical
sector, this line of thinking already had seemed to have a
sound basis since many doctors were already prescribing low
dose AZT to their non-AIDS patients.
This announcement comes on the heels of an announcement made
by Bristol-Myers that they will make DDI available to PWAs
at no cost. (Associated Press - 7/14/89). DDI appears to
be as effective as AZT, but not as toxic. B-M hopes to start
distributing the drug in September... barring any
complications from the FDA.
This senerio stikes me as a little strange. Two major drug
companys in a silent battle. Both offering hope, if not
somewhat backhanded. And where does the FDA fit into all
this? Is someone being paid off? Does Burroughs Wellcome
feel threatened by DDI? I feel that some investigation is
warrented here.
Scotty
AIDS INFORMATION EXCHANGE BBS (214) 247-2367/247-5609
"Education is the best weapon"
{ames,rutgers,texsun,smu}!attctc!ozdaltx!sysop
--
To submit articles mail to ..!{apple, pacbell, netsys}!lamc!info-aids
Administravia (subscribe/unsubscribe) to info-aids-request@lamc.
Coordinator: kdavis@lamc (Ken Davis)phil@wubios.WUstl.EDU (J. Philip Miller) (08/20/89)
In article <26569@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> lamc!info-aids@apple.com (Info-AIDS Mailer) writes: > >This senerio stikes me as a little strange. Two major drug >companys in a silent battle. Both offering hope, if not >somewhat backhanded. And where does the FDA fit into all >this? Is someone being paid off? Does Burroughs Wellcome >feel threatened by DDI? I feel that some investigation is >warrented here. >Scotty > excuse me, i am dense [so what else is new :-] what is the proposed conspiricay? The AZT is scientific support for a hypothesis that many physicians have had, that AZT had benefit before symptoms developed - the annoucement that the trial was positive now makes placebo controlled trials at any stage of the disease less defesible. The DDI availability is only for those individuals who are not eligible for enrollment in other, conventional trials. The details are still to be announced. now what have the FDA and the drug companies cooked up together? -phil -- -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* J. Philip Miller - Div of Biostat - Washington Univ Medical School phil@wubios.WUstl.edu - Internet phil@wubios.wustl - bitnet (314) 362-3617 c90562jm@wuvmd - alternate bitnet