Research Subcommittee Minutes

Scott Hitt expressed concern that the Subcommittee document might contain factual inaccuracies
and felt more dialogue was needed before he could vote for the document. Dr. Mathieson noted
that it was inaccurate to say that NIH only conducts basic research since it supports many clinical
trials. She also thought it was inaccurate to state that there was no comprehensive plan for
vaccine research. The group was given a copy of this plan, and Scott Hitt noted that the PACHA
draft needed to be restated to acknowledge this plan and to note that the plan is not being used to
guide the work. The group expressed a need for a formal NIH response and requested a one-page
summary, ideally from Harold Varmus or Jack Whitescarver.
Phyllis Greenberger said it was difficult to decide if there was a comprehensive plan since there
have been presentations made by NIH, but there hasn't been dialogue with them and she doesn't
have a technical background. Dr. Weniger thought that although this was a lay council, it had
done a reasonable process of educating itself and getting appropriate input. An alternative
strategy was proposed to have informal meetings on an individual basis (such as with Harold
Varmus). Ron Johnson stated that the draft only made sense after reading the Heyward and
Marlink articles. While recognizing coordinating efforts by NIH and other agencies, PACHA
must make the case that these efforts aren't enough.
Phyllis Greenberger asked for more AIDS community input. Helen Miramontes noted that the
group must recognize that the AIDS community has been opposed to the vaccine issue, be
prepared to address the controversy, and be courageous to promote the PACHA position. The
group agreed there was a need for more education and this process should be discussed on 12/6.
The group reviewed the Research Subcommittee portion of re-write #4 of the PACHA Progress
Report. The only concerns expressed were about the use of the double negative in the sentence
"Insufficient progress on microbicide research has not been achieved since...."
Action Item
Vote on Dr. Weniger's motion.
1. Have the Subcommittee conduct several conference calls between now and
March.
2. Request from the Council a half-day plenary session in March for discussion of
the vaccine initiative.
3. Facilitate attendance by the Research Subcommittee at Sandra Thurman's January
1998 meeting at the White House.

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