Coalition of Scientists and AIDS Advocates Calls on Congress to Support Clinton AIDS Research Reform Proposals

2I3 itZ3:2
02'10/93

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AR IEL PROJECT

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12:55 ''415 883 1845

The Adeli Project
for the Prevention of HI V Transmission
from Mother to Infant
February 10, 1993

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DIRECTOR
Arthur.J. Amrnrn, M.D.
A prjec fuinded by
Peciatrtc AiOS7 FourdaCoA
An~o Magic Joh' on Fcundatrt
PEDIATRIC AIDS FOUNDATION
BOARD OF DI RECTORS
CHAIR~PERSON
Petr &flG~jdu
Susan DeLauren')s
Susan Z eim
Loyd S. Ze~ir: man
PEDIATRIC AIDS FOUNDATION
E~XECUTIVE ADVISORY BOARD
HONORARY ~C;-CHAIRS
Pt Ns'Jrrn and Mrs. Ronald Reagan
Mrs. Wimajn E. Brocxr
Sot Bu'katt
Afred A. cJcc~r
Kathryn 0. Cl ecch;
K{ ty DLkaxts
N ichaeI D.Eisner
Susw Field
S.rao r Pasa a Hw1tijs
Steven Sp:.ete7g
Mrs. Pw VN5 on
MAGIC JOHNSON FOUNDATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Eaimn Jon..
DOW ~eAUavi-Nixron
Dr. Jerry Buss

The Hfonecarble Robert Michel
Republican Leader
11-230 Capitol Building
Washington, DC 205
Dear Mr. Michel:
On February 3, 1993, 1 provided testimony to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce concerning the National Institutes of Health revitalization Act
(H.R,4). The major points I made related to:
1. The need to establish national priorities in AIDS
research.
2. The need to strengthen the OAR and appoint an
OAR Director who was free of conflict of interest.
3.. The need to establish a bypass budget to accelerate
the response to AIDS priorities.
Since my return, I have spoken to several NIH program coordiators, none of
who wanted to be named, who volunteered that they supported the above.
They felt that many past and current NIH AIDS programs have been
duplicative and slow to respond, but they have been hesitant to be openly
critical. There have been additional NIH supported researchers who also
concur but are unwilling to express their views because of fear of
recriminations having an impact on their funding. I sincerely hope they will
change their minds and write to you.
I would like to express my concern regarding the February 3 testimony of
some of the physicians who felt that the current NIH AIDS program should
remain unaltered. First, I did not feel that the testimony of Drs. Bellanti
and Petersdorf represented the view of AIDS researchers. Neither person
has been a leader in AIDS. Second, I do not feel that their organizations
represented AIDS research. Neither of their organizations has ever publicly
responded to the AIDS crisis. Finally, I feel that their injunctions to leave
the organization and funding mechanism of the current AIDS programs
unchanged represents a personal concern regarding loss of funding rather
than a concern of meeting AIDS research priorities in a timely manner.
As an individual who has been involved in AIDS research from its very first
discovery, I urge careful consideration of how best to direct the NIH to
organize the AIDS research programs to allow them to respond to th.
increasing crisis of preventing and treating HIV infection as outlined above.
Sincerely,
Arthur J. Ammann, M.D.
Director
AAmFA